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Tax Time 2012

Its nearly April 15th and I have not yet begun to procrastinate about finishing my taxes. In short, I need to get it done this weekend in order to make sure that I get it done on time. Otherwise, we'll be in big trouble.

I've been working on figuring out whether or not there is anything that I can do to make it easier for the next time, but I think that the most obvious thing I can do is stay more organized. This particular year there were a bunch of things that were out of sorts:

1. Lost my W-2 and had to get it replaced.
2. Didn't get an appointment with an accountant early.
3. Wasn't sure whether or not I was going to be eligible to contribute to a Roth, and out of panic, took the money out. Then it turned out I was fine, and I should have left the money in! What an utter waste!

For next year, I will make some changes to make this process easier next time around.

1. I will avoid the roth entirely so I don't worry about the eligibility issues.
2. I will make sure that I get paperwork in order this year so that important items are not lost.
3. I will make an appointment early for an accountant if needed.

All things considered, it is not nearly as bad as it could be. One return is done and filed. Another return should be a piece of cake and then back to smooth sailing!

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