By the Numbers 2020

Welcome to the start of a new decade.

2020 is perfect for a feature on numbers. Not only is there its wonderful symmetry, but the obvious optical connotation is perfect for a look at tax-related numbers.

In fact, I even saw my way (see what I did there?) to getting a head start on the annual By the Numbers tabulating. The first numerical feature of this new year was posted on the first Friday of 2020 instead of the usual weekend day.

But that didn't stop another figure (actually figures) from getting recognized on schedule when the weekend rolled around.

Heck, at this rate, 2020 could be a momentous year for numbers from many and varied perspectives!

What remains the same, this 10th year of the ol' blog's numerical tradition is that the figures are more than just those we enter on our 1040s every year.

In keeping with the numeric posts of 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019, the selected digits each week[end] 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 a figure to be featured each week.

Also as in past years, I'll try to get the relevant figures up each weekend, usually on Sunday. But sometimes stuff happens, meaning the featured By the Number figure goes up a bit later.

Or if I run across some noteworthy numerals that deserve posting before the weekend, then By the Numbers will be posted before or in addition to the expected publication date, like this year.

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 the year's special By the Numbers page. The newest post each week will go at the top of the list.

So welcome 2020. Let's make you count!

17
Millions out of luck and money as federal unemployment assistance ends (Dec. 27, 2020)
Revised to 11 after U.S. Department of Labor decides that
Full 11 weeks of unemployment assistance will be paid even after COVID relief delay led to lapse (Dec. 29, 2020)
671 Lincoln Avenue
Real 'Home Alone' house provides nice annual tax present to property tax collector (Dec. 20, 2020)
12
It costs less in 2020 to be a True Love 12 Days of Christmas gift giver (Dec. 13, 2020)
$400,000
Tax reform is a global concern in wake of COVID-19's costs (Dec. 6, 2020)
Dec. 11
Congress must meet Dec. 11 funding deadline to avoid another government shutdown (Nov. 29, 2020); Note: legislative extensions ultimately pushed this deadline day to Dec. 28.
$435
A few tax penalties nudged up in 2021 by inflation (Nov. 22, 2020)
21
Watch out for continuing COVID-19 tax (and more) scams (Nov. 15, 2020)
60 days
IRS offers tax help to those facing COVID money troubles (Nov. 8, 2020)
12
12 year-end tax moves to make, or at least look into, in November 2020 (Nov. 1, 2020)
CP501, CP503 and CP504
IRS is resuming issuance of tax balance-due notices (Oct. 25, 2020)
1,659
Sales tax jurisdictions across the United States (Oct. 18, 2020)
9.3 percent
Joe Biden's tax proposals: a state-by-state breakout (Oct. 11, 2020)
$1.625 million
Colorado University nets $1.6 million in sports betting deal (Oct. 4, 2020)
4,966 & 10456
COVID EIPs await non-filers nationwide, especially in some NY ZIP Codes (Sept. 27, 2020)
5.5 percent
State revenue loss due to COVID-19 not as bad as feared (Sept. 20, 2020)
6
6 more tax forms added to IRS digital signature list (Sept. 13, 2020)
29.2 million
6 unemployment tax Q&A for COVID-tinged Labor Day 2020 (Sept. 6, 2020)
3,387
Irish tax cheat reports skyrocket (Aug. 30, 2020)
$18
COVID-created tax refund interest payments going to nearly 14 million filers (Aug. 23, 2020)
March 1 and July 15
IRS knows some recently issued nonpayment notices are wrong. Now what? (Aug. 16, 2020)
4
Trump COVID executive actions sidestep stalled Congressional relief talks (Aug. 9, 2020)
70 percent
Considering more COVID-19 payments on Parents' Day (July 26, 2020)
555
IRS' 555 telephone exchange is real (July 19, 2020)
1040-ES
How to make the 2 estimated tax payments also due July 15 (July 12, 2020)
37 percent
Options to deal with tax bills that many worry they can't pay (July 5, 2020)
6
Most people use COVID stimulus money to cover expenses (June 28, 2020)
2 million
Father's Day child tax credit tip, along with other tax breaks for all parents (June 21, 2020)
June 15 and 29
IRS employees returning to offices in 9 more locations (June 14, 2020)
Form RD-109NR
COVID-changed work patterns mean tax hassles, possible KC workers' refunds (June 7, 2020)
10 million
IRS workers returning June 1 to offices and 10 million pieces of unopened snail mail (May 31, 2020)
152 million and $258 billion
IRS has distributed 152 million COVID-19 relief payments worth $258 billion (May 24, 2020)
4
Hurricane season 2020 early start means it's time to prepare (May 17, 2020)
Noon on May 13
May 13 at noon is deadline to give IRS info for direct deposit of COVID-19 money (May 9, 2020)
May 5
SSI, VA recipients must update family status by May 5 to get full COVID-19 payment (May 2, 2020)
88.1 million and $158 billion
88.1 million have received COVID-19 payments, says IRS (April 24, 2020)
22 million
Some states struggling to pay coronavirus-created unemployment claims (April 19, 2020)
April 11
IRS makes first COVID-19 payments, with online option to alter delivery coming soon (April 12, 2020)
$3,058
Tax filings are still sluggish, but refunds are larger (April 5, 2020)
$1,200, $2,400 and $500
Compare COVID payments using 2019 or 2018 tax return (March 28, 2020)
July 15, 2020
July 15 tax filing and payment deadline Q&A (March 21, 2020)
3.14
A tasty Pi Day tax tip on rounding tax form entries (March 14, 2020)
$12,200, $18,350 and $24,400
Time and tax deduction method changes (March 08, 2020)
19,513
Special clinics help low-income taxpayers resolve IRS issues (March 1, 2020)
20%
20% of Canadians say tax cheating worth the risk (Feb. 23, 2020)
2015
Tax return filing & refunds are off to a slow 2020 start (Feb. 16, 2020)
5
Oscars contender 'Joker' benefited from NJ film tax breaks (Feb. 9, 2020)
02022020
Hurray for Palindrome Day 02022020 (Feb. 2, 2020)
10
IRS watchdog report indicates continued tax refund delays (Jan. 26, 2020)
55 percent
Esports join NFL, other traditional games as jock tax target (Jan. 19, 2020)
Jan. 15
Final annual estimated tax payment due Jan. 15 (Jan. 12, 2020)
31 and 1
Babies' birthdays determine tax year tax breaks (Jan. 5, 2020)
$18,428,370
Mortgage relief scammers hit with $18.5 million judgment (Jan. 3, 2020)

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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)
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

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

All About Kay

OK, some about Kay

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

My Other Accounts

Tick ... Tick ... Tick

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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

Kudos Et Cetera

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for Women in Communications
Winner, Best Personal Blog
2012, 2014 & 2017
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.

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