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!

Filing Season Tax Tips

Expat tax break could increase COVID-19 payments — Living in Paris and getting a larger COVID-19 relief payment than you would have if you worked in the United States? That's the deal for some expats, and not just those in The City of Light, thanks to a special foreign income tax exemption. (May 23, 2020)
Did you miss a tax tip posted above? No worries. They are, or eventually will be, collected in the 2020 Filing Season Tax Tips pages. That's usually January through mid-April, but this year is definitely unusual. The coronavirus' spread has pushed Tax Day 2020 from April 15 to July 15. So the ol' blog has adjusted, too, with extended Tax Tip pages for each of this year's six-and-a-half months that we now will focus on our 1040s: January, February, March, April, May, June and — tah-dah! — July. Then, after a very brief break to catch our post-filing deadline breath, the Weekly Tax Tips, like these from 2019, will return.

COVID-19 & Taxes

Coronavirus has wreaked havoc
with 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 Year 2020 Countdown
Happy New Tax Year! Are you ready to file your 2019 tax return? Me neither. But this year we're getting some extra time to file and pay any tax we owe, until July 15. This later date, however, is for a terrible reason. The coronavirus pandemic hit the United States hard in March, dramatically disrupting lives. Our normal tax routine is among the many things that have changed for all of us.
The monthly tips and reminders a little further down this column should help you focus on your taxes and make the filing of them by mid-summer go more smoothly. Also keep an eye on the countdown clock just below. It will help you keep track of the arrival of the new July 15, 2020, Tax Day.
Note: I'm in the Central Time Zone, so adjust accordingly for where you live.

Time for Tax Tasks

June GIF from June GIFs

June 1: For the first time in, well in all the many, many years I've been covering taxes, the official start of the Atlantic/Gulf of Mexico hurricane season has arrived before our annual federal tax returns are due. In fact, two named storms developed in May. This should be fun!

Uncle Sam's official forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) expect 2020 to bring as many as 19 named storms, with six to eight possibly becoming hurricanes. Three to six could reach major status, which is 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 below 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 special Storm Warnings.
These multi-page collections of 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 5: The Internal Revenue Service is among the many operations, both government offices and private sector businesses, that's taken steps to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. In addition, the tax agency has been sending out COVID-19 economic relief payments (EIPs) as direct deposits, U.S. Treasury checks and debit cards. Be on the lookout for snail-mailed paper checks and debit cards. They are real, not scams, so don't throw them away thinking they're attempts by crooks to steal your other money or identity.

June 10: Most restaurants across the country closed earlier this year due to COVID-19. Now many are starting to open, at least partially. Some eateries also are continuing meal take-out and deliveries. Whether you're able to dine in or still 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 now are back on the job, remember that your tips are taxable income. If you worked at least some of May at a job where you got gratuities, you need to account for them today if they came to at least $20 last month. Use Form 4070 to report your tips today to your employer.

June 14: Today's celebration of the Stars and Stripes isn't a day-off 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: Today begins the one-month countdown — see the ticking Tax Day counter a bit higher up in this column — to the coronavirus-delayed July 15 Tax Day. With just 30 days until you must file your federal Form 1040 (or extension request), it's time to act. Tax tips posted earlier this year on handy January, February, March, April, May and the soon-to-come June pages should help.

Remember, too, that the mid-July deadline is not just for filing your annual IRS tax return. It's also the due date for most state tax returns.

And the upcoming new Tax Day 2020 also applies to the two estimated tax payments, the first and second quarter amounts that usually must be filed by April 15 and today, June 15. Now, with a month to go, it's a good time to think about how you're going to pay these delayed 1040-ES amounts, as well as any 2019 tax due with your 1040.

June 21: 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 Pop 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 enough financial assistance, check into whether you can claim the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act's (TCJA) $500 tax credit for other dependents.

June 25: If your youngsters are college age and you're looking for financial help to cover some school costs, you need to act fast. To be considered for federal student aid for the 2019-2020 year, you can still complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by midnight Central Daylight Time on June 30. Time is running short, but you can use the IRS' online tool to help you complete the FAFSA.

June 30: OK, you've decided to get your filing over with now. The IRS can help you do that and save money. Free File, the IRS/tax software industry partnership offers eligible taxpayers access to online tax preparation programs and federal return e-filing at no cost. It's available for taxpayers with adjusted gross income of $69,000 or less and it's still open for filers aiming to meet the July 15 deadline.

There are 10 software companies participating this year at IRS.gov's Free File webpage. If you make too much to use the online software, look into using Free File's fillable forms.

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 Form Tuesday page.

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.

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

Kudos Et Cetera

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2012, 2014 & 2017
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Celebrating the Best
in Personal Finance
Winner, Best Tax Blog
2011 & 2013

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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