Filing taxes is not an easy process, and simply thinking about W2 and 1099 forms can be enough to stress you out. If you want to make this tax filing season easier, why not start gathering the tech tools you need today?
With a little bit of planning and some proactively, you can get a jump start on tax filing season. Here are some essential technological tools that will make tax time easier, more efficient, and less stressful.
An Electronic Locking Safe
Even in an age of online tax preparation and filing, there is still a need for secure offline storage. No matter how much you automate and streamline the filing process, you will likely end up with a pile of paperwork.
Every page of that paperwork contains information that could be extremely useful to a hacker or identity thief, and that is why secure home storage is so vital. Investing in an electronic safe that can be locked and unlocked by you and only you is the best way to protect your privacy and your tax documents.
A Receipt Scanner
If you wait until tax time to gather your receipts, you just might end up with a shoebox full of paper, and making sense of all those scraps will only increase your already high stress level. A better alternative is to scan every receipt as you get it – and that is where a dedicated receipt scanner comes into play.
You can connect your receipt scanner to a desktop or laptop, and some even connect to mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. With the touch of a button, you can scan each new receipt, sending it to a secure folder on your computer or a data vault in the cloud.
Interactive Accounting Software
Keeping track of income and expenses is no easy task, especially if you are pursuing a side hustle or running your own small business. Interactive accounting software is designed to make things easier, and you might want to consider it before tax time rolls along.
Interactive accounting software is designed to seamlessly interface with your bank account, credit card, receipt scanner, and other tech tools. When tax time rolls around, you can use the software to pull it all together, making your job easier, faster, and far less stressful.
Secure Cloud Storage for Your Documents
It is important to keep copies of your old tax returns, hanging on to those copies and supporting income documents until the audit window has closed. If you do not want to fill your home with paper, storing the documents in the cloud is always a smart substitute.
Having a secure cloud storage account in place will give you a simple way to back up not only your tax documents but other important files as well. From pictures of your kids to your insurance policies, you can fill up your cloud storage account with all the stuff you cannot afford to lose.
Quality Tax Filing Software
Technology can make your tax filing job a lot easier, and there is no better example than the software that makes fast filing possible. Tax filing software is designed to be simple and interactive, walking you through every step of the process and helping you get your refund as quickly and painlessly as possible.
There are many different kinds of tax filing software on the market, from packages designed for simple returns to more elaborate packages able to handle even the most complex small business tax returns. Price points and filing fees vary as well, so be sure to shop around for the best value before you start entering your data.
Tax filing season can be stressful, but having the right tech tools can make it easier. With technology by your side, you can get your taxes done more quickly, so you will have your refund in no time.
