Tax Time: 16 Days Remain

If you haven't filed your federal tax returns by now, you should probably get your W-2's and your 1098-E's together and start. In fact, I'll even link you directly to H & R Block's free file page.

I just finished mine.

At least I think I did.

The problem with filling out forms is that there is never any fanfare to let you know you've finished. Video games have cutscenes and books have final pages, but there's nothing about a tax form that can toss confetti into the air and go "Hooray! You're done!" So I will simply wait and wonder for another year if the taxman is going to come knocking and haul me off for putting the value intended for box 14a into 13b by mistake.

I'd also like to find a way to minimize my refund and maximize the amount of cash I get to keep from month to month. Magic, perhaps? Deal with the Devil? I'm open and considering many options.

So don't be a laggard: get those forms filled out and electronically file your returns: it took me maybe an hour to do both federal and state. Now, I can cross two more things off my Next Actions list and start looking for a new place to live instead of fretting about getting everything filed before April 15.