Sunday, January 8, 2012

Early Estimates Help



       Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. said “Taxes are what we pay for a civilized society.”  Now is the time to start organizing yours.  Gather all of your receipts and notes.  Look at major differences between your 2010 numbers and those for 2011.  You should have all of your W-2s and 1099s by January 31.
       The earlier you file the faster you can get your return.  Estimating your liability early, even if you don’t file early, will allow you to manage your budget more accurately. Dragging your feet until the last moment could be costly.
       This is also a good time to adjust your W-4 deductions.  You should only be withholding enough to cover your taxes; getting a big return means you let the government use your money, interest free.  Wouldn’t you rather have that money in your pocket?  If your refund totals more than $1000.00, you are having too much withheld.  A common strategy is to adjust your withholding and put the extra money into your emergency fund or retirement.  You won’t miss the money out of your check, you aren’t seeing it now, but you will be better prepared for the future

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