BOO!
Halloween, of course, is one reason that October is the scariest month of the year. But there's also Oct. 15, the tax filing deadline for folks who got an extension to complete their annual returns. And again in 2021, we're still dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. But these tips should help ease at least your tax fears this month.
Read about the history of jack o'lanterns
Oct. 1: In addition to medically masked adults and costumed child-size Halloween goblins and ghouls descending on your neighborhood at the end of this month, one of the scariest October items is that countdown clock a little higher up in this column. As noted at the top of this tax tasks column, the clicking clock is a stark reminder for millions of ultimate procrastinators that their deadline to file those 2020 Internal Revenue Service forms they shoved aside back in May must be done by mid-month. Don't worry. I'll remind you again as Oct. 15 nears.
But why push the deadline? Gather all the documents you need to file your Form 1040, like your W-2 and all the otherstatements, forms, and receipts you need to finish up your taxes.
And if job upheaval during the coronavirus pandemic prompted you to go to work for yourself, either via many gigs or a full-time business of your own, don't overlook the tax responsibilities and breaks associated with self-employment.
Oct. 5: OK. You're ready to finally file that Form 1040 before the 15th. Great! Now make sure you don't overspend to do so. Check out Free File, the online no-cost tax preparation and e-filing partnership between the IRS and the Free File Alliance. 
The official Free File site at IRS.gov this season offers nine participating tax software options if your adjusted gross income is $72,000 or less, regardless of filing status. If you make too much to use the online software, look into using Free File's fillable forms. Both are available through Oct. 15 … if you want to wait a few more days.
Oct. 11: So another week slipped by without you filing your taxes. No judging. I've been there. The good news is that today is the federal Columbus Day holiday or, in many states and cities, now designated Indigenous People's Day. If you don't have to head into the office or check in on some work from home Zoom calls, this is a great day to deal with your extended taxes. In addition to the filing tips offered earlier in this list, as well as the monthly tax tip collection links under the pencil image at the top of this page, the IRS has some suggestions on getting the job done.
Oct. 12: Until the Delta variant showed up, many had resumed Before Days events, like eating at favorite restaurants. Some eateries are still offering table service. If you're comfortable going to them, be sure to share your happiness about being served in person again with your waiters. If you're still a bit hesitant about going to a packed diner, also tip the food delivery folks still bringing meals to your door.
If a tip isn't included in your restaurant check or food delivery charge, click the image above to calculate how much to tip.
Those of you getting the tips, remember that your
tips are taxable income. If you got such added financial thanks that came to a total of at least $20 last month, whether as a waiter/waitress or hair stylist or valet or whatever job where gratuities are common, you need to account for them today. Report them to your employer on
Form 4070.
Oct. 15: It's here! The absolutely, positively final filing deadline for your 2019 return. Get to it! You have until midnight your time to electronically file. But I suggest you don't push that deadline to hit the send button on your computer keyboard. A late technical problem, either by the IRS or your software provider, could turn into a costly late-filing issue.
Or if you're old-school and mailing a
paper return, get to your local U.S. Postal Service branch in time to have your envelope postmarked today. That's proof that your paper filing was on time.
Oct. 20: Now that your 2020 return is finally done, it's time to work on reducing your 2020 tax bill. One easy step to take now is to
review your payroll withholding. If you find, whether you filed this month or back in May, that you owed a lot or got a big refund, you should use the IRS'
online withholding tool to make sure a more appropriate amount of income tax comes out of each of 2021's remaining paychecks. If your withholding tweak gets you more money each payday, consider putting some of it into your
retirement savings, either your workplace 401(k) or a traditional or Roth IRA .
Oct. 26: Many folks' retirement money is in that just mentioned 401(k) plan. That's just one of the employer-provided benefits that companies offer their workers. And October is open
enrollment season at many companies. Take time to carefully
review what's offered before enrollment ends.
Oct. 31: Sure, it's Halloween. But even scarier than the ghosts and monsters wandering your neighborhood tonight is the knowledge that we still have another month of
hurricane season ahead of us. If your area hasn't been hit by any tropical system so far, good for you. But your luck might not hold, as the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico
hurricane season runs through November. The countdown clock below lets you know how many more days you have to worry about tracking tropical systems.
So that you're ready for another
Hurricane Ida, which made landfall in Louisiana and moved on to New York, or, hopefully, a less severe storm,
prepare now if you haven't already.
The ol' blog's special
Storm Warnings section can help. The multi-page collections of posts offer tax advice on preparing for, recovering from and helping those who sustain damages from the many ways that that weather goes wild. That includes
claiming uninsured losses from a major natural disaster as on itemized tax deduction. And remember, your prep can pay off any time, since all types of disasters occur year-round.
Small Business Tax Calendar: Important
filing, deposit and record keeping dates throughout the year that your company needs to know. You can get more tax calendar information at the IRS'
online calendar page and view the full year's important business and individual tax dates in
IRS Publication 509.
Comments