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It is getting to be tax season, so today I thought I would share with you 25 tips for reducing tax-time stress and organizing your finances for filing.

Before I became a freelancer, I had no idea you could make money blogging. My life plan was to be a full-time, stay at home mom, and do blogging and music in my free time (haha, free time).  I was so naive back then, I thought moms had free time – we don’t.

Once I discovered I could actually make money as a blogger, it became a full time commitment for me. The first few months I only made a handful of extra cash. Filing taxes as a freelancer never even crossed my mind in the beginning.

As I expanded my sources of income I gradually was able to make enough to constitute a full time job. The numbers continues to grow, and I feel blessed to be able to support my family from home. When I filed taxes after my first year as a blogger I was confused and stressed. With multiple streams of income, and not one set employer, it was really time consuming to try and account for everything. I hadn’t kept any records and it was a stress getting everything organized. I spent hours and hours and hours trying to do it exactly right.

This year (my second year blogging!!) I am a little more prepared. So I thought I would share some of my stress reducing, tax-prep techniques! First off ten tips for making the filing process smooth and stressless, then some advice on self care during the tax season that will help you avoid being overwhelmed and burnt out.

10 Ways To Make Filing Your Taxes Easier

1. Start Preparing Now!

The most important thing you can do to prepare for filing taxes is stop procrastinating. Do a little preparation every day and by the time 2017 tax season rolls around you will be SET. The sooner you file the sooner you get your return! So that is a bonus. And if you owe the IRS any money you definitely don’t want to file late, because then you will be subject to a 25% late fee😳.

2. Know What You Can Deduct

There are lots of things that you can deduct, all dependent on your income, living situation and line of work. Make sure you know what you are eligible to deduct. Here are ten things you may not have known that can often count toward deductions:

1. Sales Tax
2. Breastfeeding Expenses (pumps, lactation consultant, etc.) 🙌🏼
3. Business Related Meals
4. Health Insurance Premiums
5. Charitable Gifts
6. For Teachers: The Purchase Of Teaching Supplies
7. Smoking Cessation (expenses related to kicking the habit)
8. Educational Expenses
9. Job Loss
10. Moving Expenses

3. Use A Tax Filing Aid To File Online

Use an online program to help you file your taxes. This year I am using TaxSlayer. They have over 50 years experience in filing taxes and they allow you to choose the level of service you need. If you only need a little help, it is a super affordable option. If you need a lot of help filing taxes they are there for you with a streamlined filing process and absolutely free phone and email support.

4. Know Where To Begin

The best place to start is by gathering together all the documents you need. If you are unsure of everything that you will need, use a tool like TaxSlayer to get started.

5. File Even If You Can’t Pay

Don’t miss the deadline because you don’t think you will be able to pay, unless you love paying interest and late fees. Then go ahead and miss all the deadlines you want! But seriously, file even if you can’t pay by the April deadline. Most taxpayers are eligible for an installment agreement to help alleviate the payment if they file on time.

6. Keep Good Records Now

This may not apply to 2016, since that year is past and gone, but make sure you keep good records during 2017. Filing taxes will be a lot easier if you do this. You can use programs like Evernote to easily save and organize your receipts and bills, all in one place, for future reference. Things you should keep record of include:

• Bills
• Credit card and other receipts
• Invoices
• Mileage logs
• A home purchase or improvement
• Stocks and other investments
• Individual Retirement Arrangement transactions
• Rental property records
• Canceled, imaged or substitute checks or any other proof of payment
• Any other records to support deductions or credits you claim on your return

If you are a freelancer like me and often do contract work it can be very helpful to create a spreadsheet where you document all your incoming payments as well.

7. Double Check Your Work Before Filing

It never hurts to double check your work. If you double check your work you can rest easy knowing you didn’t make any mistakes or file incorrectly.

8. Get Expert Advice

You don’t have to be rich to get help from a professional with your taxes. Like I mentioned in tip #3 finding a great tool for filing your taxes online can be really helpful. Not only because they help you get your taxes filed flawlessly, but also because you get an experts advice at a fraction of the cost (or even free). I love TaxSlayer for this!

9. Start Early

The end of January is a great time to start working on your taxes. Don’t wait till the final hour. The longer you postpone, the longer you will have to live with the stress of filing looming over your shoulder.

10. Finish Early

HUGE stress reducer right here! Want to get rid of tax time stress?? File your taxes! Done.

15 Ways To Reduce Stress During Tax Season

1. Exercise – even if it is just 5 minutes a day!
2. Get A Massage.
3. Take Breaks – brains need breathers sometimes.
4. Keep A Healthy Snack Handy – rather than stopping when you are on a roll, keep healthy snacks handy like nuts, dried fruit, or some delicious, homemade, energy balls etc.
5. Walk It Off – too overwhelmed to continue? Just take a 10-15 minute walk around the block!
6. Breath Deeply Or Meditate
7. Don’t Skip Meals – starving yourself will actually increase stress!
8. Eat Healthy
9. Distract Yourself – don’t procrastinate forever, but if you’ve done a good days work, do something distracting like watching your favorite TV show.
10. Reward Yourself – get yourself something nice after a hard days work, say thank you to you.
11. Get Enough Sleep
12. Limit Caffeine & Alcohol – both can actually aggravate anxiety and panic
13. Do It With A Buddy – everything is more fun with a friend! Right?!
14. Think Positive – laughter is the best medicine! Why not watch a comedian on YouTube for 5 minutes to lighten your mood?
15. Remember it will all be over soon – (which is exactly what I told Zander before that kiss👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾 but he still objected 😹).

If you really want to get something done, the most important thing you can do is make it a priority. So get ahead of the game and file now at TaxSlayer.com.

Have you already started working on your taxes for 2016? Do you have any ‘tax time traditions’ to make the process easier?? Let me know in the comments.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

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