Before you start doing your actual taxes, make sure you’ve got everything you need. Even if you decide to use a tax preparer rather than doing them yourself, you’ll still need to do this step.

Today, get together all of the following income-related papers, if they apply to you. You might have only one or two of these, or might have many of them.

It’s still December, and that means you still have a little time to make some last minute fixes to this year’s tax picture. Unless you’re one of the lucky few who’s sure they’re going to get a refund, consider doing one or all of the following to cut down your tax burden a little - and maybe change your tax due to money in your pocket.

You’ll think I’m crazy, and you won’t be the first. But I enjoy doing my taxes every year. I like watching all the numbers coming together, and it gives me a sense of accomplishment when I’ve not just finished the taxes themselves, but ended off the year with a nice balance sheet and all my financial papers neatly filed.