How to Motivate yourself to File your Taxes Now

March is not typically a very eventful month for most people. We’re three months into the year, and there are no significant holidays for another few weeks. It’s that odd in-between season that isn’t quite winter but isn’t quite spring. This year, with Covid-19 impacting all of our lives, March is a little bit strange. But in many ways, life continues to ~march~ forward.

On March 20th, there’s the international day of happiness, which seems a little hard to embrace with everything going on right now, but there are also more mundane things like grocery shopping and keeping the house clean.

Guess what else is in less than a month away? Tax day! If you’re one of the many people stuck at home now – either with reduced work hours or full remote work, there’s no time like the present to file your taxes.

Set Up Specific Times

If even the thought of sitting down to file your taxes is overwhelming, take it a little bit at a time. The Pomodoro Technique is the idea that you concentrate on a given task for 25-minutes: no longer, no shorter, and then you take a three-to-five minute break.

Get up, make yourself a cup of tea, or do some stretching. Clear your mind, make a short phone call, or even scroll Instagram. Then, get back to it with a fresh 25-minute timer set. Repeat this four times, and then take a longer break.

Each of these 25-minute segments should have a particular goal. Maybe for your first section, you’ll address each receipt you may need, as an example, and so forth.

Consider Hiring a Tax Professional

If you think you’re in over your head for your own taxes, consider making the call to an accountant. If you’re not willing to give up all control, there are specialty Tax Professionals, like Tri-Merit that will consult you and help you understand where you may need a tax professional.

In the era of remote work, you can efficiently address concerns you may have regarding specific tax issues or potential audits via a phone call. Gone are the days are needing to be face-to-face with a CPA to get your taxes under control.

Give Yourself a Reward

One way to make sure you finish those taxes early is to reward yourself when you’re finished. That could mean a long bubble bath, downloading a new book you’ve been wanting to read on your e-reader, or planting some seeds to start your spring garden.

Just don’t allow yourself to do that until you’ve actually put your taxes in the mailbox!

Reconsider How You File Your Taxes

Speaking of mail, if you’re still actually mailing your taxes, you may want to consider an online option. Tax software is updated yearly and can help you sort out any questions you have. Here’s a list of some of the options on the market for 2020, as well as reasons for why some may be a better or worse choice for you.

Doing taxes isn’t glamorous! For the majority of us, it’s also not fun, but once they’re filed, you’ll be one step closer to enjoying your International Day of Happiness.