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Taxes, etc

Yahoo Message Number: 81772
My wife and I are just about to start our full-timing adventure and we are wondering how other people deal with taxes and/or record keeping in general. Maybe we are over-thinking this thing but our tax files are huge and it will be a real burden to try to take everything with us. Are there papers that are essential to have and if so what? Is there a way using mail-forwarding or storage to keep our records somewhere else other than in our coach and then deal with them once back in our home area. Just wondering how people keep it all straight. Thanks,

Al Kirkendall
2009 Veranda 300

Re: Taxes, etc

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 81839
You did not mention where your home area is.
There are mail forwarding sites all over, some will even email your mail to you.
Are you talking about keeping seven years of tax returns and all the backup documentation or just the current year?
You can get a scanner for your computer and scan all your documents.

Many tax documents are available on line.
It really depends on the nature of and source of your info. If it is one or more broker accounts it should all be on line, if property management that too can be emailed.
You can use programs like Quicken or Quick Books to keep track of your money and even keep copies of documents. Quicken offers a service to back up your files in the cloud so you won't loose them even in a computer melt down.
If you still have a house you can store things there, if not rent a storage space big enough for your stuff.

We use a combination of many of the above ideas.

Bob Wexler
SOB

Re: Taxes, etc

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 81847
Al.

A sheet feed scanner like a Fujitsu Scan Snap takes up very little room and is a must have for full timers. You can save 'all' of your personal documents on a 32GB USB Flash drive ($19.00) .. with tons of room to spare. Or you can save to the Google cloud and not worry about a lost thumb drive.
Escapees has a great mail forwarding service and a simple email can be sent when you want your mail to be sent to you.

Russ

05 Intrigue 11883

Re: Taxes, etc

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 81857
I carry as little paper as possible. All of my tax files are kept on the computer as pdf files. I do my taxes with a computer program and keep the appropriate files on the computer. Any documentation that goes with the taxes I scan to pdf files and store that with the appropriate tax file. Insurance documents for the motor home and car are scanned. Health insurance claims and bills from the provider are scanned. I could go on but you get the idea.
Hard copies of my will, trusts, birth certificate, etc. are kept in a safe deposit box that my son can access if I need something.
I scan or download copies of instructions for anything I can and then discard the paper copy. My exception to this is the original documentation that came with the motor home.
You can get a small scanner/printer/copier for not much money. I do multiple backups to thumb drives or hard drives with copies given to the kids every time I see them. I am considering cloud storage but haven't gone that route yet.
I now use my android smart phone as a scanner with CamScanner and have gotten rid of my 3-in-1 printer. I have a small portable blue tooth printer for printing a hard copy if I need it.
Thanks for asking the question and reminding me it is time for a backup.

pete

2000 40' Magna #5892
Pete
 2000 40'  Magna #5892  CAT C-10

Re: Taxes, etc

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 81859
Pete

I wish you had reminded me to back up yesterday. My data drive disappeared this morning. I haven't had time to look and see where it went. Wherever it is it took about 200+ GB of data and video and pictures with it.
I have a seperate SSD boot drive.
Bob WEXLER
SOB