“We are as happy as we make our minds up to be,” Abraham Lincoln once said.

Fun events such as the Super Bowl, Valentine’s Day, President’s Day, and the Grammy’s filled the first two weeks of February. Do you realize that 2015 personal income tax filing is due in two months? How happy does that make YOU feel?

NOTE to encourage a happy dance: The federal tax filing deadline usually falls on April 15th, but thanks to Emancipation Day in Washington D.C. – a holiday in the nation’s capital marking the end of slavery– this year you’ll have three extra days to get your taxes done. So mark your calendars; the new deadline to file your 2015 taxes is April 18, 2016. If you live in Maine or Massachusetts, you have until April 19th because of Patriots’ Day in those states. If you’re filing for an extension, please check with your accountant/qualified tax professional to assure any payment obligations are met on time.

As a person who loves order, I actually enjoy organizing my tax information, spreadsheets, receipts, expenses, and tax documents that come in the mail.  Until 2014, I had filed my own taxes; since then, I’ve decided to do what I do best – track and organize and let my accountant do the rest. How do I find the value in my decision? Here are three “quick” and measurable benefits:

  • I create more time for myself by outsourcing the actual filing process;
  • My accountant’s expertise in keeping current with any changes to tax deduction guidelines (while using my data from my recordkeeping and financial management systems) allows my taxes to be filed as correctly and quickly as possible;
  • My hourly-based fee payment for this service is reduced because my accountant has all of the information to review in an organized, easily understandable way…fewer questions plus faster turnaround equals cost savings for me!

So, if “taxes” is a 4-letter word to you (alright, it’s actually a 5-letter word), let’s reframe our approach right now.  How would it feel to have your 2015 financial files and tax information organized without a lot of stress? Try to start your preparation from a place of gratitude. It might sound silly, but if we can come to this exercise from our “happy place,” we’ll be surprised at how quickly (and less painfully) we achieve our results and can delegate to our tax expert.

A few reasons to be happy about filing taxes include:

  • You have income that contributes to your well-being as well as those around you. Social Services and many public parks, art, and cultural events, and libraries exist because of your tax dollars.
  • It’s mid-February and you should have received tax documents in the mail. You have “a good month” to gather paperwork and sort receipts.  If you haven’t started yet, this is the perfect time to begin. Remember, you still need to schedule an appointment with your accountant and give him/her time to work on your filing (or you may find yourself filing for an extension). Committing to that appointment makes the time frame real and a good deadline for pulling everything together.
  • The earlier you file, the faster you’ll receive your refund if you are expecting one.

Now to the action steps:

  • Go to your favorite music streaming site play uplifting feel-good songs about money (or about life!).
  • Here are a few baby steps to get started gathering:
    • If not already done, open all of your paper mail. Immediately recycle junk mail.
      Put any document that has 2015 and a form number (e.g., W2, 1099-HC) in a file folder and label it “Taxes 2015.” Financial documents that need review or action and you know are not tax-related should be put in an “Action” folder. Directly on the folder (or in another place where you will look regularly), make note of the next action that needs to be taken with the item(s) in that folder.
    • Gather all receipts that you’ve accumulated so far in 2015.  Unless they are for business-related purchases or large ticket items, throw out receipts for groceries, consumables, and for items past their return date. Place the rest in an envelope labeled “Taxes 2015”, put the envelope in a file folder with the same label (see above). As you come across papers that need to be shredded (e.g., items containing personal identification numbers/information such as social security numbers, birthdates, bank or credit card accounts), put them aside in a paper bag or file box labeled “SHRED” and shred those later.
    • Find other piles of paper in your home that you suspect financial or tax information could be found and determine if it’s tax-related, if so put it in your “Taxes 2015” folder.
  • Congratulate yourself for making progress! Celebrate! How do you feel now? Any lighter?

These action steps performed in a fun, caring way to support your decision to be as happy as possible about your taxes. I encourage you to play with this process and picture your refund (hopefully!) on its way to you!