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tracking tax paperwork

erikdw says:
When I do my taxes each year I have to gather together a copious amount of paperwork (ESPP, mortgage, property taxes, W2s, many 1099s, cost basis for various things, etc.).

In the past I have just used a plain text document to track the gathering of the various paperwork.

However, this year I am using RTM to track this. I created a "Taxes" list, and I have just added items for all the forms I have needed in the past (by harvesting that info out of an old text document), and when I remember another form then I add it to the list. If I receive a form in the mail then I check off the entry. Some of the paperwork I need never arrives though, so instead of needing to remember to print it out myself, I can look at my Taxes list and see that I still have not received it and probably need to print it out. Once I have completed all my items, I know I am ready to do my taxes.

Then next year I can just "uncomplete" all of the items from this list and start the cycle again.

An added benefit is that this is a central place for me to note any new taxable events/account openings that occur during this year, so that I will remember to gather paperwork for those items when tax season rolls around again.

Obviously, you should not put account numbers or any super sensitive info like that into your TODO lists. e.g., for investment accounts, I just put a bank/brokerage name, account type, and form needed (e.g., BofA savings 1099-INT).
Posted at 9:31am on March 9, 2010
erikdw says:
Actually, a better way of handling the year-to-year rollover is to make year-specific lists. e.g., 2009 Taxes, 2010 Taxes. After I've completed all the items in the 2009 Taxes, I can duplicate them (making them uncompleted, and then move those uncompleted items to the 2010 Taxes list).
Posted 14 years ago
emily (Remember The Milk) says:
Hey erikdw,

This is a very handy tip. :) I just wanted to let you know that you're this week's Tips & Tricks Tuesday winner -- we've upgraded your RTM account to have a free year of Pro.
Posted 14 years ago
ddelaiarro says:
Great tip!

Just a suggestion though - Rather than 'uncompleting' the tasks every year, why not just make them reoccur annually? That way, once you've done them for 2010, they'll be ready to go for 2011, and so on?
Posted 14 years ago
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