Tools to keep you organised ahead of January`s self-assessment deadline

It’s no secret that January can be a testing time for freelancers. We’ve written before about the pressure to stay organized so that the march to 31st January isn’t a time you face with utter dread every year.

It’s fine to say that you need to be organized, but it can be harder actually doing what you need to. We all need a little help sometimes. That’s why we’ve come up with a list of five of our favorite organizational tools that will help you keep track of time, organize your documents and your finances, and make January’s deadline less of a burden on your time.

Dropbox

Dropbox is nearly ubiquitous amongst modern freelancers, especially if you’re embracing the digital revolution as it advances into nearly every aspect of our lives. Syncing all of your devices from phone, to tablet, to laptop, Dropbox ensures that all of your digital documents are accessible anywhere.

And if there’s something you need to update or edit, your changes will be saved across all platforms too. An absolute must if organization is one of your business resolutions this year.

Teux Deux

We don’t know how you feel about “to-do” lists but we love them. They keep us focused, accountable, and give us a great sense of achievement every time we get to cross something off our list!

To-do lists are great for organizing your time. This is especially true if you have to give over some of your precious time to organizing your tax details in preparation for the all-important 31st January deadline. Teux Deux offers a really simple interface that allows you to organize your list of tasks digitally.

What’s more, they have an iPhone app that allows you to take your lists with you on the go. Now there really is no reason to go off track.

Central Desktop

If you want to win back some time during the run-up to the self-assessment deadline, then Central Desktop could be the perfect way to do it! Now, we all know that the customer (or client) is always right and pleasing them is a top priority for any freelancer.

However, sometimes when you’re knee-deep in receipts in your designated self-assessment time, a client call, requesting emails or documents, can be the last thing you want to deal with.

With Central Desktop, you can create an online collaborative workspace that connects you and your clients. That way, resources such as project plans, agreements, and progress reports are stored in the cloud and accessible by you and your clients, removing the need for unnecessary emails and gifting you extra time to focus on the important tasks at hand.

Shoeboxed

What image comes to mind when you think about the task of collecting all of your receipts together before you submit your self-assessment? We’d bet that for a majority of you, it would be the frantic dash to fill an old shoebox with crumpled petrol receipts and the bill for a client dinner or two.

Shoeboxed has taken that concept and updated it for the digital generation. Giving you the ability to scan and upload receipts and business cards, Shoeboxed will turn these into expense reports and contact lists. Helping you to cut down on admin time and admin costs, this is one tracking system that could well be a self-assessment game changer.

FreeAgent

FreeAgent is the ultimate accounting tool for the time-starved freelancer. If you’re not so comfortable with accounting (and it’s fair to say that not all of us are) then FreeAgent allows you to organize your expenses and income by project, so keeping track is easy.

Another freelance-friendly feature is a one-click report that produces a self-assessment summary that you can copy straight to your tax return. If that’s not a time (and stress) saver, we don’t know what is!

As you can see, it’s always worth embracing what the digital world has to offer in terms of productivity and organizational tools. There are hundreds of different apps, web-based programs, and software that can help you keep stress at bay and make sure you’re super organized every January!

What are some of your favourite tools to keep you organized ahead of filling out your self-assessment return? Have we missed anything out? Let us know in the comments below, or get in touch with us on Twitter!