Tidy Tips: Organizing Tax Documents

Eeek! April 18th is fast approaching. (Yes, the deadline to file federal tax returns is Tuesday, April 18th this year)

We know, we know. We dread it too.

But you can eliminate some of the stress of tax prep by creating systems that keep your tax documents organized and easily accessible.

We share some organizing and storage tips for your electronic files and physical files below and encourage you to implement these tips throughout the year so you’re not scrambling the night before.

Your tax advisors will thank you.

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Electronic Files

Use A Cloud Based Storage Service

We recommend using a cloud based storage service (like Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive) so the files can be easily accessed without needing your computer. Plus it makes it easy to share files with your accountant or if multiple people are contributing to the files.

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Create Subfolders

We do not recommend cresting one folder for all tax files. Instead create subfolders within the main folder (labeled by tax year). Your subfolders can be categories like receipts, tax forms, deductions, invoices, charitable contributions, etc. 

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Use A Naming Convention

Consistent naming conventions for the files are key. We like to use something like this “Year_last name_category_subcategory”. This makes sorting and locating files a breeze.

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Download A Scanner App

Using one of the many scanner apps speeds up the prep process. We’ve been using ScannerPro for years. Scan the document using your phone and upload to whatever cloud based storage program you use.

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Update Regularly

We also encourage clients to update this folder monthly or quarterly (depending on your lifestyle and need) so you are not scrambling at the last minute come tax time.

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Physical Files

Use An Accordion File Folder

If you prefer physical files, grab an accordion file folder and dedicate it solely to tax files for that year. Label the sections of the accordion file (ex. receipts, tax forms, deductions, invoices, charitable contributions) and file the documents as they come in.

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disclaimers:

product photos from Amazon.

If you purchase from one of our LTK links, we may earn a small commission.

Tidy Nest Featured Press: The Best Way to Organize Your Tax Documents, According to Experts (Apartment Therapy)

Taxes are stressful. There’s no way around it. But you can eliminate some of the stress by making sure your tax documents, receipts, paperwork, statements, etc. are organized and easily accessible. We don’t love paper (shocker) so we always opt for digital storage solutions. Apartment Therapy recently published an article on The Best Ways to Organize Your Tax Documents and we were happy to share some digital solutions with them.

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FEATURED PRESS

Take a look at our other interviews with Apartment Therapy over the years

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2022 Holiday Gift Guides: Organizing Gifts

We had so much fun last year with the first edition of our holiday gift guides. We received such great feedback from everyone.

We created a handful of guides this year from our own picks to stocking stuffers to organizing supplies.

Next up is our favorite organizing gifts!

As we did last year, we’ll be gifting someone a little something from one of the guides. All you have to do is comment below (or better yet, comment on our Instagram or Facebook posts) and tell us what item you have your eyes on this season.

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Legacy Box, Digitizing Kit

We are constantly asked how to properly preserve keepsakes like home movies and photos. 

We love LegacyBox’s digitizing kits to safeguard irreplaceable memories - there are multiple packages to choose from based on the quantity of memories you’re preserving and options to save your files on a thumb drive, disc or cloud.

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Etsy, Glass Spice Jars

It feels like we’ve researched every spice jar that exists and this one is one of our favorites.  These airtight glass jars are made with food-grade high quality borosilicate glass. The lids are handmade from eco-friendly sustainably sourced Acacia wood. You can even add a matching acacia spice spoon to compliment your jars. It’s a great gift for the chef in your life and we love these as a housewarming gift too.

p.s. the etsy shop owner is wonderful.

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Yamazaki, Jewelry Display

We like the minimalist design of this jewelry organizer which can be used for necklaces, watches and bracelets. The bottom tray can be used to prop a phone or hold loose change, rings, and earrings. The little hooks along the top are perfect for keeping necklaces untangled.

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Italian retro goblets

Available in 9 sizes and 25+ colors, these bags are incredibly versatile. We use them grocery shopping, as gift bags, as food storage, in place of baskets in bathrooms, the list keeps going.  They are hand washable so you can reuse them over and over again. And when they are not in use, you can store them flat.

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Artkive, Children’s Art Publishing Kit

The number one complaint we get from parents….they don’t know what to do with their children’s art work. We always recommend Artkive. Just send them your favorite artwork and they will produce an artbook or framed-mosaic print of the masterpieces. You can either have them return the artwork to you afterwards or you can have them responsibly recycle it (you know our vote)!. Preserve your child’s art in one neat and organized place.

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Sendotek, Bamboo Charging Station

We love this 6-in-1 bamboo charging station because we really dislike having cords everywhere.. It charges up to 6 devices (including a watch and airpods) simultaneously and comes with a wall output plug which helps keep your desktop neat and tidy.  It also comes with 3 types of charging cables- a lightning cable, a type C, and a USB micro charging cable. The easiest way to keep all your devices in one centralized place whether it be your desk, counter or nightstand.

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Poketo, Spectrum Wall Planner

We still use wall calendars and the bigger the better! With this wall planner, we like to display all 12 months because the entire color scheme is fantastic. This calendar comes open-dated so you can use it anytime. Poketo also sells the Acrylic Poster Hanger if you want to hang up one month at a time.

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swarovski magnetic ear cuff

We came across this bag while organizing a basement and I think we may have ordered the bag while we were still on-site. We love this bag because you don’t have to worry about it getting messy or dirty because you can simply rinse it off when you’re done using it.

It comes in a dozen fun colors and each bag has two removable clear pouches that clip into the holes on the side of the bag.  While this bag is a great beach/sports/pool bag, we actually use it as a supply bag on jobs! It’s perfect for a fall tailgate or a summer day at the beach. Our favorite part is that it’s tip proof!

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YouCopia, Storage Drying Rack

You already know how much we love our Stasher bags, so it only makes sense how excited we were to find this.  A simple solution for drying and storing reusable food bags of all sizes, the best part is that the prongs keep the bags open to air-dry. It’s easy to clean and made from BPA-free plastic.

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Reminder to comment below (or better yet, comment on our Instagram or Facebook posts) and tell us what item you have your eyes on this season. You’ll be entered to win s little something from one of our guides.

disclaimer:

If you purchase from one of our LTK links, we may earn a small commission.

Tidy Tips: Computer Desktop Organization

Office organization doesn’t just apply to the physical space. Let’s not forget about our inboxes, Google drives, cloud storage and computer desktop storage. We’ll tackle the easy one first - your computer desktop.

We are all guilty of having too many files crowding our desktops. Think about it… it’s the digital version of the stack of papers on the corner of your desk! 

We’re challenging you to spend a few minutes tidying your desktop. Don’t worry. We’ll walk you through it.

1. Declutter

If you only do one step listed here, this is the most important. The simple directive….remove anything you don’t access daily.

2. Categorize

Make specific folders for each category of files you’re keeping on the desktop.

3. Standardize

We like to have a standardized naming convention for our files so it’s easier to locate the file you need.

4. Customize

While it’s not necessary, we like to add a customized desktop background to make our desktop more visually appealing and help with maintaining categories. (You can access our customized desktop below).

5. Maintain

As with any space, maintenance is key. Set a reminder to clean up your desktop once a week, month, quarter, etc.

You can find more details on each step by checking out Shannon’s tips in Apartment Therapy’s article “How to Best Organize Your Computer Desktop, According to Pro Organizers”.

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A little more on that customized background…

We like to add a customized desktop background to make our desktop more visually appealing and help with maintaining categories. Shannon created this one for her own laptop. Canva has a bunch of customizable templates to choose from based on your needs. These templates are great for creating broad file categories like “reference files,” “client projects,” “personal,” and “active projects” to categorize your files. From there, drag all corresponding files to the appropriate grouping, and presto, an organized desktop. 

 Want to use this background? Drop us a line and we’ll send over the file!

Tidy Nest Featured Press: How to Best Organize Your Computer Desktop (Apartment Therapy)

Apartment Therapy recently published “How to Best Organize Your Computer Desktop, According to Pro Organizers”.

Check out the article to learn how Shannon suggests keeping your desktop tidy.