Keeping track of your personal finances can be a pain sometimes, but it is necessary to keep tabs on your expenses. Not only does bookkeeping help you to stay out of debt, but it can help with numerous other pieces of your life. Read on for just a few reasons that bookkeeping should be a top priority!

Tax Preparation

Preparing your taxes is stressful even when you do have everything in order with your finances. An accountant generally charges around $273 to prepare a federal tax return, but you can make it even easier for them by keeping track of everything you’ll need to know as it happens. By having everything in order, the accountant may actually charge you less to file the return since they’ll be able to do their work quickly. About 54% of Americans end up with a refund, while 24% will owe money during tax time. So, this also ensures that you’ll get the maximum return. On the flip side, it will allow you to see if you’ll owe money during tax time beforehand, since 40% of Americans say that they are not prepared to pay back taxes if needed.

Savings

So many people say they plan to save money, or that they want to save money, but they don’t end up following through. With bookkeeping and a cash flow analysis, you can see where exactly your money is going, so that you can make adjustments. Saving money will help you prepare for the future, and will give you stability.

Peace of Mind

Keeping a cash flow analysis up to date means that you can feel secure in your finances. Between saving money and knowing exactly how you’re spending money, you will prevent any surprises from crippling you financially. This gives you a peace of mind, which will carry into other parts of your life. Don’t stress out about money when you don’t have to!

Will you be getting your finances in order on your own or with the help of an accountant or tax preparer? Do you agree with the importance of tracking your money?