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Don't Mess With Taxes

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By the Numbers 2011

Starting with the 2011 tax-filing season, I began posting on the ol' blog each Sunday a new figure -- a percentage, dollar amount, raw number and the like -- that has a tax connection.

If you missed one of the numbers, no worries. Links to each item posted in 2011 are listed below. If you're looking for newer tax figures, check out By the Numbers 2012 and 2013.

  • 2%
    Miscellaneous itemized deduction threshold (Jan. 16, 2011)
  • $3,003
    Average refund amount in 2010 (Jan. 23, 2011)
  • 98,740,000
    E-filers in 2010 (Jan. 30, 2011)
  • $27,197,000,000
    Gambling income in 2008 (Feb. 6, 2011)
  • 56,372,881
    Married filers in 2008 (Feb. 13, 2011)
  • $13,283,907,000
    IRS budget request for FY2012 (Feb. 20, 2011)
  • $75,000
    Oscars 2010 swag bag value (Feb. 27, 2011)
  • 23,027,000
    Noncash charitable donations in 2008 (March 6, 2011)
  • 12
    States with off-synch filing deadlines (March 13, 2011)
  • 5
    Child dependency tests (March 20, 2011)
  • $15,652,149,000
    First-time homebuyer credit claims (March 27, 2011)
  • 10,155,306
    Medical deductions (April 3, 2011)
  • 2,948,057
    Free File users in 2010 (April 10, 2011)
  • 7%
    Tax procrastinators (April 17, 2011)
  • 176
    Days until October extension deadline (April 24, 2011)
  • $36,500,000,000
    Big Oil profits (May 1, 2011)
  • 17,846,375
    Child tax credit refunds (May 8, 2011)
  • $250,000
    "Rich" earnings threshold (May 15, 2011)
  • $18
    Beer excise tax (May 22, 2011)
  • 529
    College savings plans (May 29, 2011)
  • 0.1%
    Gift tax filings in 2010 (June 5, 2011)
  • 1,000,000,000
    Total e-filed returns since inception (June 12, 2011)
  • 1,762,000
    Happy Father's Day to single dads (June 19, 2011)
  • $50
    NY Amish face fines for not e-filing (June 26, 2011)
  • $40,000,000
    NFL lockout's potential tax cost to states (July 3, 2011)
  • $6,579
    Property taxes across the country (July 10, 2011)
  • 3,592
    Tallying tax crimes (July 17, 2011)
  • 77479
    Comparing your taxes to your neighbors' (July 24, 2011)
  • $24,000,000,000
    Congress joins online state sales tax fight (July 31, 2011)
  • 505,000
    Amazon's e-tax repeal petition signature goal (Aug. 7, 2011)
  • 23
    Polls say hike taxes as well as cut spending (Aug. 14, 2011)
  • 10
    10 years of 'temporary' tax cuts (Aug. 21, 2011)
  • 4684
    Form 4684, a disaster victim's best friend (Aug. 28, 2011)
  • $60 billion
    Cost of Iraq, Afghanistan wars (Sept. 4, 2011)
  • 15,014,000
    Filers in 2008 reporting taxable Social Security benefits (Sept. 11, 2011)
  • 3.8%
    Projected inflation rate that will affect many 2012 tax provisions (Sept. 18, 2011)
  • 155
    California bill A.B. 155 postpones online sales tax collection (Sept. 25, 2011)
  • $17,000,000
    Rhode Island now collecting more sales taxes, but not on marijuana dispensaries (Oct. 2, 2011)
  • $5,000,000
    Al Davis' Oakland Raiders and federal estate tax issues (Oct. 9, 2011)
  • 61,427
    First-time homebuyer credit still causing compliance problems (Oct. 16, 2011)
  • $4,000,000,000
    IRS says budget cuts could increase federal deficit by $4 billion (Oct. 23, 2011)
  • 2013
    IRS postpones backup withholding on credit card payment reporting until 2013 (Oct. 30, 2011)
  •  ½
    Vikings' drive for new stadium thrown for a loss by Minnesota governor (Nov. 6, 2011)
  • 47%
    47 percent of former private tax debt collection cases left untouched by IRS (Nov. 13, 2011)
  • 9%
    America's opinion of Congress at new low (Nov. 20, 2011)
  • $480,400,000,000
    Super committee failure could cost states billions in federal wages, projects (Nov. 27, 2011)
  • $100
    Holiday gift from an employer: Taxable benefit or tax-free gift? (Dec. 4, 2011)
  • 23
    IRS issues 2012 mileage deduction rates (Dec. 11, 2011)
  • 160,000,000
    Payroll tax cut extension in doubt again (Dec. 18, 2011)
  • $156,510
    What you'll pay for 12 Days of Political Influence on Capitol Hill (Dec. 25, 2011)

Some of you (OK, only the tax geekiest of you) might be asking why didn't this feature start before mid-January? You can, after all, file your tax return for the previous year as soon as you want after a new year rolls around as long as you have all the necessary information and are willing to file an old-fashioned paper return.

Well, there are two good reasons as to why this feature began on Jan. 16, 2011.

First, Jan. 16 was the Sunday after the IRS officially opened its 2011 electronic filing doors. Since around 70 percent of us use tax preparation software and e-file our returns, the beginning of e-filing marks the real, at least in the IRS' eyes, start of the annual tax filing season.

And reason number two for the delay is that I didn't think of it until that day!

Today's Tax Tip

  • Tax software enhances sign-on security — When you log on to your tax software this filing season, expect it to take a tad longer. Many tax software programs now are requiring multifactor authentication. (Jan. 16, 2021)

  • Tax Tip; click pencil for all tax tip links

  • The 2021 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. While we're waiting for the 2021 calendar pages to flip and fill up with timely tax tidbits, check out 2020 (and earlier) tax years' advice.

COVID-19 & Taxes

  • COVID-19
    Coronavirus has wreaked havoc
    on the 2020 tax season.
    These three Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Taxes pages have details:
    March-July 2020,
    August-December 2020, and
    January-… 2021

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

    Free File companies started preparing returns for eligible filers on Jan. 15. This filing season, that's taxpayers with adjusted gross income of $72,000 or less, regardless of filing status. While the nine participating tax software companies will help you complete your 2020 return starting in mid-January, they will hold the returns for actual filing until the IRS officially starts accepting the 1040s on Feb. 12.

    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.

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
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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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  • 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
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  • TruthAboutTaxes
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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"




  • Tax Reading Room

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




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  • Numbers
    Taxes are all about the numbers.
    Check out these (mostly) weekly
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Kudos Et Cetera

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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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  • Don't Mess With Taxes®
    is a registered trademark
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