With December quickly approaching, you know what that means.  Soon it will be time to file taxes. Now is the perfect time to get all of your tax documents in order.  Although you have to wait until you receive your W2 from your employer before you can actually file your taxes, you can get everything else ready to go.  Below are a few tips to help you get organized.

Gather all of your documents for your deductions.  If you itemize your deductions make a list of all the things you need to locate.  Are there certain receipts that you plan to claim as deductions?  Do you have business related expenses that you will claim as deductions on your taxes?  What about child care expenses, and medical expenses?

Locate a copy of your tax returns from last year.  You will need to have these handy.

If you pay on a mortgage or student loan, make sure you know where that documentation is as well.  Many times you can deduct the interest paid for these.

If you are a business owner, and have deductions for your business, it is a good idea to go through all of your receipts and expense reports and organize them by month.  That way if you need to find something for a specific event, you will know where to look.

Tax time may seem scary to some people, but if you are organized the process can be a little less painful.

photo source: djshaw