Making the Most of the Busy Season Brother P-touch(R) Labelers - Ideal for Home and Office - The Most Versatile Tool for Organizing at Tax Time.

BRIDGEWATER, N.J. -- Each year, you may vow to become more organized, only to find that, by tax time, your desk is cluttered with tax forms, papers and to-do lists. Thanks to Brother[R], this year you can keep your promise, with a practical, easy-to-use solution for paper chaos - a Brother P-touch[R] Electronic Labeling System, available at office superstores nationwide and online.

Here are a few tips to get you ready for tax-time, and to keep organized throughout the year:

What you'll need to get started: An area set aside to work, such as a desk or table with good light; an in-box for action items; a file drawer or box; bins or containers for office supplies; a P-touch labeler; manila files and file folders; and, of course, a trash bin.

Step 1: Designate a Place for All Your Home Office Files & Equipment: Disorganized rooms can be distracting, lead to lost documents and can cause you to waste time looking for items. An easy way to begin is by labeling bins, containers, shelves and drawers with P-touch laminated tape, so you have a dedicated place for all your supplies and files. While you're at it, you can use P-touch labelers to identify CD's, DVD's, USB drives, and portable electronic devices. (Remember to label higher-value items with your contact information, in the event they get lost or stolen.)

Step 2: Untangle Those Cables:

It only takes a few minutes to label computer cables and wires now, and it's more than worth the time and aggravation of sorting through cords and wires, under your desk, throughout the year. P-touch Cable/Wire tape is perfect for wrapping or flagging cables, wires and sharply curved surfaces, and the adhesive is sure to last. And after labeling, it's a good idea to get the cords neatly out of the way by tying them with plastic cable ties.

Step 3: Sort, File, and Toss: Now that your work space is in order, you're ready to begin organizing your papers and labeling file folders according to your needs. For each paper, ask yourself: 1) Do I really need to keep this piece of paper? 2) If I need to keep it, where does it make sense to file it? 3) What might I need it for later - tax purposes, product support, budgeting, professional, school or other use?

Step 4: Categorize Your Records for Tax Purposes: Keep in mind, while you're sorting documents and receipts, which papers you'll need for your tax return, so you don't miss out on claiming expenses and deductions that are due to you. Make categories that are appropriate for your situation, and label the files with P-touch laminated labels. For example, you can categorize your receipts by subject, such as small office/home office expenses, home improvements, health expenses, donations, credit cards, investments, etc. P-touch labels are available in a range of colors and sizes, so you can even color-code files for easy reference.

Step 5: Assemble your records for this year's return: With your files now in order, it's much easier to find what you need for this year's return - whether you're preparing the return yourself, or sending the documents to an accountant to prepare for you.

Step 6: File Away: Once you've signed off on your forms, file copies of your tax forms in the file folder you already set up in Step 4 for this tax year.

Step 7: Don't Forget Your Promise! You wanted to stay organized throughout the year, right? The best way is to schedule a regular time and day each week, or each month, to sort through new documents. A good rule of thumb is to schedule about one hour a week for record keeping.

P-touch Electronic Labeling Systems: An Incredible Value, Starting at under $30

Brother International Corporation currently markets more than 20 different P-touch Electronic Labeling Systems, including handheld and desktop models and computer connected label printers. P-touch durable, laminated labels come in a wide variety of tape colors and sizes, and are resistant to moisture, heat, cold and other harsh environmental conditions. There are also special-use P-touch tapes available: P-touch Cable/Wire tape; Extra-Strength Adhesive tape, Tamper-evident tape, and Fabric Iron-on tape.

For more information about P-touch machines and tapes, please visit www.brother.com or call Brother International toll-free at (877)-4-PTOUCH.

About Brother International Corporation

Brother in Bridgewater is the corporate headquarters for Brother in the Americas, (from Canada to South America) and has fully integrated sales, manufacturing, marketing, research and development capabilities, located here in the US. In addition to its headquarters in Bridgewater, New Jersey, Brother has branches in California, Illinois, Massachusetts and Tennessee, as well as subsidiaries in Ohio, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Mexico. EDITOR'S NOTE: Photography available upon request.