Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Taxes: January-December 2022

And the coronavirus is on its way beyond pandemic and becoming endemic.

That means we will be living with it in some form for a while. It also means that there might be more legislation and Internal Revenue Service guidelines that affect our taxes.

So we are here, at the ol' blog's fourth Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Taxes page as we enter the new 2022 year. If you want to check out previous COVID-related tax posts, you can head on over to the original page with the March-July 2020 designation, the second page with posts from August-December 2020, or last year's third iteration covering January-December 2021.

I won't challenge the health or tax gods by predicting whether this will be the last COVID page. I don't want to tempt them and fate like I did last year, and have it come true like it did that the illness continues to linger.

But I will note that while there are, for now, four COVID and taxes pages, a couple of things are on all of them.

First, the items are listed with the most recent post first.

Secondly, this page, like its COVID counterparts, starts off with posts from Don't Mess With Taxes because, well, it's my blog! Then the other sections with coronavirus links from official government websites, professional associations, law and accounting firms, and tax policy think tanks follow.

OK, enough with the housekeeping. Let's get to this fourth (and final; OK, I did it, I did tempt the medical powers that be!) collection of coronavirus tax+ matters with a quick caveat. I'm pulling a few from the 2021 page as they are also are of interest in 2022.

IRS warns that tax refunds in 2023 might be smaller. Here are 3 reasons why (Dec. 4, 2022)
Did you miss out on COVID relief payments or Child Tax Credit? File now! (Nov. 15, 2022)
IRS Free File to stay open until Nov. 17 to help nonfilers claim missed tax credits (Oct. 16, 2022)
Nov. 15 is deadline for nonfilers to claim enhanced CTC (Oct. 5, 2022)
File 2019, 2020 tax returns by Sept. 30 to avoid IRS penalty (Sept. 22, 2022)
2.9 million children escaped poverty in 2021 thanks to expanded Child Tax Credit (Sept. 18, 2022)
Tax pros seek official guidance on hybrid work arrangements (Sept. 9, 2022)
IRS current year filing backlog at 8.2 million tax returns (Sept. 2, 2022)
Secret Service returns $286 million in stolen pandemic loans to SBA (Aug. 26, 2022)
IRS refunding $1.2 billion to millions who faced COVID-related late-filing tax penalties (Aug. 24, 2022)
IRS Appeals wants public comment on video conferencing (Aug. 18, 2022)
IRS again issues potentially wrong tax-due notices (Aug. 2, 2022)
IRS urges Puerto Rican families to use online tool to claim Child Tax Credit (July 15, 2022)
IRS expects to finish processing 2021 filings this week (June 21, 2022)
IRS AI bots now helping taxpayers set up payment plans (June 17, 2022)
Don't fall for any of 2022's Dirty Dozen tax scams (June 11, 2022)
IRS refund tracking tool now can find status for 3 tax years (May 25, 2022)
$163 billion in unemployment fraud run up during pandemic (May 15, 2022)
IRS refund late? At least you'll get some interest, which so far has totaled $3.3 billion (May 14, 2022)
Child Tax Credit online filing portal is open again (May 12, 2022)
Some married parents could save this year by filing separate tax returns (April 16, 2022)
Crowdfunding tax consequences and reporting requirements (March 21, 2022)
A review of the 116th Congress' 8 tax bills (March 12, 2022)
IRS plans to end tax backlog by shifting jobs, hiring 10,000 new staff (March 11, 2022)
Voice and chat bots now part of IRS telephone tax help lines (March 10, 2022)
Ways to spend tax-favored FSA money if you're facing 3/15 (or later) deadline (March 9, 2022)
Child Tax Credit online portal is offline until after Tax Day (March 8, 2022)
VITA & TCE volunteers are back, helping taxpayers prepare & file returns for free (March 7, 2022)
IRS TACs open for walk-in tax help on Saturday, March 12 (March 6, 2022)
Make sure you claim your charitable tax deductions, on Form 1040 or Schedule A (Feb. 28, 2022)
5 reasons your tax refund this year might be smaller (Feb. 15, 2022)
IRS sending 1099-INTs to taxpayers who got interest added to tax refunds (Feb. 14, 2022)
IRS suspends issuance of 14 more taxpayer notices (Feb. 11, 2022)
Tracking down 2020 — yes, two-year-old — missing EIPs (Feb. 9, 2022)
3 medical tax breaks prompted by COVID-19 (Feb. 8, 2022)
A look at EITC changes on this year's EITC Awareness Day (Jan. 28, 2022)
Recovery Rebate Credit on 2021 tax return could help get missed COVID stimulus money (Jan. 26, 2022)
Don't let wrong IRS EIP or CTC letter info stop you from filing your taxes (Jan. 24, 2022)
Tax return checklist & questions to help you file your taxes (Jan. 13, 2022)
Top 10 Taxpayer Problems of 2021 likely to repeat in 2022 (Jan. 12, 2022)
Tax statements you need to file your 2021 return (Jan. 11, 2022)
Moves in 2021 motivated by COVID, family matters, & taxes (Jan. 8, 2022)
Keep an eye out for IRS letters on COVID relief money, advance Child Tax Credit payments (Jan. 4, 2022)
California wildfire filings, COVID-deferred payroll taxes due Jan. 3, 2022 (Dec. 30, 2021)
You got your last 2021 Advance Child Tax Credit payment. Now what? (Dec. 15, 2021)

There also are some posts since the beginning of the pandemic that tangentially reference COVID-19's effects on taxes, but not enough so to make the official coronavirus cut for inclusion on this or the other pages.

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 other coronavirus pages) will show up, too, but just keep scrolling to find others that didn't make this coronavirus tax specific list.

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 post began April 4, 2020

Today's Tax Tip

Tax-saving HSA contribution limits go up in 2026 — The amounts that health savings account (HSA) owners can put into this tax-advantaged medical plan is going up next year. The increase is part of the IRS’ adjustment this week of the 2026 limits for HSAs, associated high deductible health plans (HDHPs), and the lesser-used health reimbursement arrangement (HRA). (May 2, 2025)
The 2025 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

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

My Other Accounts

Tick ... Tick ... Tick

Tax Year 2025 Continues!

We made it. Tax Day 2025 is finally over. For most of us. When the filing season started on Jan. 27, the IRS said it expected more than 140 million individual tax returns for tax year 2024 to be filed by April 15. When the month started, the agency was around 39 million short of that number. While many taxpayers no doubt got their 1040s in by Tax Day, million every year get an extension to file. That's fine.

In fact, the Internal Revenue Service appreciates some of us spreading out our tax submissions. It gives the agency time to process the surge of returns that arrive en masse on April 15.

But enough about Uncle Sam's tax collection issues. The focus now is on all y'all who filed for extensions, giving you another six months to complete your return. Let's get started on meeting that new Oct. 15 deadline. It will be here before you know it.

The monthly tips and reminders a little further down this column can help you finish up your extended Form 1040. There also will be tax tidbits each month that make sure you meet other tax deadlines. And, of course, you'll find advice on ways to cut your 2025 tax bill.

The monthly tips and reminders a little further down this column can help you finish up your extended Form 1040. There also will be tax tidbits each month that make sure you meet other tax deadlines. And, of course, you'll find advice on ways to cut your 2025 tax bill.
Note: I'm in the Central Time Zone, so adjust accordingly for where you live.

Time for Tax Tasks

💐 May 💐 is 💐 here! 💐

You've got to love a month that starts with a celebration, at least globally. But even though May Day isn’t an official or very big deal here in the United States, there still are lots of other May celebrations. Cinco de Mayo. Mother’s Day. Memorial Day.

May Pole Dance via GIPHY

In between, we can celebrate the arrival of the month that, for most taxpayers, means the main 2025 tax task of filing our returns is behind us. Now it’s on to shower-fed flowers, balmy days, and additional tax moves to take care of so that the rest of the year goes smoothly. Let the May tax merriment begin!
May 1: It’s not such a merry day for some taxpayers. Not only did the residents of eight states have to earlier deal with a major natural disaster, their Tax Day that was delayed because of those damages is today, May Day, no doubt prompting a mayday call from some affected filers.

May 2: The rest of us made it through last month, the one that is home to the annual U.S. filing deadline. Did Tax Day mean you got or are expecting a big refund from that filing? Or did you end up owing Uncle Sam a lot? Either way, with your most recent taxes fresh in your mind, it's a good time for a paycheck checkup to determine whether you should adjust your payroll income tax withholding.

May 5: ¡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, the Lone Star State's unofficial cocktail. With every Cinco toast, remember that the cost of state and federal alcohol taxes are included in the mixing.

May 11: Happy Mother's Day!

Your mom meant it when you were young and she told you she didn’t need a gift today. But she definitely will appreciate a longer-than-usual 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 and getting some year-round tax-advantaged help from their families.

May 12: If your job is as a server at a restaurant or at any other establishment where gratuities from customers are part of your compensation, I hope you get all the tips you deserve for doing your job well. Remember, though, that those tips are taxable income.

Whether you're dining at your favorite eatery or getting food, groceries and/or prepared meals, 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 if you got at least $20 in gratuities in April for your extraordinary services as a food server or hair stylist or parking valet or whatever job where tipping is common, you must report that amount by today, a bit late since the normal 10th of the month deadline fell in May on Saturday. Use Form 4070 to let your employer know the total tips you took in last month.

May 19: Millions of taxpayers got an extension to file, or automatically got a later Tax Day due to a major disaster declaration. These individuals can still file electronically, which the IRS recommends. E-filing will speed up processing of returns whenever they are filed, as well as help Uncle Sam get refunds out more quickly. And yes, some late filers are due refunds.

The IRS-Free File Alliance partnership offers no-cost online tax preparation and electronic filing to taxpayers whose adjusted gross income (AGI) is $84,000 or less, regardless of filing status at the official IRS.gov Free File website.

Even better for eligible late filers, Free File will be available through the Oct. 15 extension deadline, with the same eight software companies that participated last year back for the 2025 filing season.

If your income is too high, you still can file for free by using Free File's Fillable Forms option.

May 23: Millions of Americans will be welcoming the unofficial start of summer this long Memorial Day weekend. It’s also when gasoline prices always seem to increase. Some of the pump price is attributable to fuel excise taxes. If pump prices climb too much, that may prompt you to look more closely into getting an electric vehicle (EV) before your next road trip, and before the current White House and Congress eliminate the potential $7,500 tax credit for some EVs.

May 26: Yes, the end-of-May long weekend is a time for fun. But don’t forget the real reason for the Memorial Day holiday. Take time to honor the military personnel who made the ultimate sacrifice. And don't forget about their families. There are some tax considerations offered survivors of lost soldiers, sailors, and air crew.

May 31: You filed your tax return six-plus weeks ago and you’re still waiting on your refund. What the what?! Quit fuming and check your refund’s status using the IRS' "Where's My Refund?" online tracking tool.

Small Business Tax Calendar: If you run your own company, you know there are myriad important filing, deposit and record keeping dates throughout the year that your company needs to meet. You also can track key business and individual tax deadlines in IRS Pub. 509.

State Tax Help

Don't forget your state taxes!
Forty-two states and D.C. collect personal income taxes. But even if you live in of the eight states without any 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 2025 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

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.
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:
J.K. Lasser 2025 Taxes
Tax Savvy for Small Business 2025

Taxes, Accounting, and Bookkeeping
3-in-1 Bible 2025

~~~~~~~
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 ...

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

Kudos Et Cetera

National Association
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 interpretation and 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. While I work to ensure each post's accuracy, the items are not recommendations of any specific tax action(s) you should or should not take. Similarly, mentions of commercial tax products or services are not endorsements.

In other words, my ramblings on the ol' tax blog are free advice, and you know what they say about getting what you pay for. That's why when it is time for you to file your own taxes, I urge you to get additional, professional, paid-for guidance from an accountant, Enrolled Agent, or other reputable, qualified tax preparer who is familiar with your individual tax circumstances.

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.

©©©©© & ®®®®®

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

All content on this site is
© 2005-2025 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

Coronavirus has wreaked havoc
on the 2020 and 2021 tax seasons.
These five Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Taxes pages have details:
March-July 2020
August-December 2020
January-December 2021
January-December 2022
…and so it continues into 2023
…and, alas, into 2024
It is 2025 and, yes, it's still an issue
You can find medical coronavirus resource links in the next section.

COVID-19 Resources

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 2025

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

Red yucca and orb spider after April shower. (Photo by Kay Bell)
...............................................

Tell it to the Hill

While it's easy to rail at the IRS, for the most part we can thank — or blame — Congress and the White House for our tax laws. 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.

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