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April 2020 Tax Season Filing Tips

2020: The year April 15 didn't matter.

Tax tip pencilIf this were a normal tax season (or a normal year, for that matter), right about now millions of taxpayers would be freaking out. The April 15 Tax Day would be bearing down.

No longer. 

The coronavirus exploded exponentially across the United States in March, prompting, among other actions, myriad tax changes. The biggest, at least as far as affecting the broadest swath of taxpayers, is the decision by the Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service to push April 15 Tax Day to July 15. 

Yay! An extra 90 days to file our 2019 tax returns. That means we can direct all our usual April tax panic energy toward our social distancing and remote efforts.

But even amid your/our new COVID-19 routine, we still need to work on our taxes so that July 15 doesn't sneak up on us. Or to make whatever moves we can to make our 2020 taxes less painful.

So here goes, with the ol' blog's first ever full month of April tax filing season tips. As with its predecessors, these April pieces of  tax advice are highlighted in the upper right corner of the ol' blog.

After their newly extended time in the spotlight, the April tips then will be permanently ensconced on this page. But that collection journey has to start with a first step, so here goes!

  1. 5 tax moves to make this abnormal April — It's April, but it's no longer the month in which our taxes are due. The coronavirus and our efforts to slow its spread have disrupted our tax and regular lives. But in an effort to try to hold onto some semblance of normalcy, here are five tax moves for these decidedly abnormal times. (April 1, 2020)
  2. Retirees will get COVID-19 payments directly — After first saying senior citizens would have to file a special tax return to get COVID-19 payments, Treasury reversed course. The Internal Revenue Service now will send the money automatically to eligible Social Security recipients. (April 2, 2020)
  3. Beware COVID-19 tax scams — The coronavirus economic relief payments are about to go out. The IRS warns that scammers already are looking at ways they can steal them. Don't fall for any of these COVID-19 cons. (April 3, 2020)
  4. Don't overlook 'normal' tax tips — Tax season 2020 definitely is not normal, but we still need to pay attention to some long-standing tax tips when we file our returns this year. Here are a dozen that haven't been changed by coronavirus considerations. (April 4, 2020)
  5. Innocent/injured spouse filings for at-odds filing couples — Do you and your spouse have differences that extend to your taxes? In some cases, spouses that find they come out short in questionable joint filing situations can apply for innocent or injured spouse relief. (April 7, 2020)
  6. July 15 tax deadline expanded — More taxpayers get to mark July 15 on their calendars. That's the official new Tax Day for even more tax actions after the Internal Revenue Service officially expands the 2020 tax filing season due date. (April 11, 2020)
  7. IRS online tool helps nonfilers get COVID-19 payments — Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin says the Internal Revenue Service is expected to directly deposit COVID-19 economic relief payments to 80 million accounts by April 15. If yours isn't among that group because you didn't file a 2018 or 2019 return, use the IRS' new online tool to file a simplified return and get in the payment line. (April 13, 2020)
  8. July 15 also is Tax Day in most states — Most Americans file state tax returns in addition to their federal Form 1040. The good news is that most of the 43 states and District of Columbia with individual income taxes are following the Internal Revenue Service decision in coronavirus tax time to push their state Tax Day deadlines to July 15, too. (April 14, 2020)
  9. Track your COVID-19 payment…if you can — The Internal Revenue Service's online tool to track COVID-19 economic relief payments is live. The IRS says it is working as planned, but some filers (including me!) are still reporting access issues. Give it a try. And good luck! (April 15, 2020)
  10. Audit, collection and EITC actions on COVID-19 hold — In addition to pushing back Tax Day 2020 to July 15, the Internal Revenue Service has established a People First initiative. Part of the program delays some collection and audit actions throughout the extension period. The same leniency is being afforded Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) claims under IRS review. But once things go back to whatever is the new world, life and tax normal, every taxpayer needs to be ready to answer IRS examiner questions. (April 17, 2020)
  11. Estimated tax calculation options — The first two estimated tax payments for 2020 aren't due until July 15 thanks to Internal Revenue Service coronavirus precautions. But you still need to look now at how much you owe and what method you use to calculate all your 1040-ES amounts. (April 20, 2020)
  12. FSA OTC Rx rule axed — The COVID-19 law that created the economic relief payments also included an expansion to and key change in the reimbursement process of tax-favored medical accounts, such as flexible spending accounts (FSAs) and health savings accounts (HSAs). Allowable reimbursable items from these plans now include menstrual products. And for all account holders, over-the-counter (OTC) medications no longer need a doctor's prescription. (April 22, 2020)
  13. Make sure your COVID-19 check is real — Some coronavirus economic relief payments will be sent as paper checks from the U.S. Treasury. These 6 tips can help you make sure your COVID-19 check is real. (April 25, 2020)
  14. Beware COVID-19 paper check scams — Coronavirus economic relief payment Treasury checks are in the mail. That means that scams related to them also are escalating. Since the U.S. Postal Service is delivering these paper checks, its Postal Inspectors are warning of common COVID-19 economic relief payment check scams and how to avoid becoming a victim. (April 26, 2020)
  15. Get My Payment tracking tool updated — Did you (like me) run into problems getting info from the Internal Revenue Service's original version of its Get My Payment COVID-19 economic relief tracking tool? Try it again. The IRS has made some upgrades and it's now working for more people. (April 27, 2020)
  16. Inventory your property before disaster strikes — Spring storms are wreaking havoc across much of the United States. Hurricane season is on the way. Wildfires and earthquakes strike year-round. Don't wait for a disaster. Prepare now, including taking a pre-disaster inventory that can help when you file insurance and/or potential tax deduction claims. (April 28, 2020)
  17. Tax help for the unemployed and uninsured — Losing a job is a double hit for many. In addition to dealing with no income, they also lose their company-provided healthcare coverage. The premium tax credit might help pay for a replacement medical policy. (April 30, 2020)

Just getting started on your taxes? No problem. You can find the previous months' collected tax wisdom by clicking the links below.

And yes, you can click on May, June and June, too, but you'll just find a guy telling you to whoa up. We're not there yet. Rest assured, those tips will be added as those months arrive.

January 2020 Filing Season Tax Tips

February 2020 Filing Season Tax Tips

March 2020 Filing Season Tax Tips

May 2020 Filing Season Tax Tips

June 2020 Filing Season Tax Tips

July 2020 Filing Season Tax Tips

Coronavirus Caveat & More Information
In 2020, we're all dealing with extraordinary circumstances,
both in our daily lives and when it comes to our taxes.
The COVID-19 pandemic and efforts to reduce its transmission
and protect ourselves and our families means that,
for the most part, we're focusing on just getting through these trying days.

But life as we knew it before the coronavirus will return,
along with our mundane tax matters.
Here's hoping that happens soon!
In the meantime, you can find more on the virus and its effects on our taxes
by clicking Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Taxes.

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Weekly Tax Tip

  • Reporting your winnings to the IRS — Uncle Sam apparently is Lady Luck's cousin. Your lottery jackpot, other gambling winnings and prizes, too, are taxable income. Here's how to report them to the Internal Revenue Service on Form 1040's Schedule 1. (Jan. 11, 2021)

  • Tax Tip; click pencil for all tax tip links

  • Check out all the latest post-Tax Day tax advice in the 2020 edition of Weekly Tax Tips. Many of these once-a-week tips will focus on planning moves to cut your 2020 tax bill.
    If, however, you got an extension and are still working on your 2019 return, you can get a refresher of the 2020 Filing Season Tax Tips at their respective monthly pages:
    January, February, March, April, May, June and July.

COVID-19 & Taxes

  • COVID-19
    Coronavirus has wreaked havoc
    on the 2020 tax season.
    This Coronavirus (COVID-19) & Taxes page has details.

All About Kay

  • OK, some about Kay
    Open sign
    Kay Bell — Native Texan (the blog title totally makes sense now, right?). Professional journalist. Tax geek.

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  • Tax Season 2021 is here!
    Happy New Tax Year! Are you ready to file your 2020 tax return? Me neither. With all the delays last year due to COVID-19, it seems like that prior tax season just finished. But time and taxes wait for no taxpayer. The Internal Revenue Service, which started 2021 by delivering more coronavirus economic relief payments, says it will be ready for our returns. So let's get prepared, too. The monthly tips and reminders a little further down this column should help us focus on our taxes and make the filing of them by go more smoothly. Also keep an eye on the countdown clock just below. It will help us keep track of how much time we have until Tax Day on April 15, just in case some of us want to put things off until the final hours. .
    Note: I'm in the Central Time Zone, so adjust accordingly for where you live.


Time for Tax Tasks


  • monthly tax moves

  • Oh, 2021. I cannot tell you how happy we are to see you. You will be better than 2020, right? Right?!?

    via GIPHY

    And just so there's no confusion, that's a question New Year 2021, not a challenge. So don't you dare try to outdo the just-past Year of COVID-19 and its many, many complications, including in the tax world.

    Jan. 1: While there's some good news with vaccines going out to fight the coronavirus pandemic, we'll still be dealing with it for a while. The Internal Revenue Service is delivering the second round of relief payments and the commissioner promises that the agency will start the 2021 filing season as usual later this month. I hope that's correct, but we shall see.

    Jan. 4: If your job made it through the tough last year, good for you and your company and welcome to the New Year's first work week. It's the perfect time to refine your payroll withholding. This is particularly applicable true for federal employees, including members of the military and even IRS personnel, whose withholding was suspended that last few months of 2020. That money must be paid to Uncle Sam, but a new late-year law says the repayment isn't due until the end of 2021. Adjustment withholding now will give you 52 weeks to spread it across, making the per-paycheck bite less painful.

    Jan. 7: The IRS' online withholding assistant or your tax pro can help you with your withholding amount and other tax numbers, but it's also a good idea going into a New Year to have an idea of your tax bracket and income tax rate. The rates tend to hold steady (until Congress starts fiddling!), but the brackets are adjusted annually for inflation. You can check out the 2021 income brackets (and 2020's for comparison) in the first post in the ol' blog's annual inflation series. At the end of that item, you'll find a directly to the other nine inflation items.

    Jan. 11: Continuing coronavirus precautions mean some restaurants are still closed for in-house dining. Other eateries are managing with take-out meals and deliveries. Whether you're able to enjoy table service in or getting food brought to your house, remember to tip your server or delivery person.

    restaurant check tip iStock
    If a tip isn't included in your food delivery charge, click the image above to calculate how much to tip the person who brought it to you.

    As for servers who are still on the job, remember that your tips are taxable income. If you at least $20 in job-related gratuities last December, you need to account for them today by using Form 4070 to report your tips today to your employer.

    Jan. 13: Did some of those tips come from a side hustle? That's just one of the tax matters to think about when you are part of the gig economy. In these freelance or contractor situations, you'll need to pay estimated taxes.

    Jan. 15: The final estimated tax payment for the prior year, 2020 in this case, is due today. The other three payments are for earnings in 2021 that aren't subject to withholding and are due on April 15, June 15 and Sept. 15. And be sure to account for your self-employment tax in figuring your estimated amounts.

    Jan. 18: Many people spend Martin Luther King Jr. Day each year as a day of service.

     MLK Day 2020 logo
    Click image to find out ways
    you can volunteer on MLK Day.

    Taking time on Dr. King's holiday to volunteer at a charity isn't tax deductible, but some costs associated with volunteering could help reduce your tax bill if you itemize. Most filers, however, claim the standard deduction and a new tax law gives them a tax break, too. On your 2020 return, you can claim up to $300 in donations directly on your Form 1040. In 2021, the $300 amount remains, but is doubled for couples who file jointly.

    Jan. 21: If the IRS meets its usual timetable, the annual tax-filing season will start soon. If you can get your tax material together, then there are several good reasons to file your return early.

    Jan. 25: Millions of filers find electronic tax options are great ways to get returns to the IRS as soon as possible. The tax agency agrees. In fact, for almost two decades, the IRS has partnered with the Free File Alliance to offer eligible taxpayers access to online tax software and e-filing through the aptly named Free File site at IRS.gov.

    IRS Free File; click image for details

    Last year, Free File was available to filers with adjusted gross income of $69,000 or less, regardless of filing status. That threshold has been bumped up to $72,000 for this filing season. If you're eligible, be ready to log-on when Free File officially opens, which usually around this time.

    Jan. 29: Of course, regardless of how you file your taxes, you can't do so until you all the necessary documents, such as W-2 and 1099 forms. Employers have until the end of the month (or Feb. 1 this year since Jan. 31 falls on Sunday) to get the to you, so be on the lookout for all the documents you need to file.

    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 Pub. 509.

State Tax Help

  • Don't forget your state taxes!
    Forty-three states and D.C. collect personal income taxes. But even if you live in of the seven states without an income levy, you still face other state (and local) taxes.

    State Tax Departments provides links to your state's Web page. The companion page, Tax Tidbits, is the compilation of blurbs about each state's tax laws. And for more state tax news, check out all our state tax bloggings.

Tax Forms

  • Tax Forms
    Thanks to our increased use of tax preparers and computer software, many of us don't see our tax forms until we sign and file them. But knowing what's on these documents, either in paper or digital form, and why the IRS wants it is key to understanding our tax system. And knowledge definitely is power, especially when it comes to tax savings. Find this valuable information in the ol' blog's special Tax Forms Fiesta! page.

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Mapping Your Tax Route

  • Do you get lost doing your taxes? Check out the Taxpayer Advocate Service's Taxpayer Roadmap.

    Taxpayer Advocate Taxpayer Maps 2019

    This publication, designed along the lines of a subway map, shows the many routes and detours of a taxpayer's journey through our elaborate Internal Revenue Code and the Internal Revenue Service's enforcement of our tax collection system.

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  • You can read more
    of Kay's tax insights in ...


  • Kay Bell helps you build
    a solid tax foundation in
    "Personal Finance: An Encyclopedia
    of Modern Money Management"




    Kay Bell breaks down taxes and
    estate planning for millennials in
    "Future Millionaires' Guidebook"



    A collection of Kay Bell stories
    is included in
    "The Gambler's Guide to Taxes:
    How to Keep More
    of What You Win"




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I gotta tell ya ...

  • AKA Disclaimer:
    I am a professional journalist who has been covering tax issues since 1999.
    I am not a professional tax preparer.
    The content on Don't Mess With Taxes is my personal opinion based on my study and understanding of tax laws, policies and regulations. It is provided for your private, noncommercial, educational and informational purposes only. It is not a recommendation of any specific tax action(s) you should or should not take. Similarly, mentions of products or services are not endorsements. In other words, my ramblings on the ol' blog are free advice and you know what they say about getting what you pay for. That's why when it comes to filing your taxes, I urge you to get additional, professional, paid-for guidance from an accountant, Enrolled Agent or other qualified tax preparer who is familiar with your individual tax circumstances.

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