Get Ready to Shred
If you’ve just filed your taxes, chances are while preparing your documents you also found piles and of papers you don’t need to save. You probably thought you had it under control. You own a shredder, so it should be easy, right?
Wrong. Many of us find ourselves too busy to sit down weekly and shred those statements and papers with personal information to keep our desks and counter tops clean. So the papers that should be shredded pile up week to week, in some cases month to month to the point where we can’t even see the top of our desks or counters anymore.
The great news is we don’t have to stare at those piles much longer. Gather up those documents and head out to the Tampa Bay Professional Organizers‘ Shred-a-Thon May 7, 2011 at the corner of Dale Mabry Highway and Fletcher Avenue from 9 a.m. to noon– or when the professional shredding truck is full. There is a $10 donation for each box. All shredding is being donated and the money received is going to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Tampa Bay.
We at OH MISS are proud members of the National Association of Professional Organizers and the local Tampa Bay Professional Organizers. We support the Shred-a-Thon by volunteering our services. On a daily basis, OH MISS helps people get organized when they feel overwhelmed by all the clutter around them.
An uncluttered space can lead to an uncluttered mind, allowing you to become clearer in your thinking and in turn reducing stress. If you need help with the paper overflow, call OH Miss at 813-636-9700 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 813-636-9700 end_of_the_skype_highlighting to make an appointment.
April Shred-a-thon
Last week I mentioned that I would let you know what papers are needed and for how long when it comes to your tax returns.
For items concerning your income you will need these basic records: Form W-2,Form 1099,Bank Statements, Brokerage Statements, Form K-1.
For items concerning expenses : sales slips, invoices,receipts, canceled checks or other proof of payment,written communications from qualified charities.
For items concerning your home: Closing statements, purchase and sales invoices,proof of payment,insurance records, receipts for improvement costs
For investments:brokerage statements, mutual fund statements, Form 1099, Form 2439
Now how long do you have to keep these records: Guidelines to follow
If you owe additional tax then the period is 3 years
If you do not report income that you should and it is more than 25% of the gross income shown on your return the period is 6 years.
If you file a fraudulent return , it is indefinite
If you do not file a return, it is indefinite
If you file for a credit or refund after you have filed your return, it is 3 years or 2 years after you paid taxes, whichever is later
If you file a claim for a loss from worthless securities, it is 7 years
For more information on record keeping, the IRS has put together a handy publication on record keeping for Individuals. For any other questions consult your tax professional.
Now that you have done all of that, isn’t time to get rid of some of those papers? You have kept them organized by year, I am sure. So following the guidelines above shred the papers and receipts you no longer need. The Tampa Bay Professional Organizers are having a Shred A Thon on April 10,2010 at the corner of Fletcher and Dale Mabry in Carrollwood. Pro-Shred will be on hand to professionally shred all the documents and papers you no longer need. You will also be issued a certificate of shredding for your peace of mind. The event is a fund raiser for the Children’s Cancer Center with a suggested donation of $2.00 per box of papers shredded. Pro-Shred and the TampaBay Professional Organizers are donating 100% of the donations to the Children’s Cancer Center. Come on out. You’ll be able to enjoy more of our beautiful weather and not spend time in front of your personal shredding machine.
Shred a Thon/too many papers
If you are like many families, papers seem to multiply overnight. You thought you had it under control but something went wrong. You even went out and purchased the shredder, you thought it would be so easy. Once a week just sit down and shred the statements and papers with personal information on them to keep the counter top or desk clean. In a perfect world with strict discipline and good habits, this can work. For the majority of us, life is so crazy and hectic, one week becomes one month and so on. The papers that should be shredded are piling up. We can’t see the counter or the desk top any more. We begin to suffer angst and guilt. Are we really so bad that we can’t even take care of our shredding?
The Tampa Bay Professional Organizers are having their second Shred a Thon of 2009 on November 07, at the corner of Fletcher Ave and Dale Mabry Blvd in Tampa. We will have a professional shredding company on site who will do all the shredding for you and issue you a certificate of shredding. There will be members of the group ,who are all professional organizers, volunteering Saturday to help people with their boxes of documents that need to be shredded for security reasons. There will be a limit of 10 banker’s boxes per person. The group is asking for a donation of $2.00 per box that is shredded and the funds will go to a local charity. There will be prizes for the oldest document as well as the person who comes the farthest. Our last Shred a Thon we raised $2000 that was donated to Ronald MacDonald House. The hours will be from 9 a.m. to noon. Be early was when the truck is full of shredded paper, the shred a thon is over.
We at OH MISS are proud members of the National Association of Professional Organizers.and the local Tampa Bay Professional Organizers. We support the Shred a Thon by volunteering our services. We help people everyday with organization and when they feel overwhelmed by all the clutter around them.
If you need help with the paper overflow. If you feel that life is out of control and you are overwhelmed with paper and clutter , we can help. When you have an organized space, you can be more clear in your thinking and less stressed. We at OH MISS are comitted to reducing stress in all areas of your life. Call to make an appointment 813-636-9700. If you mention the blof you will receive a 15% discount on our regular fee. Don’t let stress and stuff get you down. Call OH MISS.