5 Ways to be Better Prepared for Tax Season Next Year

The more organized you are, the less stress you will feel. Start thinking about how you can make next year’s tax season easier with these tips to keep your finances in order.

1.     Review Tax Filings from Previous Years

For most people, the changes from one tax year to the next are relatively slight. Previous tax returns are great reminders of areas that can easily be overlooked, such as interest or dividends, capital loss carry-forward balances, and infrequently used deductions. If there were any problem areas last year that were extra complicated, try to brainstorm how you can simplify the process and better prepare yourself for this next tax season. This could mean being better organized this year, filing earlier in the year, or even deciding to get professional tax help instead of doing taxes yourself.

2. Keep All Your Tax Information Together

Have you ever gone through a drawer and found a receipt from several years ago but cannot remember if you deducted it or not? Keeping your returns and documents together year to year will help you remember what items you have deducted, what you need to track and what you don’t. Start a new folder or filing system now for 2019 and keep everything in one place. The most important thing is to create a system that works for you. Tracking documents can be the most stressful part of tax season. Some items most commonly tracked are:  charitable donations, medical expenses and business expenses.

3. Save and Track Business Expenses

In general, if you are running a side business, small business or start-up, and are trying to claim certain items as business expenses during the year, you are going to have to justify these expenses. Save or track, any items you think you might want to claim as a business expense. You may not end up claiming them, but it is easier to discard receipts and documentation than wish you had them.

Tax software can be your friend. If you have software like QuickBooks or Zero you can put a system in place to track expenses, all those small missed deductions can add up. If your business can justify hiring a bookkeeper or accountant, consider outsourcing the burden of taxes and the stress of month-to-month tracking so you can focus on running your business. 

4.  Go Electronic

Many of your monthly bills or receipts are now e-statements or electronic PDFs. Start an electronic folder to track bills or monthly statements for credit cards, bank accounts, charitable donations and expenses. Many companies provide an option to have the receipt sent to you electronically after a purchase. If that option is not available, take a photo of the receipt with your phone and save it your electronic folder. Be sure to back up your files in the case of a crash or accidental deletion and to add extra protection password protect your folder or individual files.

5.     Prepare Yourself for Any Taxes You May Owe or Plan for Your Refund

Not everyone will get a tax refund. Many will actually owe money in taxes after filing. If you will likely owe on your taxes, take steps and budget to ensure you can pay the amount owed. You don’t want to be caught off guard when filing and be unprepared to pay the taxes owed. Depending on your finances, what you do with your refund could change each year. Is there a debt you need to pay off? Is there a vacation you want to use your refund for? Do you want to save your refund money for an emergency? Do you want to deposit to your RRSP or TFSA? Take a look at your finances or consult with your financial advisor when determining what your refund should go towards.

Feel free to connect with us to discuss your tax planning needs.