filing
FYE-ling
/ˈfaɪlɪŋ/
The act of submitting a document, especially a tax return, to an official authority.
Can refer to the physical or electronic act of submission, or the status (e.g., 'filing jointly').
The story behind the word. From the Latin 'filum', meaning 'thread.' Historically, legal documents and tax records were kept by threading them onto a string or wire for safekeeping. Hence, to 'file' a document was literally to string it up.
Word relationships
- submission: Submission is the general act of presenting something for consideration, while filing specifically implies submitting to an official registry or legal authority.
Commonly confused with
- compiling: Compiling is gathering and organizing the data, whereas filing is the final act of submitting it to the authority.
Word family
- file (verb): To submit a legal document.
- filer (noun): A person who files a document.
Collocations
- tax filing
- electronic filing
- filing status
- filing deadline
Example sentences
- "Electronic filing has made tax season much faster and more efficient." Tax Software Ad
Memory hook
You file your taxes by putting them in a folder or 'file' and sending them off. Threading documents onto a file.
When not to use
Do not use when referring to smoothing down nails or metal (filing), though it's the same spelling.
Fun facts
- The first electronic tax filing (e-file) took place in 1986 as a pilot program in three US cities; today, over 90% of taxpayers file electronically.
Explore more words
submit, petition, submission, certificate, document, Application
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