It’s July. In a few short months people will be filing their 2024 tax returns with that familiar recurring moan and groan about paying too much. Now is the time to take your preventative medicine and avoid the pain next time around!
Being human, we all form habits. Some good. Most bad. We try to develop good ones to replace the bad ones and often we are successful, but most successes don’t come without a coach, cheerleader or some kind of support.
Tax time is usually a time of regret over not being successful at last year’s promise to oneself, “I’m not going to pay this much again. I`m going to keep better records and search out a tax planner or some professional help and get smarter about this!” Then summer comes and the golf clubs, fishing gear or other hobby peaks up its head and says to you… ”What are you crazy, we’re gonna spend this beautiful day at a tax office planning next year’s outcome when we could be out on the greens?”
Here is what you do to have your cake and eat it too! Check out the weather forecast for the week on Monday. Figure out if there is an afternoon that looks like rain. Tell your boss you’re leaving early, or if you’re retired don’t say yes when asked to that night’s dinner gathering. Instead, gather your most recent return and your current financial statements, call your local tax planning office and make an appointment.
With six months to change behavior, read and self-educate and take baby steps with your planner, it’s not too late to have real success with lowering this year’s tax bill. But, procrastinate and the summer will be gone and your chances of real success will be greatly diminished.
