January – Get Organized for Tax Time


1)
    Set up a file (or box) for your 2012 taxes. Put a label on it and drop in your Form W-2 and 1099s as they come in the mail.

2)     Open the envelope with your JMF organizer. Please use the organizer as a guide to make sure you have everything that you had last year. The JMF organizer is much shorter this year and it is easy to use. Using the organizer will help us help you save taxes. Please put the organizer in your 2012 tax file to give to JMF.

3)     If you think you will be getting a refund and you would like your refund direct deposited be sure to note in your organizer if the bank account is the same as last year. If your bank account has changed or we do not have it on file include a void check or check photocopy for the account you would like the refund deposited.

4)     Sign the Foreign Financial Asset statement that we sent to you in the mail and put it in your 2012 file.

5)     Locate those charitable donation receipts for amounts of $250 or more and put them in that 2012 file.

6)     Take a look in your checkbook to see if you paid any estimates we set up for you last year & make a note of how much & when you paid them.

7)     Put March 25, 2013 on your calendar.  Please mail or bring your tax documents to your JMF accountant before that date or let us know if you prefer to get an extension.

8)     Now is a good time to also start a file for 2013 (you can put those charitable donation receipts in there all year long).

“Any one may so arrange his affairs that his taxes shall be as low as possible; he is not bound to choose that pattern which will best pay the Treasury; there is not even a patriotic duty to increase one’s taxes.”  Judge Learned Hand – 1934