It’s Tax Time … Again!
Mostly Organized Dispatch
Hey Caroline,
It’s that time of year … again!
Yep!
‘Tis the season of excavating your tax papers from the (potential) mountain that’s been accumulating all year long!
I haven’t started either, and if I’m being honest, I’m not looking forward to it; it’s 👏🏻 just 👏🏻 so 👏🏻 boring!
Buuuut, it’s gotta be done, right? So let’s do this together.
And for some immediate tips, keep reading below 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻
Happy Tax Season!
Caroline
Mostly Organized is committed to creating functional and clutter-free spaces that support your lifestyle. Continue reading for more tips.
Mostly Organized in the Wild
How to Organize Your Important Documents Toolkit - This is a Personal Manual-style resource to help you gather all your critical information and accounts, so you always have them on hand.
Tips From A Pro Organizer
🔆 TIP | Decluttering Tip From A Professional Organizer: Declutter As You Go
Want to get to your tax papers rapidly and eliminate some of the random papers you don’t need?
Here’s a quick method:
Take your stack of paper and sort through it quickly, one piece at a time.
Make 3 piles: tax papers, keep, TRASH.
It’s important to go as quickly as you can. We’re not lingering on what you need to do with the papers; we’re just sorting through and making smaller piles.
Take your TRASH pile and dispose of it: shred, recycle, or trash (ps. shredded paper goes in the trash, not the recycling).
Put your keep pile aside for another day.
The only thing left is your tax pile, ready for you to tackle or to bring to your accountant, plus you’ve decluttered a bunch of papers.
📌 HABIT | Small Habit To Help You Get Organized: Prepare for Next Year
If you don’t already have a system, prepare two folders: one for this year and one for next year.
As tax papers, slips and notices arrive, you’ll be able to separate them immediately in your folders, without burying them amongst other papers.
Even if these are the only pieces of paper filed separately, and the rest are in a giant pile, I promise this will help you.
It’s also time to shred your tax papers from 8 years ago - always keep 6 years, plus the current one.
Preparing for next year’s taxes in advance and getting rid of the years you don’t need anymore is a micro habit that will save you countless hours.
🧩 MINDSET | Clear Your Mind And Get a New Perspective: OHIO
This principle may help with future paper clutter.
It means: Only Handle It Once.
So next time you pick up a piece of paper, instead of adding it to your giant pile and having to sort it later, take 1 minute to immediately trash, file, or act on it (do the thing on the paper: pay the bill, make the appointment, etc.).
Now you never have to see that paper again!
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