How can I recreate my financial history of the last three years?

October 26, 2008 10:56 PM

how can I recreate my financial records for tax purposes?

I have found an amazing tax attorney who has taken me on as his latest project (he likes teachers who write movies). I have kept very few financial records, preferring to shred them as they are paid off, etc. Now, he needs the last three years of records. Things like spending for classroom supplies, conferences, writing conventions, etc.
What is the easiest way to get these back? Most of them would be on credit card bills. How far back can I order these? What is the easiest way to do so?

posted by flowerofhighrank to Work & Money (3 answers total)

Do you have previous tax returns? Because that might be a good guide for your spending habits. Unless you've gone through some serious life changes, you probably won't have things appear too differently from year to year, they'll probably average out and your accountant will generally round the numbers to get the maximum deductions so exact figures probably aren't crucial. Meanwhile, call your credit card companies. Depends on the company as to how far back you can go but they should be able to help you out. It may take a while for them to compile it and they might charge you for the effort. Depends on the company's policies, as I said.

Do you have a bank account? Did you save your statements? Because you can figure out your spending habits from that too if you use a check card.
posted by miss lynnster at 11:54 PM on October 26, 2008

Check the web site of your banks and credit cards. I just checked and all of mine have online access to at least 18 months of statements and the ability to special order past statements back until at least 2001.

Only one credit card company charged me for them.
posted by Ookseer at 1:34 AM on October 27, 2008

Yeah, order back statements from your credit card companies, your bank, and maybe your utilities. You can usually order online, but if not, just call the number on your card. It'll be about $5 a statement from most places (I had only one not charge me, while three charged me), so it'll add up, but you will save money on your back taxes by doing this. The real pain is that they come on paper, and then you have to type them in yourself if you want them digital.
posted by salvia at 5:29 PM on October 28, 2008