<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Don’t Over-Tax Yourself Over Tax Season!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div> <br /> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /> <br /></div> <br /> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">With the April 15 tax deadline looming, it’s an anxious time<br />for many people. Try these tips to keep your financial stress under<br />control at tax time ­— and all year round.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <br /> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /> <br /></div> <br /> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl2jxsL-zj_8sVsrKyCpwCzTFjduCbR_npOlEG-38x7JsGCk634RdvZUOwjaOZpXtvkw0GMDOk62KLuoCPMMGqOwh00CLFNs1JmuZAbIwjJ-k0u-SXzvbQri7hOu49tF3nxnEokD7DvCgG/s1600/tax+couple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl2jxsL-zj_8sVsrKyCpwCzTFjduCbR_npOlEG-38x7JsGCk634RdvZUOwjaOZpXtvkw0GMDOk62KLuoCPMMGqOwh00CLFNs1JmuZAbIwjJ-k0u-SXzvbQri7hOu49tF3nxnEokD7DvCgG/s1600/tax+couple.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Break It Up. </b>A mountain of paperwork for your tax<br />return or for any other financial responsibility, like applying for a college<br />loan or mortgage, can seem overwhelming. Break up the process into smaller<br />chunks, such as gathering pay stubs, finding your home mortgage interest<br />statements, or organizing your receipts. Then tackle each task one by one. But<br />before you do so…<o:p></o:p></span></div> <br /> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /> <br /></div> <br /> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Make a Plan. </b>This is even more important when you’re<br />on a tight deadline (like being just a few days away from April 15). Once<br />you’ve broken down what you need to accomplish into pieces, put those steps in<br />order and write down how and when you’re going to make each one happen. This<br />will help you feel like you have control over the process. Being out of control<br />is very stressful!<o:p></o:p></span></div> <br /> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /> <br /></div> <br /> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Keep Mentally Fit. </b>Eat well, get a full night’s<br />sleep, find a way to exercise every day, and connect with friends and loved<br />ones. Financial deadlines may have you feeling like you need to lock yourself<br />away and pull an all-nighter with a bag of potato chips and your 1040, but<br />you’ll just raise your stress level, and you probably won’t accomplish your<br />goal anyway. <o:p></o:p></span></div> <br /> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /> <br /></div> <br /> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Resist Unhealthy Temptations. </b>When stress arises,<br />it’s tempting to cope in unhealthy ways such as binge eating, smoking, or drinking<br />alcohol. Avoid these negative coping strategies. Instead of a cigarette or a<br />glass of wine, take a walk or call a friend to vent. <o:p></o:p></span></div> <br /> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /> <br /></div> <br /> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Don’t Go It Alone. </b>It’s not too late to get help. Ask<br />for help from a spouse, a trusted friend, or ideally, a financial professional<br />like a certified public accountant. Some tax professionals will even save you<br />the step of visiting their office and will review your documents and<br />calculations online. Having too much on your shoulders and no help is a recipe<br />for anxiety.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <br /> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /> <br /></div> <br /> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Request an Extension. </b>If you’re utterly overwhelmed<br />and you feel like there’s no way you’ll have it all together by April 15, talk<br />to a tax professional about how to request an extension on filing. You’ll still<br />have to pay your estimated taxes on time (or pay interest), but you’ll have an<br />extra six months to get your paperwork in order. <o:p></o:p></span></div> <br /> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /> <br /></div> <br /> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Plan Ahead for Next Year. </b>If you’ve procrastinated<br />about your taxes this year, use the stress you’re experiencing now as you try<br />to get everything together at the last minute for a good cause: Keeping you on<br />track to plan ahead for tax time 2016. Set a realistic budget and stick to it,<br />and keep track of your finances as you go along. Having a plan and living<br />within your means makes your life much less stressful.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <br /> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /> <br /></div> <br /> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">by <a href="http://nyulangone.org/doctors/1558358457/david-l-ginsberg">David Ginsberg,<br />M.D.,</a> clinical associate professor and vice chair for clinical affairs,<br />Department of Psychiatry, and chief of the Psychiatry Service, NYU Langone<br />Medical Center in New York City.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <br /> <br /> <br /> <div class="MsoNormal"> <br /> <br /></div> <br /></div>

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Don’t Over-Tax Yourself Over Tax Season! With the April 15 tax deadline looming, it’s an anxious time for many people. Try these ...

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