{"id":20639,"date":"2023-03-01T16:27:24","date_gmt":"2023-03-01T21:27:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cubesmart.com\/blog\/?p=20639"},"modified":"2024-06-28T13:05:10","modified_gmt":"2024-06-28T17:05:10","slug":"how-to-secure-tax-documents","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cubesmart.com\/blog\/your-space\/organization\/how-to-secure-tax-documents\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Secure Tax Documents"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Tax time doesn’t have to be a hard time – get organization tips!
Free Image via Unsplash<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Tax season is upon us. Again. For those of us\nwho\u2019ve known how to secure tax documents\nfrom the first day of adulthood \u2013 or earlier \u2013 no big whoop. For those of us\nwho are a little more creative <\/em>with\nour ideas about how to organize taxes \u2013 and\nthe huge amounts of digital and print documents they create \u2013 this time of year\ncan cause stress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re in the latter camp, join the club.\nOrganizing anything can be a chore, much less the small scraps of paper,\nletters, and email receipts sometimes necessary to file taxes. To lessen the\nburden, we\u2019ve collected some helpful tips for\nstoring tax documents and keeping them safe and secure until you need\nthem. This is not tax advice, but advice about how to minimize tax time\nstress by learning how to secure tax documents\nonce and for all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tips for Storing Tax Documents Securely<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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You don’t have to be excited, but you can be organized.
Free Image via Pexels<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

1. Get the right supplies<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nInvesting in some high\nquality and purpose-built tax storage containers will help you get organized\nfrom the get-go. We like the Really Useful File Box<\/a>\nfrom Staples if you have the need (and space!) for it, or the more discrete Calm Document Box<\/a>\nfrom Marie Kondo\u2019s line at The Container Store. Some organizers swear by\ndesktop organizers for file folders. Whatever floats your boat: just make sure\nto get something that is dedicated to the art and pursuit of securing tax\ndocuments. \n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Get consistent<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTax time can seem\noverwhelming if you haven\u2019t put forth a consistent effort to manage your\ndocumentation and organize your income and expenses all year. Avoid the stress\nby picking a time every week to work on it. According to certified home organizer Ellen Delap<\/a>,\nbreaking up a large task into a smaller, repeated routine is key to making\nprogress while minimizing anxiety.   \n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Get a dedicated space<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you want to really<\/em> know how to secure tax documents, we\u2019ll let you in on a little secret: location, location, location! It is critical that you find or create a dedicated space to store your important papers. No jamming them together in a bag on the counter or shoving them in the junk drawer. You need a safe spot, away from high-traffic and heat, for your documents. Not only will putting your papers in a removed storage<\/a> spot protect them from harm, it will help keep you organized because you\u2019ll always know where your important items are kept. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Get organized digitally too<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThese days, a lot of\nreceipts and forms are emailed rather than mailed. While this definitely\nminimizes the amount of paper documentation you have to store, it also creates\ntwo different sources of information, which can be frustrating if you\u2019re not\norganized. Every January, create an email folder for your personal taxes and\nlabel it with the year. (Create a different one for any business taxes.) As\nemail receipts come in, store them in the correct digital folder. For bigger\ndocuments that you have to download, keep a folder in Google Drive, Dropbox or\nsomething similar to save them all in. At the end of the year, cross-reference\nany paper documentation with your digital documentation to make sure you\u2019re not\nposting something twice.\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Find Storage Near Me<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Get familiar with what you need to keep track of. <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTax deductions are one of\nlife\u2019s great gifts. But if you\u2019re not completely sure what you can deduct, it\ncan be tempting to save everything \u2013 or nothing. Bone up on common\ntax deductions<\/a> at the beginning of the\nyear so you have them fresh in mind as you go about your daily spending and\nreceipt gathering. When in doubt, save it.\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Get a receipt organization app<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTaking pictures of receipts\nand storing them in a receipt organization app is one great way to securely\nstore your tax documents. Instead of worrying about fragile paper copies of\nreceipts, you\u2019ll have them all documented and organized in a single place<\/a>.\nSome apps even do the hard work of \u201creading\u201d the image for information and\ninputting it into the books for you. Shop around because price points vary, but\nthese apps can be worth their weight in gold when tax season comes around.\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. Get a receipt scanner <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nReceipt scanners are also a\nuseful tool \u2013 that might even be a tax-deductible home office expense.\nDigitizing and organizing all your important papers online can be a lot easier\nthan trying to sort through paper copies. If you devote time to scanning and\ncataloging your documents each week, you\u2019ll have a beautifully organized and\nup-to-date collection to show your accountant (or, worse case scenario, the\nIRS).\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. Get very clear on what you must keep \u2013 and how long you must keep it<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nYou don\u2019t have to keep\nevery tax receipt or record you\u2019ve ever had in your entire life, but there are\nsome that you need to hold on to for longer than you might think. Check out\nthis handy guide to recordkeeping<\/a>\nfor small businesses from the IRS and this piece from US News & World Report<\/a>\nfor more info on what you need to safeguard and for how long. \n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

9. Get on the same page<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIf you\u2019re filing jointly\nwith your spouse, or own a business with one or more other people, you will\nneed to try to get on the same page in terms of recordkeeping. It won\u2019t do you\nany good to learn how to organize taxes and\nget hyper-focused on the exercise, if your \u201csignificant other\u201d derails your\nefforts. Take time at the beginning of each year to realign on what to keep and\nwhere and how to keep it. This small investment of effort will pay dividends\ncome April.\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10. Get ready to enjoy your spring again<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIf you follow the steps\nabove, and stay consistent and dedicated throughout the year, there\u2019s a very\ngood chance that tax season will come and go without causing any great agita \u2013\nor taking you away from your family and friends for several Saturdays in March.\nWhat will you do with all your free time?! \n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Again, none of the above is meant as tax\nadvice. We are not accountants. We just like to minimize stress through\norganization \u2013 and if that involves a write-off or two, so be it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Find Storage Near Me<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Tax season is upon us. Again. For those of us who\u2019ve known how to secure tax documents from the first day of adulthood \u2013 or earlier \u2013 no big whoop. For those of us who are a little more creative with our ideas about how to organize taxes \u2013 and the huge amounts of digital […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":20646,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[38,639],"tags":[1804,1805,1806],"class_list":["post-20639","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-organization","category-your-space","tag-storing-tax-documents","tag-tax-filing-storage","tag-tax-organization"],"yoast_head":"\r\nHow to Secure Tax Documents | The Storage Space<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Protect your tax documents with practical tips. 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