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August 2023 Tax Tips

The dog days of August are here, but don't dog it when it comes to taxes.

Tax tip pencilAugust tends to be one of the hottest months of the year. Considering the heat wave records that already have been set, I'm a little concerned about what's to come in the next 30 days.

Technically, the Dog Days of Summer take up more of July than August. But the eighth month of the year usually is more popularly associated with the term. So, I'm sticking with that take, and relying on some canine terms to talk about August tax tasks.

Fetch the info you'll need. This, in the tax world, means getting a handle on tax documents that will help you file and get the most tax savings possible. A couple of those instances are discussed in my first post of the month, 5 tax moves to make in August. Yeah, that's in the tips list below, too, but worth a second mention.

Obey the rules: This is a given. You need to know, and heed, the tax laws. As with prior months' tax tips, you'll find reminders in August's tip collection.

Be open to new tricks: Finally, things change, especially in taxes. So be ready to react appropriately. Often, it's because of new tax laws. But other times, statutes that were tweaked revert back to their old versions, such as COVID-enhanced child tax and child care credits that aren't as beneficial as they were during the pandemic.

Again, August's tax tips will keep you up to date here, whether you're still working on your 2022 return (thanks to a requested extension in April or due to disaster-prompted later deadlines), or are making moves to cut your 2023 tax bill.

  1. 14 states are holding sales tax holidays in August — Yes, you saw this tax tip as July ended. But now, with school openings even closer, and August officially here, it's time to prepare for the bulk of the annual back-to-school sales tax holidays. There are 14 tax-saving shopping events this month. Check out the states, exact dates, and tax-exempt items before you head to the stores. (Aug. 1, 2023)
  2. Tax moves to make in August — Teze text. (July 00, 2023) Summer's winding down, and you want to make the most out of these last weeks of seasonal freedom. But also carve out a little time in your schedule to make some tax moves. Here are five tax tasks to consider this August. (Aug. 2, 2023)
  3. Tennessee grocery tax holiday runs through Oct. 31 — Tennessee shoppers got their back-to-school tax holiday in July. Now, from Aug. 1 through Oct. 31, they are enjoying the Volunteer State's new three-month-long Grocery Tax Holiday. (Aug. 4, 2023)
  4. Aug. 15 is Tax Day for FL, CA disaster area filers — Major natural disasters delayed Tax Day for residents and business owners on opposite sides of the United States. Individual and business taxpayers in one Florida and two California counties now have until Aug. 15 to file their 2022 tax year returns. The Broward County, Florida, and Modoc and Shasta County, California, taxpayers also have a decision to make about whether to claim any uninsured disaster losses on the returns they'll file this month, or wait until next tax season. (Aug. 8, 2023)
  5. Aug. 11 is the start of 2023's final 5 tax holidays — The year's final five back-to-school state sales tax holidays kick off this weekend. Texas leads the way. Federal border officials also are taking note of the Lone Star State's Aug. 11-13 event since it means increased international traffic, with Mexican shoppers entering the United States to take advantage of tax-free savings. Massachusetts' two-day tax-exempt sales event starts Aug. 12. Maryland's weeklong holiday begins Aug. 13. Sales tax holidays in Connecticut and New Jersey will wrap up the August tax-exempt sales events. (Aug. 11, 2023)
  6. Lottery win means more taxes — Congratulations to the new Mega Millions billionaire, and to the Internal Revenue Service. Uncle Sam gets an immediate 24 percent cut of the lottery jackpot if the winner opts, as most do, to take the winnings as a one-time cash payout. Plus, since the top federal income tax bracket's rate is 37 percent, the U.S. Treasury will get 13 percent more in taxes when the winner makes a Sept. 15 estimated tax payment or files a 2023 tax return next year. (Aug. 14, 2023)
  7. A crash course on 8 education tax breaks — Classrooms, from kindergarten to university lecture halls, already are or soon will be filled with students. As students and families look for ways to cover those costs, they should examine the tax code. It offers several educational tax breaks. Here are eight that could help cover some school costs. (Aug. 17, 2023)
  8. Hurricane Hilary threatens West Coast — The United States tends to be the target of tropical systems that form in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. But this week, California is in the path of Pacific-spawned Hurricane Hilary. And depending on Hilary's precise path, she could substantially impact Arizona, and even Nevada. Now is the time for West Coast residents and their inland neighbors to get ready for tropical storm season and all potential disasters. (Aug. 17, 2023)
  9. Hurricane Hilary is on her way. Here's how to prepare — Yes, you are seeing double (tip #8), but there's more Golden State specific information in this latest storm preparation post. But don't automatically click away if you live elsewhere. The post also has info that can help all of us, since natural disasters occur year-round and in almost every part of the United States. (Aug. 19, 2023)
  10. $300 tax break for teachers — Students and their parents aren't the only ones who spend when it comes to school supplies. Most teachers also use their own, unreimbursed dollars for items that will enhance their students' classroom experiences. For 2023 returns (and 2022 ones extended until Oct. 16), qualifying educators can deduct up to $300 of their eligible out-of-pocket expenses. (Aug. 22, 2023)
  11. When a swimming pool might be tax deductible — A backyard swimming pool can be a nice property upgrade. In most cases, it will bump up your property value and subsequent real estate taxes. But in certain situations, a pool might be a tax deductible medical expenses. (Aug. 25, 2023)
  12. Hurricane prep tips as Idalia heads to Florida — All weather watcher eyes are once again are on the eastern U.S. coasts, awaiting the season's annual late-summer surge. Currently, Tropical Storm Idalia is entering the Gulf of Mexico and heading toward Florida. By the time she arrives on Sunshine State shores midweek, Idalia is forecast to be a major hurricane. Get ready now with these physical and financial disaster preparation tips, as well as advice for those who are older or have special needs. Be ready, whatever and whenever disaster strikes. Stay safe! (Aug. 28 2023)
  13. Texas' new EV fee takes effect Sept. 1 — As more electric vehicles (EVs) hit U.S. roads, more states are charging the drivers as a way to recoup some of the gas tax money they lose to the alternative fuel vehicles. Texas is the latest to join the EV registration fee club. Starting Sept. 1, the Lone Star State will start collecting its new $200 a year EV fee. Buyers of new electric autos will have to pay $400 to cover two years. (Aug. 31, 2023)

*****

Puppies in a box dog days

*****

Yes, you can click on any of the monthly links below, but unless we're in that month, you'll just be greeted (again) by that nay-saying guy's GIF, instead of helpful Internal Revenue Service and tax code tips.  

You can, however, check out the current or previous months' pieces of tax advice while you wait for Father Time to do his thing.

Don't worry. The new months and tax tips will be here before you know it. Time really does fly when you're having tax fun.

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

 

 

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Today's Tax Tip

  • What the one big tax bill could mean for you — It’s official. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act is law, signed at a White House July 4th ceremony. Taxes are a major part of the nearly 1,000-page measure. Here’s a collection of articles on what the new tax (and more) law could mean for your tax planning and ultimate Internal Revenue Service bill. (July 5, 2025)


  • Tax Tip; click pencil for all tax tip links

  • 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

  • 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 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


  • monthly tax moves


  • Welcome July!
    🗽 USA 🎆 Birthday 🎉 Time! 🦅


    This first full month of summer really knows how to get the season started: Fireworks across the country on July 4!
    Or, if your neighborhood is annoyingly like mine, fireworks from July 1 through July whenever the pyrotechnics are all boomed!

    Even more exciting, tax-related sparklers continue through the month. In fact, as the calendar of tax tasks below notes, they started before the wicks on any official Independence Day firecrackers were lit.

    toddler with flag background
    Click on the image for some fireworks safety tips and warnings from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

    I know, you're feeling like the youngster above, not quite ready yet to hear about taxes. But when you do take your hands off your ears to hear — or rather, scroll down to read — you’ll find some tax information to note and tax moves to make in July.

  • July 1: The majority of state individual and corporate income tax policy changes follow the calendar year and take effect each Jan. 1. But, notes the Tax Foundation, many sales and excise tax changes take effect today, July 1, which is the beginning of the fiscal year for all states except Alabama, Michigan, New York, and Texas. That’s why that notable tax changes will take effect in several states today.

    July 4: Happy 249th Birthday, America!

    Most of us will never be totally independent of taxes, but we can celebrate fewer tax hassles by paying attention to what we might owe and how we can reduce that amount throughout the year. As for that owed amount, if you meet most of your annual tax federal obligation via paycheck withholding, now is a good time to review that amount. If you need to adjust your withholding, the amounts will be less noticeable by being spread across 2025’s remaining six months.

    July 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.

    restaurant check tip iStock
    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 June 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.

    July 11: Today kicks off the first of the annual summer state sales tax holidays. During these special shopping events, usually touted as back-to-school tax holidays, certain items are exempt from the states’ and usually the local sales taxes. Announced July sales tax holidays are (so far) in —
    Mississippi from July 11 to 13;
    Alabama from July 18 to 20;
    New Mexico from July 25 to 27, and
    Tennessee from July 25 to 27.

    July 18: If back in April you got an extension to file your 2025 tax return, 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 electronically 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.

    IRS Free File; click image for details

    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.

    July 24: Millions of us head to the beach to beat summer’s heat. But when the waters heat up, too, they can feed tropical systems. So far, the 2025 Atlantic (and Gulf of Mexico) hurricane season, which runs through Nov.  30, hasn’t been that bad. But federal forecasters say just wait. They once again are forecasting a more active than usual hurricane season. Before another tropical system forms, now is the time to get ready.

    Hurricane satellite image

    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.



    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.

    July 31: Summer is a great time to make home improvements. And there’s some added urgency this year if you’re relying on tax credits to help cover the cost of energy-efficient residential upgrades. Congress has targeted green energy tax breaks in its massive One Big Beautiful Bill. Many of the tax breaks will expire sooner than originally scheduled, so get your home improvements — and other environmentally friendly moves, like buying an electric vehicle — in under the tax law change wire.

    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


  • 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

  • COVID-19
    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

  • COVID-19
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    Call 1-800-232-0233
    or TTY 1-888-720-7489.
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Tell it to the Hill

  • DMWT Politics Posts
  • 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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