"A daily routine built on good habits and disciplines separates the most successful among us from everyone else." – Darren Hardy
Last week I wrote about financial resolutions — and, well, John Tierney of the New York Times must be a reader!
The columnist devoted a fantastic column to the keeping of resolutions and though he didn’t name me directly, he made a bunch of great points. I read this in the paper version, but I wanted you to see it online. In my opinion, here’s the key bit (my emphasis):
The study, led by Wilhelm Hofmann of the University of Chicago, showed that the people with the best self-control, paradoxically, are the ones who use their willpower less often. Instead of fending off one urge after another, these people set up their lives to minimize temptations. They play offense, not defense, using their willpower in advance so that they avoid crises, conserve their energy and outsource as much self-control as they can.
Alright — so perhaps he’s not talking about the automation and financial resolutions which I discussed! But I do hope you noticed what I emphasized there: sometimes our best method to stick to our resolutions is to not rely on our simple willpower — but to outsource it.
I’m running down some tools for you on this for next week, which I hope will help.
In the meantime (and speaking of outsourcing)… I truly do pity those who attempt to wade through all of the different tax codes and forms on their own, and not devote a week’s labor to the transaction. It really doesn’t pay to "go it alone" for certain tasks.
So, for those of you who want our help, I’ve put together a handy little list of what you’ll need to send to us. There may be certain situations where we’ll need other documentation to get you even more deductions. But, of course, we’ll let you know about that, should the situation arise!
Let me know your thoughts … and, of course, if you’d like to talk this over with us we’re here for you!
Tom Bass’s
"Real World" Personal Strategy
Bass’s Tax Time Document Chase List
Yes, this is a long list — but it’s the unfortunate reality of our tax code that it’s not even comprehensive! But these items will cover 95% of our clients. Really, this is for ensuring that we’re able to help you keep everything you deserve to keep under our tax code.
Even if for some strange reason you won’t be using our cost-effective services this year, feel free to use this list as a handy guide…
Personal Data
Social Security Numbers (including spouse and children)
Child care provider tax I.D. or Social Security Number
Employment & Income Data
W-2 forms for this year
Tax refunds and unemployment compensation: Form 1099-G
Miscellaneous income including rent: Form 1099-MISC
Partnership and trust income
Pensions and annuities
Alimony received
Jury duty pay
Gambling and lottery winnings
Prizes and awards
Scholarships and fellowships
State and local income tax refunds
Unemployment compensation
Homeowner/Renter Data
Residential address(es) for this year
Mortgage interest: Form 1098
Sale of your home or other real estate: Form 1099-S
Short Sales of your home Form 1099-c
Home Repossessed Form 1099-A
Second mortgage interest paid
Real estate taxes paid
Rent paid during tax year
Moving expenses
Financial Assets
Interest income statements: Form 1099-INT & 1099-OID
Dividend income statements: Form 1099-DIV
Proceeds from broker transactions: Form 1099-B
Retirement plan distribution: Form 1099-R
Capital gains or losses
Financial Liabilities
Auto loans and leases (account numbers and car value) if vehicle used for business
Student loan interest paid
Early withdrawal penalties on CDs and other fixed time deposits
Automobiles
Personal property tax information
Department of Motor Vehicles fees
Expenses
Gifts to charity (receipts for any single donations of $250 or more)
Unreimbursed expenses related to volunteer work
Unreimbursed expenses related to your job (travel expenses, entertainment, uniforms, union dues, subscriptions)
Investment expenses
Job-hunting expenses
Education expenses (tuition and fees)
Child care expenses
Medical Savings Accounts
Adoption expenses
Alimony paid
Tax return preparation expenses and fees
Self-Employment Data
Estimated tax vouchers for the current year
Self-employment tax
Self-employment SEP plans
Self-employed health insurance
K-1s on all partnerships and trusts
Receipts or documentation for business-related expenses
Farm income
Home Office related expenses
Deduction Documents
State and local income taxes
IRA, Keogh and other retirement plan contributions
Medical expenses
Casualty or theft losses
Other miscellaneous deductions
We hope this helps, and we really look forward to seeing you this year!
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To your family’s financial and emotional peace…