Coronavirus (COVID-19) and 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, firms and tax policy think tanks, as well as, of course, the ol' blog.

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 does or might affect our taxes. This list will be updated as I post new coronavirus tax items.

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 03, 2020)
Treasury relents, will send COVID-19 payments automatically to eligible senior citizens (Thursday, April 02, 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, which started in early March, 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, too, you can browse the new Coronavirus COVID-19 category. The posts above 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.

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Filing Season Tax Tips

Inflation increase for high deductible medical savings plans — Looking for medical insurance with lower premiums? A high deductible health plan (HDHP) could be just the thing, especially when you add a health savings account (HSA). Here are the IRS' annual 2021 adjustments to this tax-favored medical option. And don't forget you also still have time to up your 2019 contributions. (May 21, 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

May 1: Happy May Day!
Or is it mayday?

via GIPHY

May Day globally is a time for celebrating workers' contributions. Mayday, as one word, is a universal distress signal. With the coronavirus pandemic, both meanings come into play this year. Many workers have lost their jobs as businesses closed to help slow the spread of the virus and some unemployed staff face dire financial stresses. That's why many are falling for coronavirus payment myths, as well as COVID-19 scams. Be careful out there, or rather in there, as you follow government orders and medical guidelines to self-isolate at home.

May 5: ¡Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

2020 definitely is a year when we can use a little celebration, even if it's a Mexican holiday that tends to spur more festivities here north of the border. So raise that margarita during your virtual fiesta. Also celebrate that the federal booze tax wasn't hiked. The spending and tax bill enacted in late 2019 kept in place a lower federal excise tax rate for beer, wine and spirits.

May 10: Happy Mother's Day!

Unless your mom is self-isolating with you, this could be a strange and difficult Mother's Day. If you're with your mother, great! I'm sure she'll just be happy to be with you. If you're separated, it's Facetime time! Or Zoom in your whole family. The get-together will be welcome, whether the virtual gathering is to celebrate a mom just now discovering the joys, tax and otherwise, of new parenthood or a gracefully aging mom that you're helping maneuver through her golden years.

May 11: Most restaurants across the country have been closed due to coronavirus. That's meant a loss of income for millions of workers in the consumer food sector, especially those who relied on tips. But some eateries are opening up again, as well as continuing the welcome meal deliveries. Whether you're able to dine in or still getting delivered take out, 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 your meal delivery person.

And those of you getting the tips, remember that those tips are taxable income. If you worked at least some of April 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.

May 15: It's now a month past what would have been the usual Tax Day, which has been delayed until July 15 for Form 1040 filing and most other taxes usually due in mid-April. Yes, that's two months from today, but don't dawdle. Deadlines tend to sneak up on us!

May 18: To get ready to file — and remember, you don't have to wait until July 15 — start sorting through those tax documents that you shoved in a drawer when you learned nothing would be due in April. For basic filing using the standard deduction, which most use especially since tax reform essentially doubled that amount, you'll need your W-2 and possibly some 1099 forms. If you still itemize, this checklist details the additional data you'll need to file.

May 20: After gathering your documents, you've decided to go ahead and do your taxes. The Internal Revenue Service can make it easier and cheaper for you. 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.

May 25: Many states are reopening after weeks of COVID-19 stay-home orders. If that means you'll be traveling this long Memorial Day weekend, be careful! A car trip might be more appropriate so that you and your family, who've already spent so much time together, can have a change of scenery. Taking advantage of your summer home could be a way to get away and still social distance from others. If you don't have a second home, owners of other single-family seasonal residences might be leasing. Even with local taxes on short-term rentals, the bulk of the rent is potential tax-free income. Again, though, be careful. No vacation is worth getting sick or worse.

May 31: Before summer arrives in full force, finish up spring cleaning. Gifts of clothing and household goods you no longer use could be tax deductible if you itemize. If you give cash, recent COVID-19 legislation created a new, limited charitable tax break for folks who don't fill out Schedule A.

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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Kudos Et Cetera

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Winner, Best Tax Blog
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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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