[1]As I pull out the last few items within our important documents filing system, I am amazed at how far our family has come. As I see the 2010 tax documents, I am reminded of life at home with little ones.
I had a new nursing baby (Miss 3), spent weeks reading books and singing songs while potty training (Miss 6), and prepared our family for the kindergarten change (Mr. 8). This was also a time where I typically stayed in my pajamas all day as life was just that busy.
Blogging had intrigued me in mid-2010, and I began researching and reading before diving into this journey [2]. So, looking back over these 2010 tax documents brings back good memories and gratitude for the progress made within my family.
In winding down this tax category, the last bundle within the 11th file opening of File Box 3 [3] consists of our 2010 tax documents. When I file our 2013 document, these 2010 documents will move to our totes [4] as I only keep the last 3 years of tax records within our important documents file.
2010 Tax Documents
Comprised of our federal, state, and the setup information and first electronic filing documents, our 2010 tax bundle is housed behind the 2012 [5] and 2011 [4] bundles:
Federal Tax Documents
- Copy of tax refund check
- Federal Income Tax Return with Schedules and Worksheet
State Tax Documents
- Copy of tax refund check
- State Income Tax Return
Electronic Filing Documents
- TaxAct [6] User Agreement
- TaxAct Declaration
- TaxAct Filing Instructions for Federal and State
- TaxAct Status Report
- TaxAct Confirmations
Each of these sections is either stapled or paper clipped together and then one large paper clip combines all three sections into one bundle. This bundle is the third of three years kept within this file opening of our tax records category.
Keeping these records close by came in handy when the IRS in 2012 challenged an entry on our 2010 return. Though our situation was not an audit, I still had to verify our records before handling the situation with the IRS. I will share my experience with handling this situation in the next and last post for the tax record category.
As you continue filing and organizing your important documents, start where you are. You know that pile on the floor behind your desk that you will get to one of these days. Start with that one.
Setup your file and then start adding paperwork. As you find the paperwork a home, you can then start to organize each section. The important step is to start. Happy organizing!
Question: How was your pace of life 3 years ago?