Home Alone original house decked out for the holidays. (Photo via Airbnb) They say you can't go home again, but you can stay in the Home Alone house. Or at least four lucky movie fans will be there on Dec. 12, 2021. Tomorrow, Kevin McCallister's Winnetka, Illinois, residence turned criminal booby trap is welcoming the visitors for a one-night stay. The event in the house where the now-holiday-classic was filmed is not a contest, notes Airbnb. Rather, the reason for the bargain rate is that the overnight lodging is a charitable promotion that just happens to roughly coincide with the... Read more →
December 2021
A faceoff from the last NHL game the hubby and I attended when we visited Washington, D.C., several years ago. Go Caps! (Photo by Kay Bell) While many U.S. taxpayers are pondering whether to pay their annual real estate by year's end to add to potential increased itemized deductions — C'mon already Congress; decide yea or nay on any state and local taxes (SALT) changes so we can act! — a professional hockey team is simply trying to straighten out the tax situation on its property. The National Hockey League's Arizona Coyotes have until Dec. 20 to pay delinquent tax... Read more →
Roller coaster photo by Element5 Digital from Pexels The markets have been gyrating a bit of late. We can blame new COVID-19 variants, fluctuating jobs numbers, worker shortages, inflation, and supply chain problems for the nerve-wracking ups and downs. The chaos, economic and otherwise, is enough to prompt some investors to make moves, which also add to the market roller coaster. Before reacting to one or a few days' ups and downs, take time this month to more carefully review your overall portfolio. Then decide whether it's a good time to sell or buy. Either option could be a wise... Read more →
To keep yourself and Uncle Sam happy, don't ignore the annual required minimum distribution from your tax-deferred retirement accounts. Retirement accounts, such as traditional IRAs and workplace 401(k) plans, are great ways for many to save for their post-work years. These tax-deferred plans offer a variety of benefits, ranging from reduced taxes on work earnings to a potential tax deduction for some IRA owners to the added Saver's Tax credit for eligible filers. But these tax-deferred retirement accounts also come with a big drawback. At some point the Internal Revenue Service demands you take out at least some of the... Read more →
Here in Central Texas, we're experiencing a mild December. We finally got a light freeze in outlying areas last night, but temperatures in the immediate Austin area are expected, at least for a couple of days this week, to climb into the mid-to-upper-80s. Human residents aren't the only ones enjoying the moderate spell. Plants are taking advantage of the warmth, too, like the Gerber daisy trio to the left that decided to make an appearance on our backyard patio. While the late-year flowers are lovely to look at, accompanying pollen is wreaking havoc with my allergies. I am not alone.... Read more →
Photo by Charlotte May from Pexels Schooling has changed a lot during the COVID-19 pandemic. Remote learning is more common. Where students have returned to classrooms, they and their teachers must deal with physical re-arrangements. One thing, though, remains the same. Education costs continue to climb. That's particularly true for college expenses. But there is a popular way to save for your youngsters' secondly educations and get a potential tax break, too. As long as you act quickly. When you contribute to a child's 529 plan, many states allow you to claim a state tax deduction. And in many states,... Read more →
Thirsty New Yorkers celebrate Prohibition Repeal Day at a local, again legal, bar. Image from Las Vegas' National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, more popularly known as The Mob Museum, blog post on how Prohibition changed beer. Today's a big day for tax geeks and craft beer aficionados, as well as for lovers of fine (or cheaper; no judging here) wines and liquors. On Dec. 5, 1933, Prohibition ended with the passage of the 23rd amendment to the U.S. constitution. Whenever last century's 13-year booze ban is discussed, the focus naturally tends to be on the alcohol component.... Read more →
If you think online crooks are just going after big businesses, think again. Smaller firms are prime cyberattack targets. Go big or go home, unless you're a cybercriminal targeting businesses. More than 70 percent of cyberattacks are aimed at companies with 100 or fewer employees. That revelation is from the Internal Revenue Service and its Security Summit partners as this year's National Tax Security Awareness Week was winding down. It's also this weekend's By the Numbers figure. In going after smaller business, con artists target credit card or payment information, the business identity information, or data on employees. "Thieves may... Read more →
The United States has a voluntary compliance tax system. Uncle Sam trusts all of us to follow the tax laws and file and pay any amounts that are due the U.S. Treasury. But Uncle Sam is no fool when it comes to taxes. He also has a system of penalties to encourage or, if we refuse, punish us for not fulfilling our tax responsibilities on our own. The most severe are criminal prosecutions. The Internal Revenue Service also employs civil actions to get taxes due. Most of us, though, are more familiar with the fines and fees that are assessed... Read more →
Gift cards make great presents for family and friends, but they cannot be used to pay taxes. (Gift card wreath via Pinterest) We all have people on our holiday gift lists who are hard — OK, impossible — to shop for. When I struggle to find the perfect gift, I follow my personal credo: Say it with cash. Or, more often, with plastic. Yes, I give gift cards. And if family and friends are reading this, I am happy to get them. But one place where gift cards aren't welcome is the Internal Revenue Service. This IRS is making a... Read more →
A close-up of some of our Christmas tree ornaments, including the newest one showcasing Austin icon El Arroyo's sign wisdom. (Photo by Kay Bell) Ho, Ho, Ho! The jolly month of December is here, bringing the official start of winter, Christmas and other holidays, and taxes. Yeah, that last December item might harsh your holidays. But the tax moves you make over the next 31 days could make your 2021 and 2022 tax situations happy and bright. Here's a look at 6 December tax moves you at least want to consider. 1. Keep an eye on Congress. Yeah, too often... Read more →