What to Do After You File Your Taxes: 5 Smart Money Moves to Make Now

Everyone's Talkin' Money

Shari Rash

Self-improvement, Business, Health & Fitness, Mental Health, Education

4.2 • 648 Ratings

🗓️ 28 April 2026

⏱️ 27 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

You filed your taxes, hit submit, and finally took a breath. But filing your return isn’t the finish line—it’s the starting signal. Most people close the folder, move on with their lives, and don’t think about taxes again until next year. That’s exactly why tax season keeps feeling stressful, confusing, and expensive. Your tax return isn’t just paperwork. It’s information. It’s a snapshot of every financial decision you made last year—and a roadmap for what to do differently going forward. In this episode, Shari Rash, walks you through the five money moves to make after you file your taxes so you can start this year smarter and stop treating tax season like a once-a-year emergency. You’ll learn what to actually look for on your tax return, how to adjust your withholding so you’re not surprised next April, why retirement contributions are one of the most powerful tax tools available, and how to build a simple system that turns panic into preparation. Shari also explains why mid-year check-ins matter more than year-end scrambling and how small adjustments now can save you stress—and money—later. This episode is about shifting from reactive to proactive. Because taxes aren’t just something you file. They’re something you manage. If you want help turning your tax return into a real strategy, you can schedule time with Shari Rash, founder of GWA Wealth, to review your numbers and identify opportunities to improve your financial plan. Talkin’ Points → where your money gets smarter. Real talk, practical tips, zero guilt straight to your inbox. Sign up here. Be sure to like and follow the show on your favorite podcast app! Keep the conversation going on Instagram @everyonestalkinmoney IRS Income Tax Estimator Shari Rash is a financial planner and Investment Adviser Representative of GWA Wealth, a Registered Investment Adviser. The information provided in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as personalized investment, tax, or legal advice. Listening to this podcast does not create an advisory relationship with Shari Rash or GWA Wealth. All investments involve risk, including the potential loss of principal. Any references to specific investments, strategies, or securities are for illustrative purposes only and are not recommendations. You should consult your own financial advisor, tax professional, or attorney regarding your individual situation before making any financial decisions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	I'm a financial planner, not a tax accountant, and this episode is for educational purposes only.
0:06.3	Tax laws and individual situations vary. So before making any tax or financial decisions,
0:12.5	I always recommend discussing your specific circumstances with a qualified tax professional or advisor.
0:19.8	Okay, you filed. You hit submit. You got the confirmation email. And maybe you even did a
0:26.1	little happy dance in your kitchen, which honestly, totally fair. Tax season is no joke.
0:32.8	The gathering of documents, the hunting for that one receipt, the explaining everything to your accountant, or walking yourself through turbotax like you're diffusing a bomb.
0:44.1	It's a lot. And when it's done, it feels done. So you close the folder. You delete the reminder from your calendar.
0:52.7	You maybe even say out loud to no one in particular.
0:56.5	I am not thinking about taxes again until next year.
1:06.2	And I get it.
1:07.7	I really do.
1:08.7	You deserve that exhale. But here's where I have to be your knowledgeable
1:13.8	girlfriend and tell you something you might not want to hear right now. That feeling of being done,
1:20.8	it's a little bit of an illusion. Because here's the thing. Your tax return is not actually the end of the story. It's more like
1:29.9	the season finale that sets everything up that happens next. Your tax return is a report card.
1:38.5	It's a snapshot of every financial decision you made last year. Every paycheck, every investment, every time you did
1:46.5	or did not put money into your retirement account, all of it showed up on those pages.
1:53.6	And if you just file it, close it, and move on without actually reading it, you're leaving a
2:00.4	roadmap on the table. So today, we are going to
2:04.4	fix that. I'm going to walk you through the five money moves I want you to make after you file your
2:11.1	taxes, moves that will help you start this year smarter, pay less next year, and stop treating tax season like a once a year
2:20.9	emergency. We're two weeks out from tax day. You had your break. Now it's time to get back into it and let's
	...

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