A two-parter on an efficient filing system: 1 - if you're running a business with the usual documents and stuff, what is the best filing system in the entire world so that everyone will understand it and know where to look to find stuff. (What kind of labels/titles to use, how to divide physical files etc). 2 - and if I wanted that system to be online, what's the best way to store it all so that they are readily searchable, findable etc. [more inside]
posted by HopStopDon'tShop on Oct 14, 2009 - 7 answers

AskMe librarians and other interested parties: how would one, in proper MLA format (6th edition), format a citation for a 10-K form or other SEC filing for a company? [more inside]
posted by activitystory on Sep 15, 2009 - 7 answers

What important household papers and documents must I keep and file? What papers are OK to throw away? [more inside]
posted by fiercecupcake on Jul 28, 2009 - 7 answers

a friend just called frantic - her tax preparer failed to file her taxes by April 15. What to do? What next? [more inside]
posted by terrier319 on Apr 22, 2009 - 6 answers

Does anyone have any tips or tricks for organizing information using Windows XP and MS productivity software? [more inside]
posted by KokuRyu on Apr 8, 2009 - 7 answers

Married Filing Jointly - how do we correctly fill out our W4's? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Apr 8, 2009 - 5 answers

I filed my taxes online about two or three weeks ago, and completely forgot about a mutual fund I own. Or rather, I remembered it, but because I didn't take anything out of it or put anything into it, I didn't think anything of it. Of course, I forgot about the dividends. So, today I get my Form 1099-DIV from Goldman Sachs, and find that I received $71.04 in total ordinary dividends. What should I do? My taxes were filed electronically and I've already received my state refund. Should I just sit on it and if I'm questioned by the IRS, pay the $10 or whatever in extra taxes? Will I get fined a huge amount if I don't alert them now? If I do alert them, how would I go about doing that? Asking anonymously because I feel like an idiot.
posted by anonymous on Feb 19, 2009 - 8 answers

Where can I get these folders? The terminally organising-obsessed part of me has fallen in love with these folders on the Smead website. Unfortunately, I can't buy them directly from Smead. [more inside]
posted by psychostorm on Nov 6, 2008 - 5 answers

Project-centric filing for both electronic and paper documents? The documents stay in their respective mediums. (No scanning and no printing.) I'm looking for techniques or systems that transcend software and operating system. [more inside]
posted by zeek321 on Aug 13, 2008 - 3 answers

I am a Mac owner who bought Hazel, an application that will do a number of different tasks to your files based on certain rules. (Think of it as Outlook rules for your Mac desktop.) However, I've really found myself stumped as to what to do with it, and it's basically just been sitting on my machine unused. If you have it, what do you do with it? If you don't have it or have a Windows machine, do you have any good ideas for rule logic, or automated rules, to apply to files on your desktop, anyway? Looks like it'll auto-run AppleScripts and Unix shell scripts, too. Basically looking to tap other people's minds on this one since my own seems to be balking at this particular mental problem. Thanks. [more inside]
posted by WCityMike on Jul 31, 2008 - 8 answers

Where should I go to have my taxes done in Toronto (today!)? [more inside]
posted by Felicity Rilke on Apr 30, 2008 - 15 answers

Is it worth it to file a complaint with the EEOC? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Apr 1, 2008 - 18 answers

Scientists: What's the best and simplest way to organize, annotate, and take notes from scientific journal articles on a PC? I'm starting a new project and ready for a new system that doesn't require four programs or being unable to find something when I can't remember the title or author. How do you organize your references, pdfs, and notes? [more inside]
posted by JustWandering on Jan 18, 2008 - 18 answers

Why does the recent legislation passed to patch the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) affect the applicability of Education Credits (IRS Form 8863) and delay my ability to file? [more inside]
posted by Asherah on Jan 10, 2008 - 3 answers

Going to inherit money. Don't know how much. Have to file life insurance claim. Friends say I should wait 'till after the 1st of the year to file the claim, so it'll show up n next years taxes. I say it doesn't matter, since I'm planning on getting with an financial advisor and pay/take out the tax amount before spending any. Who's right? This is in America.
posted by MichaelKnight on Nov 6, 2007 - 14 answers

Spoiled by GMail, *really* looking for a way to use tags/labels for everyday files. [more inside]
posted by TomMelee on Aug 1, 2007 - 11 answers

IRS document request -- my boss has asked me to somehow make a request to the IRS for a 1971 document that our company filed. It was a request for 501(c)(4) status, which was granted. But the original application to the IRS is lost, and we need it. So how do I request an old document? Can I do it on the Web? Do I contact the IRS or maybe do a Freedom of Info Act request?
posted by nancoix on Jul 27, 2007 - 3 answers

Tell me about your personal filing system. How you organize your file cabinets, that is. [more inside]
posted by 2or3whiskeysodas on Jun 26, 2007 - 24 answers

Is there an easy way to permanently remove the locks from a steel case filing cabinet? [more inside]
posted by kanemano on May 2, 2007 - 6 answers

Yet another tax question, sorry. We're confused about our tax situation this year. Details: we were married last June, so this is our first time filing together. We make almost equivalant salaries (48,000 and 54,000), sold ~14,000 in mutual funds this year, invested ~900 in one 401k, and paid about 2400 in student loan interest. We don't own a home. One of us claimed 1 exemption, the other claimed 2. (more inside) [more inside]
posted by leotrotsky on Feb 1, 2007 - 8 answers

Academics: What's your filing system for academic papers? As I finish up my undergrad degree and enter grad school, I'm reading a lot of papers. Currently, they're just in a tall stack on my desk and in a folder in my Mac. I'm interested in hearing filing solutions -- both hard copy and electronic -- for academic papers.
posted by pealco on Dec 14, 2006 - 28 answers

When filing papers in a hanging folder, is it better / more common to add new items at the front of the folder or the back of the folder? [more inside]
posted by alms on Aug 28, 2006 - 10 answers

I have been keeping all of my receipts for some time now. Every day, I enter them into my money tracking system (presently just a text file where I capture date, payee and amount). Then I file the receipts away in folders by month. My question: does it do me any good to save the receipts, or is having the data good enough? [more inside]
posted by ivarley on Aug 2, 2006 - 11 answers

I am looking for a resource or advice on organizing files and folders on a shared hard drive. I am faced with 12 GB of files that need to be reorganized - many files and folders are out-of-date, irrelevant, or obsolete, and many were created by people who no longer work at my company for projects that are no longer active. I'm hoping to hear about a strategy that helps me methodically organize all of this data, archiving what's no longer needed and coming up with an intuitive filing system for what is. [more inside]
posted by pants on Jul 26, 2006 - 8 answers

Need to clean out and organize 15 years of electronic files. [more inside]
posted by donp17 on Jul 19, 2006 - 12 answers

Is there an easy way to allocate downloaded files to specific folders on a mac? [more inside]
posted by brautigan on Dec 2, 2005 - 9 answers

Help me find a good filing cabinet? [more inside]
posted by betterton on Nov 19, 2005 - 9 answers

Who should do my tax filing? The accountant who's done my taxes for the last 13 years? Or, should I give Turbo Tax a go? Last year the accountant charged me $450. Turbo Premier costs $69.95. [+] [more inside]
posted by pinkkitty on Dec 30, 2004 - 22 answers

I've got new responsibilities at work, and now I have to [shudder] actually file paper. I'm a visual person, and once I stick stuff in files, I forget about it. But the alternative seems to be piling paper and then watching coworkers gasp in horror when they poke their head in the door. Any tips that work for you? Should I just throw it all away and pretend it got lost? Do I really have to file each piece of paper in 10 seconds or less?
posted by mecran01 on Mar 4, 2004 - 9 answers