Tax planning

Ok, well now that tax season is over, I'm sure there are those who would rather think about having a root canal before even entertaining the thought of dealing with taxes again.  Truth is, taxes shouldn't have to be thought of during the second week in April but should be considered throughout the year.  One of the best ways to prevent "sticker shock" is to do an estimate each quarter of where you are in terms of potential tax liability.  This is most important for those who are self-employed and are not on the payroll.  I know that much of the information that goes into the tax return preparation doesn't usually come until the first of the following year but much of that information comes in on monthly statements.  The beauty of tax planning is it doesn't have to be exact but should be close.  It really isn't that hard.  A good idea is to be sure you have somebody who is well versed in the process, however.  Good luck.

Tax filing deadline

Those of you who are stressing out about missing the usual April 15 deadline to file taxes, you have a few extra days this year.  The deadline for filing 2010 tax returns is April 18 which falls on a Monday so all of you who are loathe to take up the task, you can devote the weekend of April 16-17 to it.