Don't Mess With Taxes

2020 is the year of COVID-19. The deadly coronavirus pandemic has totally upended our lives, real and tax.

Obviously, our actual lives and those of our families, friends, neighbors and larger circles in which we usually travel are the most important.

But part of keeping those sectors safe and ongoing is trying to hold on to some sort of normalcy. That's why here at the ol' blog, tax posts remain on my list, if no longer at the top of my list.

And, of course, that means keeping up with — or trying to — with how COVID-19 has affected our tax lives.

Thus was born this special Coronavirus and Taxes blog page. Here you'll find coronavirus links from official government websites, professional associations, law and accounting firms, and tax policy think tanks, as well as, of course, the ol' blog.

Naturally, I'm kicking it off with COVID-19 posts from Don't Mess With Taxes because, well, it's my blog!

The following posts are ones that are predominantly focused on new laws, Treasury and/or IRS rulings, and proposed legislation that might affect our taxes if it makes it though Congress and/or state legislatures. This list will be updated as I post new coronavirus tax items, with the most recent post at the top of the list. Let's get to it!

• TAS now can help taxpayers with certain COVID-19 stimulus payment problems (Friday, July 31, 2020) 
• How you can tap your retirement plan to cover COVID costs (Thursday, July 30, 2020) 
• 7 big differences in the latest House & Senate COVID-19 relief proposals (Tuesday, July 28, 2020) 
• Considering more COVID-19 payments on Parents' Day (Sunday, July 26, 2020)
• IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers - with COVID precautions - are re-opening (Friday, July 24, 2020)
• More legislative ornament possibilities for the pending COVID-19 Christmas tree bill (Wednesday, July 22, 2020)
• What a COVID-related payroll tax cut could mean to you now and your retirement later (Monday, July 20, 2020)
• COVID-19 relief phase 4: Provision previews and predictions (Saturday, July 18, 2020)
• IRS' COVID-19 tax payment postponements also end July 15 (Monday, July 13, 2020)
• How to make the 2 estimated tax payments also due July 15 (Sunday, July 12, 2020)
• Don't let 2020's last tax weekend turn into a lost weekend (Friday, July 10, 2020)
• 7 ways to pay your tax bill due July 15 (Thursday, July 9, 2020)
• Don't miss your tax notice's July 10 deadline (Monday, July 6, 2020)
• Tax refunds totaling $1.5+ billion await filers who didn't submit 2016 returns, but time is running out (Thursday, July 2, 2020)
• 6 tax tasks to take care of by July 15 (Wednesday, July 1, 2020)
• IRS makes it clear: July 15 is Tax Day 2020, but you can get an extension by then if you need (Tuesday, June 30, 2020)
• New Taxpayer Advocate highlights COVID-19 effects on the IRS and taxpayers in her first report (Monday, June 29, 2020)
• Most people use COVID stimulus money to cover expenses (Sunday, June 28, 2020)
• Interesting development: IRS to add interest amount to late-issued tax refunds (Friday, June 26, 2020)
• IRS calling workers back to offices, even as COVID-19 surges (Thursday, June 25, 2020)
• IRS allows RMD reversal through Aug. 31 (Wednesday, June 24, 2020)
• White House stimulus letter is an official IRS tax document you need to save (Tuesday, June 23, 2020)
• IRS requests, not demands, return of improperly-issued COVID payments. Here's how to do that (Monday, June 22, 2020)
• Still waiting for your COVID payment? IRS has answers on what to do to get or track your money (Thursday, June 18, 2020)
• Taxpayers get more time to deal with COVID-delayed IRS notices (Monday, June 15, 2020)
• IRS employees returning to offices in 9 more locations (Sunday, June 14, 2020)
• White House floats tax credit to encourage return to eating out, U.S. travel (Saturday, June 13, 2020)
• The latest COVID-19 risk? Scams to steal relief money (Tuesday, June 9, 2020)
• COVID-changed work patterns mean tax hassles, possible KC workers' refunds (Sunday, June 7, 2020)
• 5 tax moves to make this COVID-19 affected June (Monday, June 1, 2020)
• IRS workers returning June 1 to offices and 10 million pieces of unopened snail mail (Sunday, May 31, 2020)
• Taxpayer Advocate not taking coronavirus payment cases (Wednesday, May 27, 2020)
• IRS has distributed 152 million COVID-19 relief payments worth $258 billion (Sunday, May 24, 2020)
• Expat tax break could net larger COVID-19 relief payment (Saturday, May 23, 2020)
• COVID-19 economic relief debit cards are in the mail (Sunday, May 22, 2020)
• Some states take specific steps to exempt COVID-19 payments from taxation (Wednesday, May 20, 2020)
• July 15 is still Tax Day (for now), but Form 4868 Oct. 15 extension still available (Tuesday, May 19, 2020)
• Some taxpayers due a refund and COVID relief money haven't gotten either (Monday, May 18, 2020)
• House expected to pass passes HEROES COVID-19 relief measure. Senate won't. (Friday, May 15, 2020)
• Expanded tax help in covering child care costs during coronavirus closure rules (Tuesday, May 12, 2020)
• 6 reasons why your COVID stimulus amount was less than you expected (Monday, May 11, 2020)
• May 13 at noon is deadline to give IRS info for direct deposit of COVID-19 money (Saturday, May 9, 2020)
• COVID-19 healthcare volunteers face NY tax bills (Thursday, May 7, 2020)
• New England duo charged with fraudulently seeking coronavirus relief loans (Wednesday, May 6, 2020)
• Tax rules for donating + different ways to give = special Giving Tuesday Now options (Tuesday, May 5, 2020)
• May the Tax Fourth Be With You: COVID-19 sequel (Monday, May 4, 2020)
• COVID-19 payments going to foreign students, as well as dead people (Sunday, May 3, 2020)
• SSI, VA recipients must update family status by May 5 to get full COVID-19 payment (Saturday, May 2, 2020)
• May Day! Mayday! Don't fall for these 5 COVID-19 relief payment myths (Friday, May 1, 2020)
• 'Get My Payment' should now help more taxpayers get coronavirus stimulus info (Monday, April 27, 2020)
• Don't fall for these 4 common COVID-19 payment scams (Sunday, April 26, 2020)
• 6 ways to know your COVID-19 check is real (Saturday, April 25, 2020)
• 88.1 million have received COVID-19 payments, says IRS (Friday, April 24, 2020)
• COVID-19 law expands FSA OTC options & ends Rx rule (Wednesday, April 22, 2020)
• Didn't file taxes, but have kids? Tell the IRS so you can get your full COVID payment ASAP (Tuesday, April 21, 2020) 
• No bank account? Prepare to wait for COVID-19 cash (Monday, April 20, 2020)
• Some states struggling to pay coronavirus-created unemployment claims (Sunday, April 19, 2020)
• States also are taking COVID-19 financial hits (Saturday, April 18, 2020)
• Coronavirus 'Get My Payment' tracking troubles (Wednesday, April 15, 2020)
• State tax deadlines mostly July 15, too (Monday, April 13, 2020)
• IRS makes first COVID-19 payments, with online option to alter delivery coming soon (Sunday, April 12, 2020)
• July 15 now the deadline for most tax actions (Saturday, April 11, 2020)
• IRS online tool helps non-filers apply for COVID-19 payments (Friday, April 10, 2020)
• TIGTA joins chorus warning of COVID-19 payment scams (Thursday, April 9, 2020)
• Speeding up delivery of your COVID-19 payments (Wednesday, April 8, 2020)
• Bill would expand COVID-19 payments to college students, other dependents (Monday, April 6, 2020)
• COVID payments are on the way. So are related tax scams (Friday, April 3, 2020)
• Treasury relents, will send COVID-19 payments automatically to eligible senior citizens (Thursday, April 2, 2020)
• 5 tax moves to make this abnormal April (Wednesday, April 1, 2020)
• No RMD due April 1 (no fooling) or any time in 2020 (Tuesday, March 31, 2020)
• Coronavirus payments to start in  3  2 weeks (Tuesday, March 31, 2020)
• Scams Mean More COVID-19 Tax Season Scares (from Tumbling Taxes; Monday, March 30, 2020)
• Tax, other scammers take advantage of coronavirus fears (Sunday, March 29, 2020)
• Compare COVID payments using 2019 or 2018 tax return (Saturday, March 28, 2020)
• Coronavirus relief act enhances charitable gift options and tax deductions (Friday, March 27, 2020)
• COVID-19 advance tax credit payments: good, bad & ugly (Thursday, March 26, 2020)
• IRA and HSA contribution deadline also is July 15 (Wednesday, March 25, 2020)
• COVID-19 forces closure of many IRS, other tax operations (Tuesday, March 24, 2020)
• Taxes' critical role in times of crisis (Sunday, March 22, 2020)
• July 15 tax filing and payment deadline Q&A (Saturday, March 21, 2020)
• July 15 is new 2020 tax filing and payment deadline (Friday, March 20, 2020)
• UPDATE: April 15 Tax Day deadline and delay Q&A (Wednesday, March 18, 2020)
• Tax Day still is (for now) April 15, but is July 15 and IRS has new coronavirus tax webpage (Sunday, March 15, 2020)
• Businesses tax relief in bipartisanly-approved COVID-19 bill (Saturday, March 14, 2020)
• Is delaying the April 15 tax deadline a good way to deal with coronavirus? (Wednesday, March 11, 2020)
• Obamacare tax forms in the time of coronavirus (Tuesday, March 10, 2020)

There also are some posts during this time frame that tangentially reference COVID-19's effects on taxes, but not enough so to make the official coronavirus cut above.

If you're interested in seeing those, you can browse the new Coronavirus COVID-19 category. The posts above, as well as those on the subsequent "August-December 2020" and "January-… 2021" pages, will show up, too, but just keep scrolling to find others that didn't make this (or subsequent) coronavirus tax specific list(s).

Now to other off-blog resources.

First, there are the official government sites. The image above recommends Coronavirus.gov, which basically is a landing page (like this), so below are my suggestions.

Internal Revenue Service (IRS): Coronavirus Tax Relief and Economic Impact Payments

Treasury: How the Treasury Department is Taking Action

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Coronavirus (COVID-19) 

Social Security Administration (SSA): Social Security & Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)

Federal Trade Commission (FTC): Coronavirus - What the FTC is Doing

Health and Human Services (HHS): COVID-19 Portal 

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB): A guide to COVID-19 economic stimulus relief

Department of Education (Ed): COVID-19 ("Coronavirus") Information and Resources for Schools and School Personnel

Food and Drug Administration (FDA): Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Frequently Asked Questions 

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA): Coronavirus (COVID-19) Response (note the rumor control section)

U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS): Coronavirus/COVID-19 Related Scams 

USA.gov: Government Response to Coronavirus, COVID-19 

And, of course, there are other sites following the pandemic's tax effects.

Many of my fellow tax bloggers are doing great jobs tracking the intricacies of COVID-19 tax changes. So are the members of the great #TaxTwitter community.

But in order to keep this page from following the excessive pieces of coronavirus legislation when it comes to length, I've focused below on web pages posted by professional firms, associations and other taxcentric entities that are providing valuable coronavirus-related tax information and advice.

National Association of Tax Professionals (NATP): ​​​​​​​​​​COVID-19 Tax News & FAQ 

American Institute of CPAs (AICPA): Coronavirus (COVID-19) tax resources (n.b., the state tax roundup)

Thomson Reuters: COVID-19 resource center

Wolters Kluwer: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resources for Tax & Accounting Professionals

KPMG: Coronavirus (COVID-19) tax developments

Deloitte: COVID-19 tax policy updates 

EY US: Responding to COVID-19

Grant Thornton: COVID-19 Resource Center 

RubinBrown: Coronavirus Preparedness Resource Center 

EideBailly: The New Coronavirus (COVID-19) Organiational & Individual Impacts

Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP): COVID-19 Tax Policy Resources

The Tax Foundation: Tax Policy And The Coronavirus (note the state-by-state legislative and global country-by-country fiscal measures trackers)

Avalara: COVID-19 Tax Relief Roundup

Employee Benefit News (EBN): Coronavirus Impact

But wait, there are more: Naturally, things will change as the virus itself and our tax reactions to it evolve, so I'm asking for your help.

I know I've missed some good sites. Please let me know. I'll probably see your suggestions sooner if you let me know via Twitter where, in case you don't know, I'm @taxtweet. You also can drop me an email note.

I'll update this page as regularly as I can. You'd think that I'd have more time by essentially being on house arrest during Austin's coronavirus stay-home order, but it seems that the hours in the days also are affected by these bizarre circumstances (and my discovery of new things to stream).

Thanks for your assistance and patience. And, of course, be safe!

Taxes are important, but they are just taxes. The well-being of everyone and your families is everything, the only thing.

Original  page created April 4, 2020

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