Nowadays, many homes seem to suffer from a contagious condition called “Paperosis misplacea.”

The symptoms are fairly obvious. First, piles of paper begin sprouting in various areas. No horizontal surface is immune. Tables, kitchen counters, desks, chairs, floors — any and all may become infected.

The piles become increasingly irritating to the hapless residents of the afflicted home, as they frequently and frantically search for misplaced papers in the ever-growing stacks.

Unfortunately, this phase can continue indefinitely, since the condition tends to be chronic.

Tax time is like flu season for the “paperosis” bug. As April 15 looms, more and more homes show signs of infection.

But don’t panic: Paperosis is both curable and preventable. Here’s how to recover from this disorder — or at least get it under control before it becomes debilitating:

l Know what you need to keep and what you can safely toss.

Two main factors that contribute to the spread of paperosis are fear and ignorance.

People are afraid to throw out papers because they don’t know which to keep, which to discard and how long to keep those that should be kept.

There are two main types of paper documents: records and resources.

Records — which are what the IRS cares about — are finite in quantity (although that might seem hard to believe if you are knee-deep in them); whereas resources are infinite in quantity, thanks to the Information Age.

Therefore, the old rule “When in doubt, throw it out” applies mainly to resource materials. You can safely dump stuff like newspaper clippings, old seminar handouts and travel brochures. It’s highly unlikely the IRS would ever ask to see those — or, say, your accumulation of yet-to-be-tried recipes.

Pitching papers like that can substantially reduce your piles. However, when it comes to financial and legal documents, the opposite rule applies: When in doubt, don’t throw it out.

To eliminate doubt so you can eliminate more paper, check the IRS guidelines. Publication 552 lists which papers to keep and for how long; it’s free and available online at www.irs.gov, or call (800) 829-3676.

l Set up easy-to-maintain paper management systems.

Prevent piles from forming by taking a proactive approach. Setting up simple systems will help you stay on top of your papers so you won’t get buried under them.

At least two types of systems are essential for managing paper: the paper-flow system for keeping “to-do” papers under control and the filing system, for storing records and resources.

A good paper-flow system is essentially a pile antidote — it provides you with an easily accessible, categorized home for any papers on which you need to take action. This way, when you sit down to deal with your paperwork, you don’t end up spending half your time shuffling through piles to find what you need.

To set up this system, all you have to do is identify which types of papers tend to form piles and then label some stacking trays with those categories. Typical examples are bills to pay, correspondence to answer, forms to fill out, stuff to read, general to-do lists and things to file.

Just remember that the system will not do the work for you; you’ll need to schedule some time at least weekly to deal with the paperwork you put in the system so it won’t get clogged up and become transformed into yet another pile.

An effective filing system has two functions: It enables you to locate papers quickly (which can be a lifesaver in an emergency as well as a help in day-to-day matters), and it gives you a good place to store the papers. Having a storage place is helpful for both preventing and purging piles.

When you’ve got just the right place for the papers you want or need to keep, it’s easy to put them there. And when something is easy to do, it’s more likely to get done.

— Harriet Schechter is the author of three books, including “Let Go of Clutter.” Her online advice column is at www.MiracleOrganizing.com.