People tend to think about taxes only a few times per year. Most people have their taxes withheld from their paychecks, and they feel like they get a little bonus every year when they file (if they get a refund). Even if someone employed all the strategies as outlined and saved thousands of dollars, they wouldn’t see that money until they filed their tax return. On the other hand, we bet if there were an immediate reward, like if a little tax man followed you around and said, “Hey – if you put that receipt in this envelope instead of the trash I’ll give you twenty dollars.” Or, “Psst, if you send these emails before you book your trip I can give you a 35% discount off your flights and hotel,” then everyone would minimize their tax bill to the smallest extent possible.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way, but the strategies we outline do work. If you use them correctly, you will save money. “Saving money” sounds boring, doesn’t it? It sure sounds less sexy than earning money. So let’s re-frame our thoughts about taxes: Want to earn some extra cash you can use to fund your next family vacation? How about earning a bonus you can use to pay down your house or redecorate the living room? All this stuff about taxes will help you earn that bonus, if you’re willing to do a tiny amount of work for it. In fact, we’ve done some math to make sure the strategies we’re proposing will be worth your time to implement – we wouldn’t recommend you spend twenty hours to save five dollars, dig?