Don't wait until April 15th to start getting your tax records in order. Now is the time to organize your 2011 documents - and you don't have to do it alone.

There are a number of tools that can make the job easier and, dare we say, fun :

1. Electronic files. Tired of moving files from computer to computer? Visit Dropbox.com, for a free online solution for storing and sharing files among computers and with other people.

2. Business mileage. Rather than creating a manual journal or printing out Google maps for every trip, use Bizmile.com's handy audit-ready mileage documentation tools to create a record of your trips. With Bizmile Tracker's easy interface and copy tools, you'll have all the support you need to deduct your business mileage.

3. Charitable donations. Keep track of your donations with this app from Cerulean Tech Creations. It lets you record a value, describe and photograph donated items and then e-mail them to your desktop. (Be sure to talk with your accountant before donating unusual items like land or appreciated assets -- in some cases, the IRS requires an appraisal to determine value.)

4. Meals and entertainment. Document your meal and entertainment expenses using a mobile app like www.texthog.com or www.xpenser.com. With these tools, you can document your meeting information, business purpose and attendees, and then attach a photo of the receipt.

5. Capital gains and losses. Manage your portfolio online using Etrade Mobile Pro (you must have an ETrade account in order to execute trades) or IStockManager (TDAmeritrade Accounts). If you work with a different organization, find out what mobile tools they have available.

Note: always use care when installing or downloading mobile applications.