• Home
  • Table of Contents
  • Tax Tips
  • Credits
  • Deductions
  • Refunds
  • State Taxes
  • Politics/Laws
  • Tax Terms
  • Archives

Don't Mess With Taxes

Translating taxes into money-saving English

Home Table of Contents Tax Tips Credits Deductions Refunds State Taxes Politics/Laws Tax Terms Archives

By the Numbers 2019

The 2019 tax year started awkwardly. The Internal Revenue Service is getting ready to open a filing season that involves the first major tax law changes in more than three decades but it's stymied by a partial government shutdown.

Numbers via 123BFWhile we're waiting for the folks in Washington, D.C., to get their acts together, life and taxes go on. We still have to deal with the annual onslaught of forms and documents and, of course, numbers.

Then when that's done and we're assessed the damage, we have to make tax moves for 2019 so that our result will be less taxing this time next years.

All this means that we're going to be awash in lots and lots of tax-related numbers.

At least from my standpoint, all these figures provide plenty of fodder for the 2019 version of By the Numbers.

This is the ninth year for this numerical tradition here at the ol' blog.

And in keeping with the numeric posts of 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 2017 and 2018, I'll select a new figure each week.

The figures will range from tax rate percentages to dollar amounts to titles of tax legislation to raw numbers and much, much more. Basically, I'll choose any and every thing that can be counted in even a remote tax way as the weekly feature.

Again as in past years, I'll try to get the relevant figures up each weekend, usually on Sunday. But sometimes stuff happens, meaning the number goes up early or, more often than not, late.

Regardless of the timing, you can always find a link to the new number on the ol' blog's home page under the multicolored numbers box (pictured on this page, too!), as well as on this special page. The newest post each week will go at the top of the list.

So welcome 2019. Let's make you count!

  • 1.4 percent
    Trump's tarif
    fs caused job losses and price increases, says Federal Reserve report (Dec. 29, 2019)
  • 2020
    Tax law changes, from extenders to disaster relief to retirement and more, now official (Dec. 22, 2019)
  • 30 percent
    Greece to require digital transactions to fight tax evasion (Dec. 15, 2019)
  • 100
    IRS criminal investigators tout 2019 successes, look to year 101's tax crime challenges (Dec. 8, 2019)
  • 4
    States continue court fights over SALT deduction limit (Dec. 1, 2019)
  • 36
    Drought-stricken farmers, ranchers get more time to report tax on livestock forced-sale gains (Nov. 24, 2019)
  • $3,900
    Cryptocurrency tax compliance effort a success for asset owners and IRS (Nov. 17, 2019)
  • 10
    10-part series on the 2020 inflation adjustments to popular tax provisions (one post a day from Nov. 6, 2019, through Nov. 15, 2019; link goes to Part 1, which has an index to the other 9 posts)
  • 23 trillion
    National debt passes $23 trillion for first time ever (Nov. 2, 2019) 
  • 7.25 percent
    Chicago mayor seeks increase in city's cloud tax (Oct. 27, 2019)
  • $115,000
    Philadelphia collects $115,000 in soda tax fines (Oct. 20, 2019)
  • $?
    The last fee-free PTIN season starts Oct. 16 (Oct. 13, 2019)
  • 20
    Taxpayers in 19 states & D.C. now can get special IRS IP PIN to fight tax identity theft (Oct. 6, 2019)
  • $1 million
    KC Chiefs take $1M sales tax fight to MO Supreme Court (Sept. 29, 2019)
  • 281
    281 people arrested in connection with global email scams (Sept. 22, 2019)
  • $15 trillion
    Tax version of 'Phantom Menace' comes to $15 trillion in global tax haven money moves (Sept. 15, 2019)
  • 100
    IRS celebrating 100 years of capturing tax criminals (Sept. 8, 2019)
  • $460
    New tariffs today mean higher prices for U.S. consumers (Sept. 1, 2019)
  • $74 million
    Projecting marijuana tax revenue is an iffy exercise (Aug. 25, 2019)
  • $230,000
    Treasury and IRS tax auctions offer bargains (Aug. 17, 2019)
  • 18 U.S. Code Section 1030
    Former college student pleads guilty to trying to hack Trump's taxes (Aug. 11, 2019)
  • 229
    U.S. Coast Guard, created to collect some taxes for a young America, turns 229 (Aug. 4, 2019)
  • 1
    Tax scores upset win, this time in horse race, not Congress (July 28, 2019)
  • 34
    Remembering former IRS Commissioner Mortimer Caplin (July 21, 2019)
  • 1040
    IRS proposes Form 1040 changes for 2019 filings (July 14, 2019)
  • 900,259.362
    Tax audits drop, according to latest IRS data (July 7, 2019)
  • 85 percent and 95 percent
    Tax cheating is wrong, say most U.S. taxpayers (June 30, 2019)
  • $2,215,587 and $735,933
    Former government tax attorney pleads guilty to tax evasion (June 23, 2019)
  • $4.8 million and $1.4 million
    Tax Court judges reject companies' payment plan offers (June 15, 2019)
  • 47.6 percent
    Big Jeopardy winner owes more than $1 million in taxes (June 9, 2019)
  • W-4
    IRS reworks W-4 to help taxpayers withhold correct amounts (June 2, 2019)
  • $102 million
    Trump's golf outing costs reach $102 million and counting (May 26, 2019)
  • 570,000
    Mismatched tax ID numbers worry workers, employers and Social Security (May 19, 2019)
  • 80 percent
    Tax break gifts for moms on Mother's (and every) Day (May 12, 2019)
  • 51 percent
    Most small business owners happy with new tax law (May 5, 2019) 
  • Rev. Proc. 2019-18
    Pro athlete trades get tax relief from IRS (April 28, 2019) 
  • $2.7 billion
    IRS technology upgrade will require up to $2.7 billion (April 21, 2019)
  • 50 million
    5 tax tips for snail mail filers (April 14, 2019)
  • $50,851
    IRS audit interest piqued by DIFferent deduction amounts (April 7, 2019)
  • $2,915
    Tax refund wait prompts alleged assault (March 31, 2019)
  • 12
    2019's Dirty Dozen tax scams repeat last year's list (March 24, 2019)
  • $1,408,482,000
    More than $1.4 billion in tax refunds awaiting claims by taxpayers who didn't file in 2016 (March 18, 2019)
  • $3.50 and $16
    Taxes on your St. Patrick's Day green beer (March 17, 2019)
  • July 31
    Alabama tornado victims' tax deadline now July 31 (March 10, 2019)
  • $3,143 and $3,226
    2019's average tax refunds finally surpass 2018 amounts (March 1, 2019)
  • $2,640
    Smaller tax refunds could slow U.S. economy (Feb. 24, 2019)
  • 26
    Expired tax extenders not yet on track for renewal (Feb. 17, 2019)
  • $30,000
    Grammys swag bag worth a taxable $30,000 (Feb. 10, 2019)
  • 33
    Super Bowl prop bets could pay off nicely for gamblers and the IRS (Feb. 3, 2019)
  • 14,000
    IRS workers calling in sick by thousands during shutdown (Jan. 25, 2019)
  • $1,000
    IRS offers tax penalty relief to some who didn't have enough withheld or paid too little estimated taxes (Jan. 20, 2019)
  • 22* 35
    22 days and counting into the longest federal government shutdown ever (Jan. 12, 2019) *Day count will be updated, well, daily until the shutdown ends.
  • 6
    6 top tax issues of 2018 and what to expect in 2019
    (Jan. 6, 2019)
Advertisement

 

Today's Tax Tip

  • Tax-smart financial gifts for grads (and the givers) — Got some new high school or college graduates in your life? Here are six financial gifts, most with some tax benefits, that they (and you) will enjoy. (May 31, 2023)

  • Tax Tip; click pencil for all tax tip links

  • The 2023 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.
  • LinkTree

My Other Accounts

Advertisements

  • *************

Tick ... Tick ... Tick

  • Tax Season 2023 Continues!

    Tax Day 2023 is finally over … unless you're one of the millions who have more time to file — looking at you taxpayers abroad and those in major disaster areas — or you got an extension to file your 2022 tax year return. That's fine. In fact, the Internal Revenue Service appreciates some of us spreading out our filings, especially when it means we are taking the time to submit a complete and correct return.

    This tax focus shift means the ol' blog will continue to provide filing tips through the Oct. 16 extension deadline. Yep, it's a day later this year, since 10/15 is on Sunday. But I haven't forgotten my organized taxpayer readers, who are looking for ways to reduce their 2023 tax year bills. Yep, that amount already is adding up, but there are moves you can make. The monthly tips and reminders a little further down this column can help everyone, regardless of which tax year now is in your sights.

    Those on extension should also keep a keen eye on the countdown clock below. It will help you track the days tick, tick, ticking off toward that absolutely final fall filing due date. They'll speed by quickly when you're having tax fun, and aren't we always having tax fun?!?
    Note: I'm in the Central Time Zone, so adjust accordingly for where you live.


Time for Tax Tasks


  • monthly tax moves


  • 💐 May 💐 is 💐 here!!! 💐

    Those exclamation marks and emoji bouquets are sincere and deserved. I don't know about you, but I'm more than ready for May flowers.
    Plus, you've got to love a month that starts with a celebration.

    May Pole Dance via GIPHY


    After the May Day dances are done, the commemorative days just keep coming. There are well-known ones, like Cinco de Mayo, Mother's Day, and Memorial Day, as well as some more obscure ones, like Pick Strawberries Day, Be Millionaire Day (if only!), and my favorite, Eat What You Want Day.

    But even with all these (and more!) celebrations, there's still time to make some money-saving May tax moves. Let's get to it!

    May 1: While May Day isn't a big holiday in the United States, globally the first day of May is a time for celebrating workers' contributions. But that can apply here, too, in connection with some employment-related tax tasks. If you got a big refund or owed more tax than you expected when you filed (or got an extension) last month, today's the perfect time to do adjust your paycheck withholding.

    May 5: ¡Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

    Feliz Cinco de Mayo

    Fiestas are always en vogue in Tejas, but the epitome of them is this Mexican holiday. No, it is NOT Mexican Independence Day, and May 5 tends to spur more festivities here north of the border, especially when it comes to imbibing margaritas. With every Cinco toast, remember that the cost of state and federal alcohol taxes are included in the mixing. Your state tax collector also will raise a glass to your fiscal contribution, since sin taxes usually are a revenue bright spot for many states.

    May 10: Do you work as a server at a restaurant or at any other establishment where gratuities from customers are part of your compensation? I hope you got lots of financial thanks for doing your job well, especially from those Cinco celebrants. But don't forget that those tips are taxable income.

    restaurant check tip iStock
    Whether you're dining in or, still COVID leery and getting food 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.

    And you, as the server or delivery person, must account for those tips. If you got at least $20 in gratuities in April, you must report the amount by today by using Form 4070 to let your employer the total of the tips you took in last month.

    May 14: Happy Mother's Day!

    Happy Mother's Day

    If you're just this year making up for pandemic paused family visits (side note: May 18 is Visit Your Relatives Day), give your mom a longer hug on her special day. Love, flowers, and the best of health and happiness to every mother, from the new ones just discovering the joys, tax and otherwise, of new parenthood to those gracefully maneuvering their Golden Years while getting some tax-advantaged help from their families.

    May 22: Just because you got an extension to file your 2022 tax return doesn't mean you have to wait until the Oct. 16 deadline to finish it. And you might be able to complete all those forms at no cost. Free File, the online preparation and electronic filing web page for eligible taxpayers created by the IRS' partnership with the Free File Alliance is still operational for, as its name says, free.

    This year, the income threshold is adjusted gross income (AGI) of $73,000 or less, regardless of your filing status. You should be able to find a software that works for you from the seven tax prep companies that are participating.

    IRS Free File; click image for details


    May 26: If you're heading out early today to further extend the already long Memorial Day weekend, be sure to plan for added costs, like the price of getting to your holiday destination. Most travelers this weekend that marks the unofficial start of summer will hit the highways, so even though gasoline prices are at the exorbitant levels they were this time last year, pump prices still will take a bite of travel budgets. Maybe that will get you to look more closely at getting an electric vehicle (EV) before your next road trip. Check out the tax rules to see if your new EV comes with a $7,500 tax credit

    May 29: This Memorial Day as you honor the military personnel who made the ultimate sacrifice, don't forget about their families. There are some tax considerations offered survivors of lost soldiers, sailors, and air crew.

    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 2023 page.

What are you looking for?

  • Looking for something in particular? Start with the Table of Contents.
    Or check out the Archives, where you can review posts by month and category. Or enter specific keywords in the box below to search
    Don't Mess With Taxes.

Search

Subscribe:
E-mail, RSS or both!

  • Enter your Email


    Powered by FeedBlitz
  • RSS

Privacy Policy

  • Wondering what happens to your information once you subscribe? Don't worry. Don't Mess With Taxes respects your wish not to be a mere data source. Check the ol' blog's privacy policy at the Table of Contents page, as well as on the separate Privacy Policy page.

Sponsored Products

Affiliate Books

  • The Truth
    About Paying Fewer Taxes
  • Are you a tax geek? Got tax geek friends? Do you or they just want to make sure you don't overpay the IRS? Then my book, "The Truth About Paying Fewer Taxes," is for all y'all.

    Look for it on bookstore shelves
    or order a copy (or two!) from
    Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

  • TruthAboutPayingFewerTaxes
  • Find out more about my book and excerpted chapters at the FT Press
    Truth About Paying
    Fewer Taxes
    Web page
    .

  • 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"




  • Tax Reading Room

    You also might enjoy these other tax tips from some of my tax-writing colleagues:

  • JK Lasser 2023 Taxes
    JK Lasser 2023 taxes

  • Dealing With The IRS
    Dealing With the IRS

  • JK Lassers 1001 Deductions
    JK Lasser 1001 Deductions
  • ~~~~~~~
    Don't Mess With Taxes
    is an Amazon Affiliate.
    If you click on the product links above and/or buy the items,
    I will be compensated.

0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 ...

  • Numbers
    Taxes are all about the numbers.
    Check out these (mostly) weekly
    By the Numbers figures.

Kudos Et Cetera

  • Association for Women Clarion Award Winner
    National Association
    for Women in Communications

    Winner, Best Personal Blog
    2012, 2014 & 2017

  • Plutus Award Winner
    Plutus Financial Bloggers Awards
    Celebrating the Best
    in Personal Finance

    Winner, Best Tax Blog
    2011 and 2013
    Lifetime Achievement Nominee 2020


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.

©©©©© & ®®®®®

  • Don't Mess With Taxes®
    is a registered trademark
    of S. Kay Bell.

    All content on this site is
    © 2005-2023 S. Kay Bell
    dba Write Here, a division of
    SKB Editorial Services, LLC

  • And a bit of housekeeping.
  • Note 1: Some of the links on this site
    are affiliate links. That means that
    if you click through from
    a Don't Mess With Taxes link
    and then buy the product,
    I receive a commission.

    Note 2: Links to outside content
    might become inactive due to changes
    at the copy's originating website.
    If you discover dead links, please e-mail me the details. Thanks.

    Note 3: The banner art for the ol' blog
    is courtesy Pictures of Money
    via Flickr Creative Commons.
Blog powered by Typepad
Member since 11/2005

COVID-19 & Taxes

  • COVID-19
    Coronavirus has wreaked havoc
    on the 2020 and 2021 tax seasons.
    These three Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Taxes pages have details:
    March-July 2020,
    August-December 2020,
    January-December 2021, and
    January-December 2022
    You can find medical coronavirus resource links in the next section.

COVID-19 Resources

  • COVID-19
    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

May 2023

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
  1 2 3 4 5 6
7 8 9 10 11 12 13
14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27
28 29 30 31      

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 — our tax laws on Congress and the White House. 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.

..................................................



  • .................................................................
  • Don't Mess With Taxes •
  • Powered by Typepad
Top