How to Make Tax Season Less Terrible
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How to Make Tax Season Less Terrible

Keep track of income, deductions, and deadlines with Todoist—and avoid being unpleasantly surprised at tax time

Planning out your tax process

Create a <a href="https://www.todoist.com/help/articles/introduction-to-projects-TLTjNftLM">project</a> for your taxes using Todoist, with <a href="https://www.todoist.com/help/articles/introduction-to-sections-rOrK0aEn">sections</a> for each area

Set <a href="https://www.todoist.com/help/articles/introduction-to-dates-and-time-q7VobO">due dates</a> for various stages of your taxes

Set a <a href="https://www.todoist.com/help/articles/introduction-to-dates-and-time-q7VobO">due date</a> to your task for filing your tax return

<a href="https://www.todoist.com/help/articles/duplicate-a-todoist-project-t8t21GfN">Duplicate</a> your tax project so you can use it in future tax years

Use <a href="https://www.todoist.com/help/articles/use-the-board-layout-in-todoist-AiAVsyEI">Todoist Boards</a> to get a bird's eye view of your taxes.

Use <a href="https://www.todoist.com/help/articles/use-the-board-layout-in-todoist-AiAVsyEI">Todoist Boards</a> to track and visualize where you are in the tax process

App callout note: 📈 Manage your taxes with our Todoist...

📈 Manage your taxes with our Todoist Tax Template.

Reporting income

App callout note: In the U.S., there are a variety...

In the U.S., there are a variety of forms taxpayers receive to report income, including W2s, 1099-NECs for freelance and independent contractor income, 1099-INT for income you’ve earned as interest, and 1099-DIV for income you’ve earned as dividends. More can be found on the Internal Revenue Service website.
Keep track of your tax income forms, and tick them off after entering them in your tax software or sending to your accountant

Tracking expenses and deductions

Create a <a href="https://www.todoist.com/help/articles/introduction-to-recurring-dates-YUYVJJAV">recurring task</a> to remind you to enter expenses (including those you plan to deduct in your taxes).

Keep track of the different kinds of expenses you will deduct on your taxes in one place.

Add a new expense as a <a href="https://www.todoist.com/help/articles/introduction-to-sub-tasks-kMamDo">sub-task</a> as it comes in under the corresponding deduction task

Keeping track of your forms in one place

Add a receipt for a work expense in <a href="https://www.todoist.com/help/articles/forward-emails-to-todoist-JPJ1V339">email as a sub-task</a> to a Work Expenses task of your Deductions section.

When you add an email receipt to Todoist, it shows up on your list of tasks or sub-tasks

Add a scanned tax document from your phone to Todoist as a task using share and Quick Add

When you add a document as a task to Todoist, it gets stored as <a href="https://www.todoist.com/help/articles/introduction-to-comments-and-file-uploads-CwiA50">an attachment in the comments</a> section of your task.

Paying estimated taxes on time

Add estimated tax payments as <a href="https://www.todoist.com/help/articles/introduction-to-recurring-dates-YUYVJJAV">tasks with a recurring due date</a> so you never forget them.

Use Todoist to set a task to recur quarterly for paying estimated taxes.

Include a link to the website where you pay your taxes in the comments of your task to save yourself time.

Filing jointly

<a href="https://www.todoist.com/help/articles/collaborate-with-friends-and-family-in-todoist-tzkGUy">Share your project</a> with your partner to work on joint tax filing.

App callout note: Check out our semi-serious guide for tricking...

Check out our semi-serious guide for tricking your partner into using Todoist. 😉

Submitting taxes as a business

Shivani Shah sets a monthly <a href="https://www.todoist.com/help/articles/introduction-to-recurring-dates-YUYVJJAV">recurring due date</a> to remind herself to pay taxes on invoices she pays as part of her business

Shivani sets a <a href="https://www.todoist.com/help/articles/forward-emails-to-todoist-JPJ1V339">email reminders from your accountant as a task</a> to send a report of certain expenses to her accountant to get the tax calculated.

Make sure you meet your tax deadlines by giving your task a <a href="https://www.todoist.com/help/articles/introduction-to-priorities-Wy82Jp">priority</a>.

Set a <a href="https://www.todoist.com/help/articles/introduction-to-reminders-9PezfU">reminder</a> ahead of a due date to give yourself some lead time on a task that involves more work

Elaine Meyer

Elaine is a writer, editor, and content strategist who is interested in tech, health, and the future of work.

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