Overcoming tax terrors

Another Friday the 13th is upon us, the third one this year.

Are you superstitious? That's OK, most of us are.

But for real terror, April 15 is probably the day that frightens most Americans.

Yep, that annual income tax filing deadline can be pretty horrifying. But there are some ways to ease your fear of filing in particular and taxes in general.

Check out 7 tax terrors and how to overcome them. Full disclosure: It's a story I wrote for Bankrate.com. That said, I think it's pretty darn good.

The terrors I identified are:

   1. Afraid I can't do my taxes myself
   2. Afraid I'll overlook a tax break
   3. Afraid I'll make a costly mistake
   4. Afraid my tax adviser is inept or a crook
   5. Afraid I'll get audited
   6. Afraid to e-file because of identity theft
   7. Afraid to file because I can't pay

After you read about these frightening tax situations, come on back to the ol' blog and let me know if they scare you, too.

If you have some fears I missed, I'd love to hear about those and how you overcame them … if you did!

Foreign tax fears: A dread that's not new, but which has gotten a lot of attention this year, is the fear that the IRS is going to catch you if you try to evade taxes by putting your money in a
foreign bank account.

This week, the Swiss private bank Julius Baer Group said that tax fears following an international clampdown on tax evasion had slowed the pace of money flowing in from wealthy clients.

Tax officials in the United States, Germany, France and Italy this year initiated legal actions against financial institutions in Switzerland and other so-called tax haven countries in an effort to get them to be more forthcoming about nonresidents suspected of stashing cash in secretive accounts.

More money fears: In addition to being afraid of taxes (or maybe just the tax collector!), many folks also suffer from broader money phobias.

Divine.ca offers some advice on conquering financial fears.

Frugal Living Advice discusses how to face your financial fears.

And Cheerful Living tackles the same topic in how to overcome financial fears.

So quit cowering! We're all here for you as you fight your financial fears and tax terrors!

Related posts:

• 13 financial superstitions for Friday the 13th
• Money superstitions for Friday the 13th
• 13 often overlooked tax breaks
• 08.08.08: Looking for good tax luck
• Paraskevidekatriaphobia*