Tax Day and Shredding Go Hand in Hand

Tuesday, April 18, 2023 is Tax Day

The new bookkeeper thought she was getting punked. She had been handed a grocery bag and a shoebox, both full of receipts, from a client needing to have his business income tax submission done last minute. She thought, “I can’t believe people actually do this.” After years of working with clients as they approached Tax Day, she knew all too well that some do.

Whether you are the type of person who sorts, organizes, and labels all their documents before submitting to your tax preparer—or you’re someone who collects paperwork in a grocery bag—here are our suggestions for improving your tax filing experience.

Minimize Clutter

It’s so much easier to accomplish a task in an open space than it is while surrounded by clutter. A simple purge of redundant and outdated receipts and documents can help you clear out the clutter and think and work more efficiently on your taxes. These papers should be removed and professionally shredded. Whether it is your personal or business taxes you are preparing for, start with a clean slate.

Observe Retention Periods

Tax-related documents and other documents must be retained for specific lengths of time. Which documents must be kept and for how long? Which documents have now passed their retention date and need to be securely shredded? Removing these from your files will help you navigate the task of tax preparation but also reduce the possibility of identity theft.

Storing unnecessary documents is risky. How you dispose of these files is also vital to protecting your business and personal information. Working with a local, NAID AAA Certified shredding company is a secure way to destroy private and personal information. They can also provide a Certificate of Destruction so that you have proof of your compliance with data privacy laws in case of an audit.

Security Can Be Planet-Friendly

A reputable shredding company should also recycle 100% of the paper it shreds. This allows you to protect your information and the environment. It’s a win-win!

For Next Tax Season

Following this tax season, implement a few things to make next year a little less challenging.

1. Adopt a system of immediately dealing with all documents that come across your desk. The first time you handle each document, decide what to do with it:

• • Archive: these are papers that you need to keep but don’t need your attention more than once or twice a year, like your tax receipts.
  • File: these are papers you will use in near future or on a regular basis.
  • Shred: these are papers, mail, magazines, junk mail, or notes you no longer need.

2. Adopt a “shred everything” policy so that you know that all sensitive information is destroyed and you don’t miss anything. When you work with a local, NAID AAA Certified shredding company, you can be confident that your information is secure.
3. Set up a system for monitoring your document retention dates. Avoid the risk of keeping documents longer than necessary. Shredding everything reduces the likelihood of information being lost or stolen.

Apex Shredding serves Northern Colorado with NAID AAA Certified shredding at tax time and year-round. Our one-time purge shredding might be the perfect solution as you prepare for Tax Day and our scheduled mobile shredding will keep your papers and documents in order for the remainder of the year. Give us a call at 907-532-5007 or complete the form on this page so that we can help you with your shredding needs.