April 2024 Tax Tips

April is here, and Tax Day 2024 finally is once again on April 15.

April is here, bringing us showers, spring-like weather, and the annual Tax Day.

This year, the due date for our tax returns finally is, for most of us, April 15.

It was postponed in 2023 and 2022 because of calendar/holiday convergences. Before that, the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc with myriad tax due dates.

Now, things have cleared up, except in New England. Maine and Massachusetts officially celebrate Patriots' Day, which commemorates the Revolutionary War battles of Lexington and Concord. That state holiday on the third Monday in April falls this year on April 15.

Normally, Pine Tree and Bay State taxpayers would file their federal (and state) returns the next business day. But April 16 is the Emancipation Day holiday in our national capital, commemorating the abolition of slavery in the District of Columbia on April 16, 1862.

When Emancipation Day falls on a day that federal taxes are due, it bumps Tax Day to the next business day. So this year, Maine and Massachusetts filers have until April 17 to file their 1040 forms with the Internal Revenue Service.

But other than that calendar quirk, things are pretty much back to normal this tax season.

And since the tax deadline clock (and the one in the ol' blog's right column) is ticking down to April 15, let's not waste any more time. Here are April's tips to help you meet whatever is your Tax Day, and hopefully pay Uncle Sam as little as possible.

April 1 is RMD deadline for some. No fooling. — Did you delay your very first required minimum distribution (RMD) last year? Well, time is up to make that withdrawal. The postponed April 1 RMD due date is today. That means you must take out the requisite 2023 amount from your tax-deferred retirement savings vehicles by April 1. No fooling. (April 1, 2024)
6 tax moves to make this April — Welcome April! We love you for bringing us longer days, gentle spring showers, baseball, and Tax Day. OK, maybe we don't love Tax Day, but we must deal with April 15. Here are six tax moves to make this month that could make doing so a bit easier. (April 2, 2024)
April 15 is not Tax Day for everyone — Tax Day is fast approaching, but it's not April 15 everywhere. Taxpayers abroad, including military personnel posted outside the United States or Puerto Rico, get more time to file. So do people in major disaster areas, including two more declarations added this month. And a couple of holidays push Tax Day back a bit in two New England states. (April 4, 2024)
Don't make these 10 common tax mistakes — To err is human. To err when doing your taxes also is all too common, especially when you're rushing to meet the Tax Day filing (and paying) deadline. Here are 10 tax errors to watch out for and avoid. (April 6, 2024)
IRS' 2024 Dirty Dozen tax scams list, Part 1 — Perennial tax schemes, some tweaked ones, and a few new scams, make the 2024 version of the IRS Dirty Dozen. And these featured in this post are just the first six of the 12 despicable cons the IRS calls out in 2024. The final 7 through 12 on the annual infamy list will be posted later this week. (April 8, 2024)
10 often overlooked tax breaks — Are you still searching for tax write-offs as Tax Day April 15 nears? Here are 10 tax deductions and credits, including some that don't require itemizing, that too many taxpayers overlook every filing season. That oversight costs them valuable tax savings. Don't be one of them. Check out these often ignored tax breaks and claim all for you qualify. (April 9, 2024)
Don't wave these audit red flags — The chances of getting audited remain relatively low. That's why you don't want to invite Internal Revenue Service interest in your tax filing by taking tax actions, like waving these 10 tax return red flags, that are sure to catch an IRS examiner's eye. (April 10, 2024)
70 IRS TACs in 37 states are open Saturday, April 13 — If you need to talk face-to-face with an Internal Revenue Service representative about a non-filing tax matter, the IRS is ready for you on Saturday, April 13. Seventy Taxpayer Assistance Center (TACs) will be open nationwide and in Puerto Rico that day, with walk-ins welcome, no appointment needed. But note that these special Saturday openings just before April 15 Tax Day don't mean you can get help finishing and filing your 2023 tax return. TACs don't provide this service. (April 11, 2024)
April 15 is Estimated Tax Day, too — Tax Day 2024 is almost here, and it will be double tax duty for a lot of taxpayers. In addition to Monday, April 15, being the deadline to file 2023 returns and pay any due tax, many people also will make their first estimated tax payment for 2024. Here's more on this added tax paying process. (April 11, 2024)
IRS' 2024 Dirty Dozen tax scams list, Part 2 — Ghost tax preparers, global tax schemes, and wealthy filers wrap up the 2024 IRS Dirty Dozen list. Many of these final 7 through 12 schemes are repeat offenders because unfortunately they're still ensnaring victims. Don't become one this year (or ever!). (April 12, 2024)
Tax filing tips for the last weekend before Tax Day — This last weekend before Tax Day 2024 doesn't have to be a lost filing weekend. Here are some tax tips to help, regardless of whether you're just starting your Form 1040, are putting on the polishing touches, or getting the IRS' official OK for more time to file your 2023 tax return. (April 13, 2024)
Form 4868 gets you a six-month extension — Reality has hit. You just can't finish your tax return by Tax Day, April 15. Don't panic. Do file Form 4868, which will get you six more months to finish your 1040. Note, however, that you don't get an extension to pay any tax you owe. (April 14, 2024)
Most states also offer free online tax filing and paying options — If you have to file a federal tax return, you probably have to file a state one, too. Most states follow the IRS lead, both in setting their Tax Day on April 15 and in asking (or requiring) their residents to submit returns electronically. Most states also offer online tax filing and payment options, usually for free. (April 15, 2024)
4 moves to make now if you missed Tax Day — You missed Tax Day. It happens. Don't panic. But don't dawdle. Here are 4 tax moves to make as soon as possible. They will limit any penalty and interest charges that started accruing today, April 16. (April 16, 2024)
6 ways to use your tax refund — Still trying to decide what to do with your federal tax refund that you got or are awaiting? Here are six suggestions. (April 17, 2024)
Tax record keeping tips — Now that you've finished filing your tax return, it's time to deal with all the material that helped you fill out your 1040. Here's the documentation you need to keep and for how long. (April 18, 2024)
Why is my tax refund less than I expected? Debt offsets — Getting a tax refund usually is welcomed by most taxpayers, except when the amount is less than they expected. Why did the Internal Revenue Service short you? If you owed another federal or state debt, then the Treasury’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service, rather than the IRS, that took your tax money as a refund offset. (April 24, 2024)
Time to get your withholding just right — With your 2023 tax filing fresh in your mind, especially the amount you owed or got as a refund, now is a good time to adjust your withholding. With more than half a year left, any changes to your remaining 2024 paychecks — either more or less take-home pay — won't be so noticeable. The Internal Revenue Service’s online Tax Withholding Estimator can help you make sure you get the amount taken from your pay just right. (April 24, 2024)
Ways to pay a surprisingly large tax bill — You finished your tax return, but discovered you owe Uncle Sam much more than you expected. Worse, you don't have the cash to cover your total tax bill. What now? Here are some ways to deal with a tax balance that's just too darn big to pay in one fell swoop. (April 26, 2024)
IRS unveils draft form for future digital asset transaction reporting — The IRS continues its efforts to get info and collect tax on digital transactions. The latest step is a new third-party reporting document, Form 1099-DA, which was unveiled just after this year’s Tax Day. (April 30, 2024)

*****

Yes, you can click on May through December links below, too, but you'll just be greeted (again) by that nay-saying guy's GIF, instead of helpful Internal Revenue Service and tax code tips.

But the year's earlier months' listing of tax tips are live. You can check out those pieces of tax advice if you're still working on your 2023 tax return.

Don't worry. The new months and tax tips will be here before you know it, and especially for those of us who decide to put off filing our 1040s a bit longer by getting an extension.

January	July
February	August
March	September
April	October
May	November
June	December

Today's Tax Tip

Added summer income means more tax considerations — If you’re taking on added jobs this summer instead of taking a vacation, be aware of the tax implications. Students at their first paying job are encountering the Internal Revenue Service for the first time. And workers well past their school days but who are earning extra via summer gigs could face new self-employment tax challenges. (June 15, 2025)
The 2025 Tax Tips offer ways to file your annual return, along with post-filing advice, important tax news and, of course, ways to cut your current tax year bill. You'll find the monthly assemblages on their own respective pages: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December. Remember, tax tasks and tips don't stop after you file your annual return!

All About Kay

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Kay Bell — Native Texan
(the blog title totally makes sense now, right?). Professional journalist. Tax geek.
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Tax Year 2025 Continues!

We made it. Tax Day 2025 is finally over. For most of us. When the filing season started on Jan. 27, the IRS said it expected more than 140 million individual tax returns for tax year 2024 to be filed by April 15. When the month started, the agency was around 39 million short of that number. While many taxpayers no doubt got their 1040s in by Tax Day, million every year get an extension to file. That's fine.

In fact, the Internal Revenue Service appreciates some of us spreading out our tax submissions. It gives the agency time to process the surge of returns that arrive en masse on April 15.

But enough about Uncle Sam's tax collection issues. The focus now is on all y'all who filed for extensions, giving you another six months to complete your return. Let's get started on meeting that new Oct. 15 deadline. It will be here before you know it.

The monthly tips and reminders a little further down this column can help you finish up your extended Form 1040. There also will be tax tidbits each month that make sure you meet other tax deadlines. And, of course, you'll find advice on ways to cut your 2025 tax bill.

The monthly tips and reminders a little further down this column can help you finish up your extended Form 1040. There also will be tax tidbits each month that make sure you meet other tax deadlines. And, of course, you'll find advice on ways to cut your 2025 tax bill.
Note: I'm in the Central Time Zone, so adjust accordingly for where you live.

Time for Tax Tasks

☀️ Hello 🌞 June! ☀️
Your radiant face, bringing us the start of summer, is long overdue. We need your consistent warmth and a sunny attitude to fully recover from tax season, even one that didn’t throw us too many curveballs.

via GIPHY

And let’s be honest. We’re not really in the mood for summer tax tasks. But there are some that do need attention, especially if you got an extension to file back in April. Taking care of these tax matters now can make the coming 2026 filing season go smoothly. Even better, some tax moves can mean you’ll owe Uncle Sam less. So grab your sun visor, and let’s get to them!
June 1: Summer conjures dreams of lazy beach days. But for full-time coastal residents, June also brings the start of the annual Atlantic (and Gulf of Mexico) hurricane season, which runs through Nov. 30. Federal forecasters once again are forecasting a more active than usual hurricane season. And while the tropical storm season heats up in August and September, now is the time to get ready.

Uncle Sam's official forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center say we could get 13 to 19 total named storms, which are those with winds of 39 mph or higher. Of those, six to 10 are forecast to become hurricanes, meaning winds of 74 mph or higher. Three to five of the storms this season could become major hurricanes; that’s category 3, 4 or 5, with winds of 111 mph or higher.

Regardless of the count, it only takes one to wreak havoc. The countdown clock above can help you keep track of how many more days you have to worry about tracking any size or type of tropical storms. You also might want to check out the ol' blog's Storm Warnings collection of special pages with posts offer tax advice on preparing for, recovering from and helping those who sustain damages from the many ways that that weather goes wild.

June 6: With school out, working parents need to make child care arrangements. Consider day camps. I know, many filled up earlier this year, but check out the options in your area. Not only do day camps offer some supervision of your kiddos while you're at the office, the activities' costs also count toward claiming the child and dependent care credit.

June 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.

If you got at least $20 in gratuities in May 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.

June 14: Happy Flag Day! It's not a day-off-work federal holiday, but Flag Day has been an official day to celebrate the Star-Spangled Banner since 1949. If you need to buy a U.S. flag to fly today, you also might get a tax break. Several states exempt the national symbol from sales tax. Check with your state's tax department to see if you can save on your patriotic display.

June 15: Happy Father's Day!

Dad might not say so, but he appreciates being recognized, so take time today to let him know you care. And if your father is getting on up in years, take the time when you visit to make sure he doesn't need some added help from you. If you provide papa a little, or even a lot of assistance, there's a chance you could get some help from a couple of tax credits.

June 16: It's Tax Day again, this time for taxpayers living and working abroad. That includes military personnel posted outside the United States or Puerto Rico. This automatic filing delay until mid-June officially is on 6/15, but is a day later this year because the 15th was on Sunday.

Today, June 16, also is the one-day-later deadline for the second estimated tax payment for the 2025 tax year.

June 19: It's Juneteenth. This date marks when Texans finally received word that all slaves were free. And although it is our newest federal holiday, and is celebrated on June 19, not on a nearby Monday, it is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.

June 20: At 10:42 p.m. Eastern Time it’s official. Summer is here, arriving on this longest day of the year.

It’s also a dangerous season for many who don’t have air conditioning. Many charitable groups help people cope with the heat. If you itemize, your gift to such IRS-qualified nonprofits this summer — or any day in any season in 2025 — could be tax deductible on the tax return you file next year.

June 30: If you got an extension to file back in April, you don’t have to wait until the final Oct. 15 deadline to do so. You can get this tax task out of the way so you don’t have to think about it for the rest of the summer. You also might be able to file electroncally at no cost if your adjusted gross income (AGI), regardless of your filing status, is $84,000 or less by using the official IRS.gov Free File website.

Eight software companies are part of this year’s IRS-Free File Alliance partnership option at IRS.gov. They will be available through the Oct. 15 extension deadline, but again, you don’t have to wait. And if your income is too high, you still can file for free by using Free File's Fillable Forms option.

Small Business Tax Calendar: If you run your own company, you know there are myriad important filing, deposit and record keeping dates throughout the year that your company needs to meet. You also can track key business and individual tax deadlines in IRS Pub. 509.

State Tax Help

Don't forget your state taxes!
Forty-two states and D.C. collect personal income taxes. But even if you live in of the eight states without any 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

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 2025 page.

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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 interpretation and 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. While I work to ensure each post's accuracy, the items are not recommendations of any specific tax action(s) you should or should not take. Similarly, mentions of commercial tax products or services are not endorsements.

In other words, my ramblings on the ol' tax blog are free advice, and you know what they say about getting what you pay for. That's why when it is time for you to file your own taxes, I urge you to get additional, professional, paid-for guidance from an accountant, Enrolled Agent, or other reputable, qualified tax preparer who is familiar with your individual tax circumstances.

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COVID-19 & Taxes

Coronavirus has wreaked havoc
on the 2020 and 2021 tax seasons.
These five Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Taxes pages have details:
March-July 2020
August-December 2020
January-December 2021
January-December 2022
…and so it continues into 2023
…and, alas, into 2024
It is 2025 and, yes, it's still an issue
You can find medical coronavirus resource links in the next section.

COVID-19 Resources

Need help finding a coronavirus vaccine in the United States?
Call 1-800-232-0233
or TTY 1-888-720-7489.
More information and resources at:
CDC Vaccines
CDC Booster Shots
HHS Combat COVID
USA.Gov COVID Info

June 2025

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Photo by Hans Isaacson on Unsplash
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Tell it to the Hill

While it's easy to rail at the IRS, for the most part we can thank — or blame — Congress and the White House for our tax laws. So if you have an issue with tax legislation or want a tax bill passed, you need to let your federal legislators and the White House occupant know of your concerns. You can find out who in Washington, D.C., to contact (and how), as well as get information on your local lawmakers for matters, tax or otherwise, closer to home, at USA Gov.

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