April 1: The first day of April definitely is not a day to fool around if you must make a required minimum distribution (RMD). This year's deadline is for folks who turned 73 in 2024 and decided to delay their first RMD.
April 5: You made it through April 1 and the month's first full week unscathed by foolish pranksters, but tax misconceptions persist year-round. Don't fall for any of these 10 tax myths as you work on finishing your return. Similarly, make sure you don't make any common filing mistakes, or overlook any tax breaks.
April 8: Tax Day is just a week away. You really tried to do your taxes yourself, but you've realized you need help. It's probably too late to find a tax professional who'll do your taxes by April 15. Sorry. They tend to book up earlier in the tax year. But there's still help available, especially if you're older or don't make a ton of money. Check into Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) programs in your area. These IRS-trained volunteers are happy to help eligible taxpayers fill out and file returns at no- or low-cost.
April 10: If your job is as a server at a restaurant or at any other establishment where gratuities from customers are part of your compensation, I hope you get all the tips you deserve for doing your job well. Remember, though, that those tips are taxable income.
Whether you're dining at your favorite eatery or getting food, groceries and/or prepared meals, delivered to your home, if a tip isn't included on your restaurant or delivery bill, click the image above to calculate how much to tip the person who brought it to you.
And if you got at least $20 in gratuities in March for your extraordinary services as a food server or hair stylist or parking valet or whatever job where tipping is common, you must report that amount by today. Use Form 4070 to let your employer know the total tips you took in last month.
April 12: It’s the last weekend before Tax Day. If you plan to send your completed Form 1040 to the Internal Revenue Service by next Tuesday, buckle down now. The prior months tax tips — January, February, March, and the ones so far on the April page can help.
April 15: This is it! Tax Day 2024 is here.
via GIPHY
The main task today is, of course, filing your 2024 tax year return. The IRS recommends we file electronically, which will speed up processing of returns and issuance of any refunds. And again this year, millions of taxpayers can do their taxes and e-file for free.
First, there’s the IRS-Free File Alliance partnership, which again offers no-cost online tax preparation and electronic filing to taxpayers whose adjusted gross income (AGI) is $84,000 or less, regardless of filing status at the official IRS.gov Free File website. The same eight software companies that participated last year are back for the 2025 filing season.
If your income is too high, you still can file for free by using Free File's Fillable Forms option.
You also might want to check out IRS Direct File, the IRS’ own free online tax prep and e-filing program if you live in one of the 25 states where the free online tax preparation and e-filing is offered. In addition, Direct File offers more options that apply to more taxpayers’ situations this year.
If you find you just can't get your 1040 finished today, file Form 4868 to get an automatic six-month extension. Note, however, that while this will give you until Oct. 15 to file your tax forms, you must pay any tax you owe when you file your extension form today.
April 15 also is the deadline several other tax tasks. They include:
Making your first 2025 tax year estimated tax payment. There's no extension allowed here.
Adding to your IRA, either Roth or traditional, and have that amount count as 2024 tax year contribution. Note, too, that a traditional IRA contribution is deductible for some taxpayers as an above-the-line tax deduction on your current return. Contributions for 2024 to either type of IRA also could provide eligible filers a claim of the Saver's Credit, a $1,000 dollar-for-dollar offset of any tax owed.
And if you live in a state that collects income tax, you likely must file that return today, too.
April 21: Whew! Now that filing is done (except for tax procrastinators on extension) and you've had a few days to get settled, it's time to take care of your tax records. You need to hang onto some filing paperwork just in case the IRS has follow-up questions.
April 30: Yay! We made it through the year's biggest tax month! Did you get or are expecting a big refund? Or did you end up owing Uncle Sam a lot? Either way, with your filing fresh in your mind, it's a good time for a paycheck checkup to see if you should adjust your paycheck tax withholding.
Small Business Tax Calendar: Important filing, deposit and record keeping dates throughout the year that your company needs to know. The IRS is updating the online version. Until that link is operational, you can get the full year's important business and individual tax dates in IRS Pub. 509.
"But the compact of living in a society requires that sometimes we get things (and elected officials) we don't want. Here's to the day we can all afford our own private islands! ;-)"
LOL - I totally agree!
Posted by: Amy | Wednesday, October 06, 2010 at 06:21 PM
"And I'm very leery of, actually frightened by, people who make up their minds and never listen to the other side. Things change. Circumstances change. Needs change. People change. Being able to listen to differing opinions is crucial to being flexible when change needs to be made. "
I totally agree. However, I have met people who actively solicit a diversity of opinions but then disregard them completely if they don't match their own. In other words, they have all the appearance of open mindedness, think of themselves as such, but the reality is they've made up their mind long before you've met them. They are looking only for a confirmation of their opinions from others.
And truthfully, those situations were by far the worst I've been in a work situation. I've been subtly punished for the "wrong" answer (by my freely stating my opinion) and then alternately made responsible when I didn't speak up after figuring out the score. (It's an "open" environment after all.) It would not completely shock me to find out that perhaps Obama runs his office that way and it's the reason he's having a hard time keeping staff.
In fairness, I have never met Bush or Obama. All have is 3rd hand reports about them, which always tell me more about the person writing or speaking than it does about the object being written or spoken about.
I do know that Bush was the media's devil of the last 8 years for not being "open". However, I noticed his turn over was very low and he did manage to attract a fair amount of minority help, especially in Condoleezza Rice. He may not have been "open", but it may have set a consistent set of rules that reasonably competent people were willing to work under.
On the other hand, Obama has been hailed for his openness but he doesn't seem to generate any deep loyalty on a personal level from his staff. He also doesn't waiver much from standard Democratic or economic thinking and seems to offer few really alternative ideas.
Again, it's important to say that without spending time with them personally, on their staff, it's really pretty much impossible for me to judge. I'm just throwing out the other side to the mass thinking of both gentlemen, perhaps making both of them people who put their pants on one leg at a time. ;)
Posted by: Amy | Wednesday, October 06, 2010 at 06:19 PM
As for the services we don't want, welcome to living in a society. We don't all need or want the same things at the same time, but we or someone we know or are related to might. If not now, perhaps one day. Life has a funny way of deciding things for us that way. I wish I could direct my taxes to go only for certain things; many of them likely would not be services you want or need. But the compact of living in a society requires that sometimes we get things (and elected officials) we don't want. Here's to the day we can all afford our own private islands! ;-)
Posted by: Kay | Tuesday, October 05, 2010 at 09:37 PM
Amy, maybe it's the reporter in me, but I like seeing all sides of an issue. No change once, doesn't mean no change ever. And I'm very leery of, actually frightened by, people who make up their minds and never listen to the other side. Things change. Circumstances change. Needs change. People change. Being able to listen to differing opinions is crucial to being flexible when change needs to be made. Kay
Posted by: Kay | Tuesday, October 05, 2010 at 09:34 PM
"One thing I like about Obama is the fact that he likes to keep a devil's advocate or two around. Even if he isn't persuaded by their points of view, he at least gets them."
Sounds disingenuous to me. What's the point of hearing alternatives if you are never persuaded to act on them? Surround yourself with "yes" men and get at the point. At least everyone knows the score in that situation. ;)
"Also, the prez noted that to cover the cost of keeping the low tax rates for the wealthy could mean fewer government services enjoyed by middle- and lower-income taxpayers."
What if we don't want the services? Hmmm... ;)
Posted by: Amy | Tuesday, October 05, 2010 at 07:30 PM