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April 18 is creeping ever closer, but you're not alone! Take these helpful tips.

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Ad Council + AICPA

Just like that weird smell coming from the back of the fridge, if you ignore your taxes, they won't go away.

I totally get it. Taxes can seem really stressful and intimidating. So much so that sometimes it's easier to just forget about them altogether.



GIF via "Empire."

But with a little prep and some research, the experience can be totally painless and, yes, even enjoyable.

If you're a recent grad or just young enough to remember the "Fresh Prince" theme song, there may be a lot of free money and deductions on the table. So put on your best grown-up face and get ready to do this. Because you totally can!

Now, whether you've already submitted your taxes for 2015 or you're thinking ahead to next year, keep these six tips in mind.

1. Get your act together.

Beginning in January of each year, you're going to start receiving some important tax forms in the mail (or electronically if you've set that up with your employer). The envelopes will usually say "IMPORTANT TAX DOCUMENT ENCLOSED." When you see it, stop what you're doing, grab the document, and put it in a safe place. If you're into fancy office goods, this is a perfect opportunity to splurge on a nice paper tray. However, any manila folder, Trapper Keeper, or padfolio will do just fine.


Do not keep them outside where they can blow into the water and your future wife has to jump in and get them. GIF via "Love Actually."

2. Call your mom.

Before you file, it's important to know whether or not your parents or guardians are still claiming you on their taxes. If you're a full-time student or living at home, you should really check in to make sure everyone is on the same page about your status.

GIF via "Party Down South."

(Plus, your mom remembers when you were really small, and she's going to be really proud and excited to hear that you're doing your taxes on your own. Let her have this.)

3. Look for tax credits and deduct like a boss.

First a quick terminology lesson. Deductions reduce the amount of income subject to tax while tax credits directly reduce the tax itself. Got it?


GIF via "Planes, Trains and Automobiles."

If a tax credit or deduction applies to you, you should strongly consider taking advantage of it. Here are some that many millennials often miss:

Hit the books with the lifetime learning credit.

This tax credit allows you to deduct $2,000 of qualified education expenses. It includes things like graduate school tuition or courses you're taking to acquire or improve job skills. You don't have to be working toward a degree, and you can use this credit for as many years as you want. Still an undergrad? The American opportunity credit may be a better fit for you.

Photo by Brittany Stevens/Flickr.

If you're done with school but still paying, you can deduct student loan interest.

With this deduction, you can reduce your income subject to tax by $2,500. Like most tax credits, there are some income stipulations, but odds are good you fall under the umbrella.

Photo by Ed Ivanushkin/Flickr.

Going on job interviews? Deduct those fresh resumes.

If you spent time looking for a new job in your current field, then you may be eligible to deduct job search expenses. These include printing and mailing resumes (in case you're hunting for a job in 1975) and travel expenses. It's important to note, though, you can't claim this one if you're searching for your first job or if you've taken a big break after your previous job ended.

Photo by Robert Sheie/Flickr.

— Moving for work? Get reimbursed for that U-Haul.

Did you move more than 50 miles to take a new job? First off, congrats. Second, you may be able to deduct reasonable expenses you incur as a result of the move. This includes things like your plane or train tickets to get to your new destination, the storage unit you rented, the hotel you stayed in while traveling cross-country, and even the miles you put on your car. Save every last receipt and report your expenses on this form.

Photo by shrinkin'violet/Flickr.

— The government may pay you to save for retirement. Take them up on it.

The saver's credit is meant to help middle and low-income workers save for the future. (You can check out this helpful table to see if you meet the income requirements.) If you do qualify, it's a chance to get a credit for contributing to an IRA or 401(k). You can also stack your benefits and take your credit alongside your tax deduction. Boom! Now we're talking.

Photo by Ken Teegardin/Flickr.

4. Be sure to report your side hustle.

Drive for Uber on the weekends? Sell vintage tea kettles on Etsy? Win a few thousand bucks playing the ponies? You need to report all your extra income, along with gambling and contest wins to the IRS. And if you are a small business owner, you may be eligible for a few extra deductions or credits.


GIF via "Regular Show."

5. It's totally OK to ask for help.

You don't lose any adult-ing points if you need help doing your taxes. The U.S. tax code is complicated and filled with exceptions. If you bought a home, made investments, or just need help navigating some of the credits and deductions, it may be worth your time and money to talk to a professional tax preparer or accountant. If hiring a pro isn't in your budget, many communities offer free tax help from knowledgeable professionals and volunteers.

And if you already filed, no worries. Make an appointment this summer to see what receipts, forms, and documents you should be saving for next year.

GIF via "The Big Bang Theory."

So while death and taxes are pretty much certainties, this is not a season to dread.

Armed with all of your forms and a little inside knowledge, you can make tax time work for you. And in this day and age, you can even make the Internet work for you by asking a real, live CPA for advice or searching through more specific deductions to see if you qualify.

Just take your time, take a deep breath, and remember:

GIF via "Community."

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Three women, three MS journeys: How multiple sclerosis looks different for everyone

Gina, Nathalie and Helga share their reactions to being diagnosed with MS and how they stay informed and positive in the face of ever-changing symptoms.

Courtesy of Sanofi

Helga, Nathalie and Gina all have MS, and their experiences show how differently the disease can manifest.

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It’s been 155 years since neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot gave the first lecture on a mysterious progressive illness he called “multiple sclerosis.” Since then, we’ve learned a lot. We know MS causes the immune system to attack healthy tissue, including damaging the brain and spinal cord. Resulting symptoms can be debilitating and include fatigue, blurred vision, memory problems and weakness. Huge advancements in our understanding of MS and its underlying causes, as well as treatment advances, have been made in the past few decades, but MS remains a complex and unpredictable reality for the 2.8 million+ people diagnosed around the world.

Ironically, the only real constant for people living with MS is change. There’s no set pattern or standard progression of the disease, so each person’s experience is unique. Some people with MS have mild symptoms that worsen slowly but sometimes improve, while others can have severe symptoms that drastically alter their daily lives.

All people with MS share some things in common, however, such as the need to stay informed on the ever-evolving research, find various lines of support and try to remain hopeful as they continue living with the disease.

To better understand what navigating life with MS really looks like, three women shared their MS stories with us. Their journeys demonstrate how MS can look different for different people and interestingly, how the language used to talk about the disease can greatly impact how people understand their realities.

woman with horse, woman riding horseGina loves riding her horse, Benita.Courtesy of Sanofi

Gina—Hamburg, Germany (diagnosed with relapsing multiple sclerosis in 2017)

When her youngest son was 4 months old, Gina started having problems with her eye. She’d soon learn she was experiencing optic neuritis—her first symptom of MS.

“Immediately after the diagnosis, I looked up facts on MS because I didn’t know anything about it,” Gina says. “And as soon as I knew what could really happen with this disease, I actually got scared.”

As her family’s primary income provider, she worried about how MS would impact her ability to work as a writer and editor. Her family was afraid she was going to end up in a wheelchair. However, for now, Gina’s MS is managed well enough that she still works full-time and is able to be active.

“When I tell somebody that I have MS, they often don't believe me the first time because I don't fulfill any stereotypes,” she says.

Overwhelmed by negative perspectives on living with MS, Gina sought support in the online MS community, which she found to be much more positive.

“I think it’s important to use as many positive words as you can when talking about MS.” It’s important to be realistic while also conveying hope, she says. “MS is an insidious disease that can cause many bad symptoms…that can be frightening, and you can't gloss over it, either.”

To give back to the online community that helped her so much, Gina started a blog to share her story and help others trying to learn about their diagnosis.

Though she deals with fatigue and cognitive dysfunction sometimes, Gina stays active swimming, biking, riding horses and playing with her sons, who are now 11 and 6.

Cognitive dysfunction is common in MS, with over half of people affected. It can impact memory, attention, planning, and word-finding. As with many aspects of MS, some people experience mild changes, while others face more challenges.

Gina says that while there’s still a lot of education about MS needed, she feels positive about the future of MS because there’s so much research being done.

woman in wheelchair holding medal, woman rowingNathalie is an award-winning rower with multiple international titles.Courtesy of Sanofi

Nathalie — Pennes Mirabeau, France (diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis in 2002)

Nathalie was a teenager and a competitive athlete when she noticed her first symptoms of MS, but it would take four years of “limbo” before she was diagnosed.

“Ultimately, the diagnosis was more of a relief, than a shock,” she says. “Because when you have signs and you don’t know why, it’s worse than knowing, in the end, what you have.”

However, learning more about the disease—and the realities of disease progression—scared her.

“That glimpse of the future was direct and traumatic,” she says. Her neurologist explained that the disease evolves differently for everyone, and her situation might end up being serious or very mild. So, she decided to stop comparing herself to others with MS.

She said to herself, “We’ll see what happens, and you’ll manage it bit by bit.”

By 2005, Nathalie’s MS had progressed to the point of needing a wheelchair. However, that has not dampened her competitive spirit.

Nathalie began her international rowing career in 2009 and has won multiple world titles, including two Paralympic medals—silver in London and bronze in Tokyo. Now, at 42, she still trains 11 times a week. Fatigue can be a problem, and sometimes hard workouts leave her with muscle stiffness and shaking, but she credits her ongoing sports career for helping her feel in tune with her body’s signals.

“Over the years, I’ve learned to listen to my body, letting my body guide when I need to stop and take breaks,” she says.

Nathalie explains that she used to only look backwards because of the initial shock of her diagnosis. In time, she stopped thinking about what she couldn’t do anymore and focused on her future. She now lives in the following mindset: “Even when doors close, don’t miss out on those that open.” Instead of focusing on what she can’t do, she focuses on the opportunities she still has. Right now, this includes her training for the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, where she will compete for another rowing medal.

“I only go forward,” she says. “Well, I try, anyway…It’s easy to say, it’s not always easy to do. But that’s what I try to do.”

woman exiting water after swimming, woman with great daneHelga's Great Dane has become a helpful and beloved companion.Courtesy of Sanofi

Helga—Johannesburg, South Africa (diagnosed with relapsing multiple sclerosis in 2010)

When Helga first started having balance issues and numbness in her feet, she chalked it up to her training as a runner. But when the numbness moved to her face, she knew something was wrong. She never guessed it was MS.

“When I was diagnosed, I felt completely overwhelmed and clueless,” Helga says. “I felt that I had nowhere near enough information. I did not know anything about the disease…I had no idea that it was going to be a process of continually monitoring and adjusting your lifestyle.”

In the beginning, Helga’s symptoms developed slowly, and she didn’t appear ill to others. She was even able to run for a few years after her diagnosis, but she couldn’t do marathons anymore, and she began to fall frequently due to balance issues and right-foot dragging. Then her cognition issues became more problematic, especially in her job as a trainer in a printing company.

“My executive function, decision-making and short-term memory were affected to the point that I was eventually medically unfit for work,” she says. She stopped working in 2017.

However, she didn’t stop living life. Even though she could no longer run, she continued to swim competitively. She got a Great Dane puppy and trained him as a service dog to help her walk. She also serves as vice chair of the patient support organization Multiple Sclerosis South Africa, and she advises others who have been diagnosed to join a patient advocacy group as soon as possible to get reliable information and meet others with MS.

Helga says she is “hopeful” about the future of MS. “I must say that I am so grateful that we have all the new medications available, because my life would not be the same if it wasn't for that,” she adds.

Part of how she manages her MS is by looking at the positives.

“If I could tell the world one thing about MS, it would be that MS is an incurable disease of the nervous system, but it's also the greatest teacher of valuing your health, family, friends, and managing change in your life,” she says. “My life is diversified in a way that I never, ever thought it would, and MS has been honestly the greatest teacher.”

Each MS journey is unique – with each person impacted experiencing different struggles, successes, and feelings as they manage this unpredictable disease. But the common thread is clear – there is a critical need for information, support, and hope. We are proud to participate in World MS Day and share these incredible stories of living life while living with MS. To learn more about MS, go to https://www.sanofi.com/why-words-really-matter-when-it-comes-to-multiple-sclerosis.

MAT-GLB-2301642-v1.0-05/2023

This article was sponsored by Sanofi. Participants were compensated when applicable.

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@clarabellecwb/TikTok

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