Are You a Taxcrastinator?

Yeah, I still haven’t filed my taxes.

Normally I don’t file until very close to (or even on the day of) the deadline with good reason, because I have to wait for one particular form that isn’t even due to me until the 15th.

But this year I have no excuse. The form came early, and since then I’ve been busy procrastinating on my taxes. The papers are piled on the desk, some were discovered recently behind the dog’s crate, and the wind blew a few to the floor the other day.

The price of procrastinating — especially with the related paperwork spread all over creation — can’t be good. The nagging feeling of one more thing left undone is starting to get to me.

I have at least started our taxes. In fact, they’re nearly done. But for some reason I don’t seem to spend the last hour or so it might take to finish up the federal return.

Are you a habitual procrastinator when it comes to your taxes? Or are you an early bird, whipping them out as soon as possible? Or maybe you fall somewhere in between.

What’s your best motivational tip for just getting them done?

15 comments

  • ha, I usually wait until the last week. Unless they owe me money that is… But that hasn’t happened for years so I WAIT! :) I procrastinate on other things like going to the grocery store, washing the car, cutting my hair… DOH!

    • Richard, what’s sad is I might actually be getting back money this year. I would wait for sure if I thought I would owe! (Well, at least I would wait until the very last day to send it in…)

  • KrisSalys

    Some years I’m on it, some years I wait – but I have some issues with procrastinating and am very GOOD at staying busy so I can tell myself I don’t have time. I was able to fully relate to your recent post about busy versus productive.

    I’m about to through some of your own advise back to you, “So what. Do it anyway.” Which, incidentally, I have on removable labels in several places. :)

    Thanks so much – I read your stuff every day.

    • KrisSalys, doh! Yes, apparently I do need to follow my own advice ;)

      I’ll do it! Really!

      Glad to have you as a reader :)

  • Bas

    I usually get them done as soon as I have all my paperwork in. My taxes are very simple though, so I use an on-line service, and I can have my whole return done and filed in about 3 hours. I’ve been getting back quite a chunk of cash for the last few years (only good thing about having to pay alimony), so that’s an extra incentive.

    • Bas, oh 3 hours? I’m jealous. Our return is usually very complicated, although at least this year I have to file in one less state.

  • I filed mine back in February, mainly because I needed the money to book a flight for my vacation. Otherwise I usually wait until after my birthday in March :)

    • LenciB, oh, I’ll have to consider a vacation as a reward for filing taxes. Now THAT might make me happy to get them done early.

  • I’m sure if my return was complicated, I’d procrastinate. But I tend to do them mid to late February, just to get it out of the way. It’s probably the one and only area where I don’t procrastinate! I got married last year to a foreigner (damned foreigners!), so that complicated things a bit, but I was still able to get it done by early March.

    The only tip I would have is to simplify the process, but since we’re talking about the government here, I think “flap your arms and fly to the moon” would be equally helpful advice.

  • This year I’m awful about procrastinating. My goal is to get them started tomorrow. Preferably done.

    I also have to help do my mom’s taxes. Yeesh.

  • Since I hate having money issues hanging over my head, we always have everything ready to go by early March (that’s when a few important forms arrive for us). We’ve used a CPA for the last 3 years, so I just hand everything off. Starting next year, we’ll be doing it ourselves again since our business losses have been exhausted…I can see us procrastinating then…all the paerwork ready to go, but neither one of us taking the time to get it done…

  • Yep, we don’t procrastinate on procrastinating. :-)