It’s that time again. When envelopes come flying into your mailbox. These envelopes usually have BOLD text that says something like
IMPORTANT TAX DOCUMENT ENCLOSED.
What do you usually do with those envelopes? Just put them in a neatly marked folder? Or a shoe box?
Aren’t you just the least bit curious about that important information?
Why not do something different this year? OPEN THE ENVELOPES! Then READ THE FORMS!
Why?
They tell you precisely how much money you brought in the door last year. So you know how much you made, and, if you have a partner, how much income your partner earned.
Now don’t be intimated by the forms. Hot Flash Financial can tell you how to read them. So you can skip to the important parts.
When you see a :
- W-2 scan up or down the page to find Box 1. that lists WAGES, TIPS AND OTHER COMPENSATION. What is the dollar amount?
- That’s your “gross” or total income. The amount that you get paid before all the benefits and taxes are taken out.
When you see a form that says
- 1099 that tells you that you, or your partner, made even more money. It could be money from the interest paid on a savings account (that will be a 1099-INT). There are other types of 1099 forms, that report other types of income.
Now, Hot Flash Financial is going to encourage you to ADD up the totals and find out how much money you (and your partner, if you have one) earned. This total dollar amount is good to keep in your head. You not only know how much money your make. This dollar figure gives you an idea of how much of that you need to live comfortably. Keep that in the back of your mind too.
So watch for these envelopes. Open them up and read them. Most of them come by the end of January,
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Hot Flash Financial HOT TIP. Now, if January ends, and you do not get any 1099s, why not file your tax return EARLY? Then you will get your TAX REFUND EARLY. Why wait? It’s your money.
And Hot Flash Financial has so many good suggestions for using that moneyà to improve your financial security, Click on the ASK & ANSWER navigation buttons (above). Try the Menu Option called Getting Started. Follow the suggestions. Make sure you do something really important for yourself. ACT! Act in your OWN SELF INTEREST. Follow the steps we give you. So you can improve your finances, decrease your money stress, and get more secure, financially that is.
