I have been doing my own taxes since I was 14 years old.
I remember getting my first W-2 in the mail, and then going to the library with my mom to get the proper forms and instruction booklets. I loved filling out the information, mailing in my return, and getting my $49 refund.
I felt so grown up and smart and rich with my check that I had to sign over to my mother so she could cash it for me. I went to the movies, got popcorn, got my ears pierced, and got my nails done with that $49 (thank you 1992).
Fast forward ten years to 2002 and I was celebrating my first season as an official tax preparer!
I spent 6 years as one of the youngest tax preparers in my district (I worked for a large tax preparation company; you know the one, that gets you back millions). I had hundreds of clients each season and loved being a part of their financial lives. Also, for the record, the things you see in a tax office! Reality show material here people, no joke.
I had no idea that I was going to enjoy that career so much.
When I went through my initial training, we learned how to do taxes the old school way; #2 pencil, paper forms, calculator, visor.
Kidding, I didn’t wear a visor, but only because I couldn’t find a green, see through one that really fit my head.
Even though I’m officially out of the tax prep business (and not using a paper and pencil to do my taxes anymore), I still do our personal tax returns and, as the owner of two businesses, it takes a lot of organization of paper work, management of time, storing of sensitive information on our home computer, and sharing of that information via our home network (so I can work on it on my laptop or on my desktop).
And, with three Dudes online and engaged with the technology of this house in ways that my brain can’t even comprehend (they’re building something online right now, don’t ask me what it is, I’ve confirmed it’s not a bomb or a virus or a machine that makes trees grow money, which I was keeping hope alive for), it’s important that I maintain as much security in and among our network as possible.
Enter Norton Security.
I purchased it when I got my new laptop (following the fiery and dramatic death of my previous model) and I got it to cover everything. All of our computers (we have four in this house… FOUR), our ipads, and even our phones.
I love that it was easy to install, that it updates itself and protects my devices without much intervention from me, and gives me peace of mind to allow my children to enjoy the Internet without fear that some hacking super villain is going to steal my millions hundreds (okay, probably like hundred, not plural).
Need some protection for your home this tax season? Let me tell you how you can protect your digital presence with Norton Security.
5 Things to Know About Digital Security with Norton Security
1. Norton Security allows families to protect all of their devices, including their smartphones and tablets. Your sensitive information as well as your texts, photos, and emails will be safe from online predators. And your nosy neighbors. And your tricky kids.
2. If you go with the Backup option, you won’t ever be sitting in your bathtub, fully dressed, crying tears of sorrow because you lost all of the baby photos of your little humans when you updated-deleted-restarted-did-something-OMG-what-did-I-do to the computer.
3. Your devices WILL stay virus free. It’s the Norton guarantee and, should they fail, they will give you a refund!
4. If you get a new device you don’t have to get a new security plan. Just add your device to your current coverage, no extra fees, no complex process, no big deal.
5. You can get $30 off with Coupons.com Norton coupon codes. Code only good through 4/15/15, so jump on that!
*Disclosure: I am part of Coupons.com blogger program and this post has been compensated. All opinions, love of tax returns, and amazing jokes are my own.