Don't Mess With Taxes

Are you a tax lion, aggressively hunting down tax breaks? Or are you a tax lamb, cowering before the complicated Internal Revenue Code?

Whatever your March tax persona, this last full month of the tax-filing season offers plenty of time and ways to cut your 2014 tax bill. It's also a good month to make some moves to lower your coming 2015 tax debt.

Business focus: Business filers need to take care, as the start and middle of the month are critical deadlines.

Farmers and fishermen who didn't make their final estimated tax payment on Jan. 15 must file and pay any due tax by Monday, March 2. 

The next business tax deadline comes about two weeks later. But this year, corporate taxpayers get an extra day. Because the normal March 15 filing deadline for corporations is on Sunday, the tax day this year is Monday, March 16.

Beware, be lucky, be warm: Other special March dates also offer some tax ideas.

We're facing yet another Friday the 13th this month, but don't let it scare you. And don't fall for some common tax myths and misperceptions.

And definitely don't depend on lucky charms to cut you tax bill. Instead, check out these 17 ways to save on your taxes. Even better, they're good even beyond St. Patrick's Day.

Then there's the welcome arrival of spring.

The only thing better than warmer weather is a way to reduce your coming 2015 tax bill. That's a definite possibility when you spring cleaning leads to tax-deductible donations.

More March tax moves: These are just a few ways to deal with your 2014 filing and plan for lower 2015 taxes.

More tax tasks are listed in the March Tax Moves over in the ol' blog's right column.

Just scroll down a bit and look for the red lettering under the countdown clock that's keeping track of how long until we reach the April 15 filing deadline.

And whether you're a lion or lamb, take advantage of all of March's 31 days to make money-saving tax moves.