SEASON IS HERE. THE DEADLINE TUESDAY, APRIL 15TH, OF COURSE. AND IF YOU’VE MAYBE NOT FILED YET, THERE IS STILL TIME TO SAVE SOME OF THAT HARD EARNED MONEY, I SHOULD SAY. THAT’S RIGHT. AND JOINING US THIS MONEY MONDAY IS SPENCER FORD WITH CONSERVATIVE FINANCIAL SOLUTIONS. SPENCER, THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. THANKS FOR HAVING ME. TALK TO US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE CAN DO TO TO MAYBE LOWER THAT TAX BILL IF THEY MAYBE DON’T LIKE THE NUMBER. IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE? YEAH. THERE ARE STILL A COUPLE OF STEPS THAT YOU CAN TAKE TO LOWER YOUR TAX BILL FOR 2024. EVEN THOUGH WE’RE PAST 2024, YOUR OPTIONS ARE LIMITED. BUT IF YOU’RE ELIGIBLE, YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE TO A TRADITIONAL IRA. THOSE CONTRIBUTIONS ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE SO THEY DON’T SHOW UP ON YOUR TAX RETURNS. SO YOU DON’T PAY TAX ON THOSE. IF YOU’RE SELF-EMPLOYED, YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE TO A SEP IRA. SO SAME SITUATION TAX DEDUCTIBLE IF YOU’RE A PART OF A HIGH DEDUCTIBLE HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN, EITHER THROUGH YOUR EMPLOYER OR PRIVATELY. AND YOU’RE ELIGIBLE FOR AN HSA OR HEALTH SAVINGS ACCOUNT, YOU CAN ALSO CONTRIBUTE TO THAT. THOSE ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE. SO THAT’S NOT GOING TO SHOW UP ON YOUR TAX RETURN EITHER. SO THOSE ARE JUST SOME QUICK FIXES THAT IF YOU’RE ABLE TO YOU CAN IMPLEMENT THOSE AND POTENTIALLY SAVE ON TAXES FOR 2024. EVEN THOUGH WE’RE PAST 2024. YEAH, WE’RE WELL INTO 2025. WELL NOT WELL, BUT WE’RE A FEW MONTHS IN, RIGHT? AND WHAT ABOUT NEXT YEAR’S TAX BILL? WHAT CAN WE DO NOW. YEAH, WE’RE ALWAYS ENCOURAGING FAMILIES TO NOT JUST LOOK AT WHAT THEIR CURRENT TAX SITUATION IS, BUT WHAT THE FUTURE LOOKS LIKE TOO. RIGHT NOW WE’RE ALL DOING TAX PREPARATION. WE’RE JUST REPORTING WHAT HAPPENED THE PREVIOUS YEAR. IT’S LIKE DRIVING AND ONLY LOOKING IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR. IF THAT’S ALL YOU EVER DID, IT WOULDN’T TAKE YOU VERY LONG TO RUN HEADFIRST INTO SOMETHING. IN THIS CASE A TAX BILL. WE WANT TO DO TAX PLANNING. YOU WANT TO BE LOOKING OUT THE WINDSHIELD ABOUT WHAT’S GOING TO BE COMING AHEAD AT YOU, SO YOU CAN EITHER NAVIGATE AROUND IT OR AT THE VERY LEAST, MITIGATE WHAT’S COMING TO YOU. I MEAN, NONE OF US WANT TO BE JUST DRIVING, LOOKING IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR. SO SPEAKING OF PLANNING, THEN TALK ABOUT SOME STEPS THAT MAYBE WE CAN DO RIGHT NOW TO PLAN FOR NEXT TAX SEASON. SO REALLY, THE NUMBER ONE THING THAT YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOW IS LOOK AT YOUR CURRENT SITUATION AND THEN EVALUATE HOW IT MIGHT CHANGE IN THE FUTURE. SO ARE YOU EXPECTING A PROMOTION? IS YOUR INCOME GOING TO GO UP. ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE MORE DEPENDENTS OR LESS DEPENDENTS? MAYBE YOU’RE RETIRING OR YOU’RE GOING TO BE FORCED TO TAKE DISTRIBUTIONS FROM YOUR RETIREMENT ACCOUNTS. ALL THOSE THINGS ARE GOING TO AFFECT THE AMOUNT THAT YOU PAY IN TAXES. AND SO AGAIN, YOU JUST WANT TO BE TAKING EVALUATING WHAT YOUR CURRENT SITUATION IS AND THEN LOOKING AT WHAT YOUR FUTURE SITUATION IS, BECAUSE THAT’S THE ONLY WAY YOU’RE REALLY GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO TAX PLANNING AND MAYBE MITIGATE SOME OF THOSE EXPENSES THAT ARE COMING YOUR WAY. ALL RIGHT. THIS IS GREAT ADVICE. ADVICE THAT PEOPLE PAY FOR. RIGHT. SPENCER, THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US. SPENCER FORD WITH CONSERVATIVE FINANCIAL SOLUTIONS. THANKS AGAIN FOR BEING HERE. ALL RIGHT. IN THE MEANTIME, LOVING THIS WEATHER OUT THERE. I KNOW IT’S NOT AS SUNN