7 ways to get organized for the tax season so you can get an early start on tax filing
By Kay Bell Kay Bell's Twitter profile
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While every tax filer's situation is unique, all taxpayers have a similar experience. That's because the IRS demands certain information from everyone. But filing taxes doesn't have to be an ordeal. You can be less frustrated and more efficient if you have all the material at your fingertips.
The key to a successful tax form is proper reporting. The IRS wants to know how much money you made so it can tax it. You need to know what you can put on your Form 1040 that will help you trim your tax bill.
By being prepared, you'll be ready to file your return at the earliest possible moment. The IRS usually starts accepting returns around mid-January. And the earlier you file, the sooner you'll get your refund.
Be warned, however, that this year, tax filers who claim the earned income tax credit or the additional child tax credit won't get a refund before mid-February. This delay is due to the IRS's attempt to reduce fraud by unscrupulous scam artists who illegally claim these credits.
Let's look at seven ways to get organized so that tax-filing will be less onerous.
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Kay Bell is an award-winning journalist, blogger and author who, after spending almost 20 years in Washington, D.C., working on both Capitol Hill and in Fortune 500 companies' government relations offices, decided to focus on taxes. Noted for her ability to translate tax talk into money-saving English, she helped Bankrate.com in 1999 launch its comprehensive and respected tax coverage. Bell's tax insight and expertise make her a regular contributor on behalf of Bankrate to television and radio programs, as well as a source for other media outlet. From her career start as a daily newspaper reporter and editor in her native West Texas, Bell has written personal finance pieces for magazines, provided copy for investment company newsletters, is the author of the Financial Times book 'The Truth About Paying Fewer Taxes' and successfully transitioned to new media, writing not only online articles but also two tax blogs, 'Bankrate Taxes Blog' and her own 'Don't Mess With Taxes.' Bell lives in Austin, Texas. A graduate of Texas Tech University (B.A., Journalism), she is a member of her alma mater's College of Media and Communication professional advisory board. She also served a term on the Internal Revenue Service's Taxpayer Advocacy Panel.
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