The next installment in our series on organization will focus on your finances. (Actually, we will look at finances in depth over the next several posts.) This first post will look at getting your paperwork in order for tax season.

Now that February is here, you will start receiving the paperwork needed to file your return. Even if you don’t do your own taxes, you will need to gather the relevant paperwork to take to your preparer. You may find it easiest to keep a file folder or bin near your mail table. That way, as each form comes in, you can tuck it away until you are ready.

If you do not itemize your taxes (remember, the standard deduction does not increase until you file your 2018 taxes in early 2019), you need to collect your W-2s, 1098s for interest from any accounts, and 1099s for any side work you might have done. If you have any investment accounts (except a 401k, an IRA, or a Roth IRA), you will get a report for each account, giving your interest and capital gains (or losses).

If you do itemize your taxes, you’ll need to collect all of that documentation plus whatever you need to support your deductions. This documentation might include the following: receipts for charitable contributions (in cash or in kind), records of your 2017 tax payments and your 2016 tax refund (which counts as income); medical receipts if you exceed the limit; mortgage interest paid; property taxes; certain losses; etc.

You don’t have to do anything with this documentation immediately, but you should track what you have. Once everything has arrived, you can begin your preparation.

Next week, we’ll look at some other aspects of your financial life that you can set in order.