April Home Maintenance Tasks

April has arrived and brought spring with it!  There is no better time than now to get focused on home maintenance and spring cleaning.  Here are a few things you can do in April to protect (and organize) your home. 

Check For Damage - Winter can be really hard on your home.  A quick inspection around your property can reveal a lot of home improvement projects!  Look for any damage to your roof or outdoor window screens and doors.  Make note of chipped paint or areas that are in need of general maintenance.  Decide what you can do yourself and what will require a professional. 

Spring Clean - Now it’s time to tackle the inside of your home.  Start working on clearing out and donating unused items (Think tax deduction next year!).  This could be the perfect time to take inventory of any high value items that need to be documented for your insurance, like guns, artwork, and jewelry.  Take photos or make a quick video of those items and store it in a secure (and fire-proof) location. Knowyourstuff.org has a free online home inventory software. 

Organize Your Tax Documents - You probably just finished your taxes in the past few weeks.  Were all of your documents easy to locate?  What could make the process even easier next year?  Update your filing system or schedule a meeting with Dottie Booth by calling (508) 867-0478 and get prepared now.

Car Maintenance - April is Car Care Month.  If you've been putting off an oil change or a tune-up, get it scheduled now.  Your car will run better and maintain it’s value longer!

Spruce Up Your Porch - How does your front porch look these days?  Could it use a little extra care?  Buy a new welcome mat, plant a pot of flowers, and make sure you can easily read your house numbers. 

Get Great Homeowners Insurance - The best way to protect your home?  Having the right amount of insurance!  Let us give you a no-obligation review of your current policy.  Call 508-347-9343 to schedule your appointment today.


P.S. Your Invited to our Ribbon Cutting! All our wonderful customers are invited to our official ribbon cutting of our brand new office! I hope you’ll join us on May 8th at 4:00 p.m. for the ribbon cutting and the celebration of our 40th year serving our local communities. There will be food, beverages, local celebrities, raffles, and other surprises! Hope to see you there! 

Wait patiently for all your tax documents

Before calling for an appointment with your tax advisor or sitting down to work on your own taxes, make sure you have all the documents that you need. At this time, January 25, 2010, some people have all their tax documents, some are still waiting and some people think they have everything. Patience is important. Companies (those you work for, banks, healthcare companies, investment companies, etc) have until January 31st to have documents POSTMARKED. This year January 31st is a Sunday, therefore they have until February 1st. This means that paperwork will still be coming in mailboxes the first week of February. It is important to be sure you have all information when preparing your return.

Debt Forgiveness
Many people do not often realize that debt forgiveness is income on their tax return. People often work with credit companies to reduce the amount of debt owed to the credit cards. This can be done personally or through an attorney. When this happens you will owe less to the credit card company BUT this amount that is "forgiven" is taxable income on your tax return. The credit card company issues a 1099 for the amount and that is reported to the IRS as well. If it is not reported properly on your tax return, the IRS will send a letter and in addition to the taxes owed, they will add a penalty for non-reporting as well as interest.

Tax Treatment of Energy Saving Improvements

If you are planning to make energy saving improvements to your home and you do so before the end of 2009, you can get a tax credit on your 2009 return. The following are some of the highlights:
10% credit up to $200 on window/skylight/storm window replacements
10% credit up to $500 for exterior doors and storm doors
10% credit up to $500 for installing insulation
$300 for >14 SEER HVAC replacement
$150 for >95 AFUE boiler/furnace replacment
Even if you purchase multiple products you can only get a maximum of $1,500 over the 2-year period (2009 & 2010). Basically you can spend up to $5,000 during this 2 year period on a single or multiple products, and get 30% or $1,500 (30% of $5,000 = $1,500) back as a tax credit. If you get the entire $1,500 credit in 2009, then you can't get anything additional in 2010.