Taking the Dread Out of the April 15 Tax Deadline for 41% of Americans

Flanders, NM, March 24, 2013 --(PR.com)-- According to a 2011 TurboTax study, 41% of file their tax returns in the last 4 weeks of the tax season, with 27% waiting until the final days. Since approximately 75% of taxpayers get a refund, why do they wait until the last minute to file?

“It’s human nature to procrastinate doing unpleasant or overwhelming tasks. Income tax preparation can be both unpleasant and overwhelming,” explained Katherine Trezise, Founder and President of Absolutely Organized, a multi-state organizing service. “More frequently, though, we hear people say the reason they procrastinate doing their taxes is because their tax-related documents are not organized. They have to spend many hours tracking down receipts that prove their deductions and official documents that prove their income before they can even start adding things up.”

Trezise has personally observed this phenomenon numerous times. She established Absolutely Organized in 1999 with a desire to help people who were experiencing the negative consequences of not being able to organize themselves. Trezise specializes in personal bookkeeping and daily money management, helping clients get control of their finances and related paperwork – including tax filing.

For those who are dreading the looming tax deadline, Trezise offers three quick tips that to help get organized and ready to file:

Purchase an accordion folder – the kind that has 12-or-so pockets. Label the front of the folder “2012 Tax Documents.”

Label one section for each type of tax document, receipt, or statement. Here is a list of possible types of tax documents you might have:

-W-2s, 1099s, 1098s, Social Security statements & other official tax statements
-Pay stubs
-Bank statements
-Credit card statements
-Medical bills
-Explanations of benefits from health insurance companies
-Charity donation receipts
-Business expense receipts (for sole proprietors and LLCs)
-Other receipts for tax-deductible expenses
-Correspondence from your tax preparer
-Check your most recent tax return to see if there are other types of tax documents you will need to find.

With accordion file in-hand, begin systematically searching for those elusive tax documents. As you find them, put them in the appropriate section of your accordion file. Resist the temptation to organize other paperwork at this time. Continue hunting and gathering tax-related paperwork until you either know you’ve found everything you’re looking for or have searched in all the places it might be hiding.

“Once you have completed these steps you will be ready to start adding things up and filing your taxes or visiting a tax preparer,” Trezise continued. “If you are behind by a few years, remember, that there is a limited time in which you can file back taxes and receive a refund. For example, April 15 2013 is the last date in which you can file taxes for 2009 and receive a refund.”

Once organized, many more Americans will find filing taxes – and getting that refund – easier and, perhaps, avoid the last-minute rush next year.

About Katherine Trezise & Absolutely Organized
Katherine (Kathy) Trezise founded Absolutely Organized in 1999, recognizing that her passion and her organizational skills could free people to spend their time and energy on the people, things, and activities that are important to them. In addition to managing the company’s day-to-day operations, Kathy specializes in personal bookkeeping and daily money management, helping clients get control of their finances and related paperwork using Quicken and QuickBooks. She is a frequent speaker on organizing at community and non-profit events, and at international professional organizing conferences.

Kathy was one of the first professional organizers in the nation to earn the designation of Certified Professional Organizer from the Board of Certification for Professional Organizers (BCPO). She was awarded the designation of Certified Professional Organizer in Chronic Disorganization® by the Institute for Challenging Disorganization (ICD) and subsequently served as ICD’s president. Kathy also holds a specialist certificate in Attention Deficit Disorder from ICD. She is also a graduate of The Coach Approach for Organizers training program, established by the renowned organizational industry expert and coaching guru, Denslow Brown.

Kathy holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from McDaniel College and a master of business administration from Loyola University, Maryland. For more information contact www.absolutely-organized.com