3 Ways Digital Tools and AI Help Simplify Tax Season

Tax season used to be my least favorite part of being a creative small business owner. It always felt overwhelming. ​As the founder of Mochi Kids and Mochi Play Store, I juggle designing and producing children’s clothing, managing inventory and wholesale orders, and running a brick-and-mortar store. ​ When tax time hits, all the information needed to run my business has to be accurate, organized and easy to find. To make the tax process more manageable, I’ve started relying digital tools like Adobe Acrobat to stay organized and prepared. Here’s how I approach tax prep, step-by-step, to simplify everything. ​ Step 1: Digitizing paperwork before it piles up Paper forms used to be my downfall. I’d toss them into a folder and promise myself I’d deal with them later. ​By tax season, “later” meant hours of sorting and searching. ​Now, I use Adobe Scan to digitize receipts, tax forms, and donation confirmations as soon as I receive them. ​I simply snap a photo with my phone, and the app converts it into a clear, searchable PDF. I name each file and save it to a folder labeled for the current tax year. Later, I can search documents by vendor, keyword, or dollar amount. ​ Step 2: Organizing documents by category Once everything is digitized, I focus on organizing. Instead of keeping dozens of separate files, I use Acrobat’s Combine and Organize tools to merge related documents into a single file and sort them by category. ​For example, I combine PDFs for charitable contributions, income, expenses, and deductions. ​Acrobat makes it easy to reorder pages, delete duplicates, and add bookmarks so I can quickly find what I need. ​This is especially helpful when preparing and double-checking documents for my accountant before filing. Step 3: Protecting and signing your tax documents with AI Tax documents contain some very sensitive information, so security is non-negotiable. ​Before sharing files, I password protect PDFs and limit access to only the people who need them. ​I can use Protect & Sign with AI Assistant to password protect sensitive information or sign the documents for me. Taking a few extra seconds to secure files gives me peace of mind. A calmer way to approach tax season Tax season may never be exciting, but it doesn’t have to be chaotic. ​By scanning documents early, organizing them thoughtfully, protecting sensitive information, and handling signatures digitally, I’ve made the process far more manageable. ​This allows me to focus on the fun parts of running a creative small business. Why I trust Adobe Acrobat for my tax prep Adobe Acrobat has been a gamechanger for me. It helps me stay organized, save time, and feel confident that my sensitive information is secure. ​Whether you’re an individual filer, freelancer, or small business owner, Acrobat has the tools to make tax season less stressful. From digitizing paper documents to organizing files and securing sensitive information, it’s the ultimate tax prep partner. Here’s to a stress-free tax season! ​ BY AMANDA STEWART FOR ADOBE