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Don't Mess With Taxes

Translating taxes into money-saving English

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Table of Contents

 

Welcome to Don't Mess With Taxes®. I'm Kay Bell, a journalist by training and trade; a tax geek by choice. You can learn more about me at, well, About Me.

But here are some highlights, including links to some popular pages and features as well as, last but definitely not least, the ol' blog's privacy policy.

Table of contents clip art_via clkerI began this blog in 2005 (Nov. 14, 2005, to be precise if you'd like to mark your calendar so you can send a birthday and/or anniversary card) after moving back home to Texas and starting my own writing business.

Soon after I began blogging those many years ago, I trademarked the ol' blog's title. Yep, used a lawyer and registered it with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Hence the ® after the name in the first paragraph above.

The registered trademark icon also is noted in the trademark and copyright notice near the bottom of the right column.

However, for visual clarity, I tend not to include the elevated ® in most copy and posts.

What's here 
OK, the reason you clicked here. All the stuff!

Over the years, I've covered a ton — OK, tons — of tax stuff.

Sometimes even I get lost trying to track down a past post.

So I've created this index/table of contents. It should help all of us find what we're looking for as quickly and easily as possible.

Take a look around. Peruse a few topics. And let me know if there's something not here you'd like to see.

Year-round Tax Tips and Money Moves, which includes Daily, Weekly, Specially Themed and General Tax Tips 

State Tax Information

Tax Deductions

Tax Credits

Tax Forms

Tax Filing

Tax Refunds

Tax Planning

Tax Rates
Tax Rates and Income Brackets Through the Years

Tax Terms aka Glossary, which like all language is continually evolving

Tax Help (general)
Tax Preparers
Natural Disasters Resources

Eye on the IRS, Congress and others making and administering tax laws

By the Numbers: Fun and quirky tax data
    By the Numbers 2020 (coming soon!)
    By the Numbers 2019
    By the Numbers 2018
    By the Numbers 2017
    
By the Numbers 2016
    By the Numbers 2015
    By the Numbers 2014
    By the Numbers 2013
    By the Numbers 2012
    By the Numbers 2011

Shout Out Saturday or Sunday: Hat tips to other tax sources
to free up at least part of my weekends!
    Shout Outs 2020 (coming soon!)
    Shout Outs 2019
    Shout Outs 2018
    Shout Outs 2017

Archive of posts, by month posted and categories

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year: My first ever blog post!

Past features (which may or may not be revived)
    
Tax Carnivals
    
Tax Carnival Guidelines

    Following Follow-up Friday: Updates to previous posts

What I said at Bankrate Taxes Blog
    Last Week at My Other Tax Blog 2016
    Last Week at My Other Tax Blog 2015
   
Last Week at My Other Tax Blog 2014 
   
Last Week at My Other Tax Blog 2013 
   
Last Week at My Other Tax Blog 2012 & 2011

Beyond the Ol' Blog 
The following links are more tax and financial sites that I contribute (or contributed) to, as well as some things I do to occupy my non-blogging time.

      About Me (again, although I swear I am not usually this narcissistic),
        as well as more personal info at About.Me and Google, and a look
        at some kudos I've received (again, really not this usually self-absorbed!). 

      Kay on Social Media
      Welcome Twitterers | @taxtweet
      Facebook
      LinkedIn
      Google+
      Pinterest
      Tumbling Taxes at Tumblr

Books Kay wrote as sole author or as a contributor
The Truth About Paying Fewer Taxes: I wrote this book in 2009 as part of the popular FT Press "truth about" series. It covers just what the title says.

Personal Finance: An Encyclopedia of Modern Money Management: This reference book, published by ABC-CLIO in 2015, is designed for high school and college students and the educators who teach those subjects. I contributed chapters on an overview of the federal tax system, tax returns, tax deferral, online personal finance options, and flexible spending accounts.

Future Millionaires' Guidebook: I joined several of my Bankrate colleagues to produce this Book Baby ebook in 2012. My chapters? Taxes of course! I provided a comprehensive (but succinct) look at everything from payroll withholding to deduction options to saving for retirement. In addition, I wrote the estate planning chapter, which included, you guessed it, the tax component of this important financial step and cited the wise words of the great Canadian rock bank Rush.

The Gambler's Guide To Taxes: How to Keep More of What You Win: Several of my Bankrate.com tax articles are included in this handbook, published by Lyle Stuart in 2003, for bettors looking to protect more of their winnings from the IRS.

Other writings by Kay
Bankrate Taxes as former contributing tax editor
Last Week at My Other Tax Blog for some of my tax bloggy thoughts at Bankrate

Worth: A look at personal finance from the pages of Austin Woman magazine

Crazy Woman Driver: Kay's auto racing rants and raves from the pages of Randall-Reilly truckers' magazines

As time goes on, I'll be tweaking this index, adding new features, refining what's here. 

If you're looking for something not listed here, try the search feature over in the right column under the "What are you looking for?" header.  

Don't forget the Archives page, which compiles all my posts chronologically by month, as well as alphabetically lists the categories for my blog posts.

Finally, you can always contact me — via email or send a 140-character Twitter message (I'm @taxtweet) or jot a wall note at the ol' blog's Facebook page — if you have questions about a tax topic you think/know I blogged about but can't find.

If you want to get the ol' blog's tax news and information on a regular basis, you can subscribe via RSS, email or social media.

Privacy Policy
As for those subscriptions and other interactions on the ol' blog, a few words about your privacy.

I take your privacy seriously. Long-time readers know I don't even identify my better half; he's simply known on the intrawebz as the hubby. I want to give all readers of the ol' blog the same consideration.

So I assure you that I won't use your contact and/or subscription info for any purposes — not humorous, not illustrative and definitely not anything nefarious.

I also want all y'all to feel comfortable coming here and sharing what you choose to share in posts' comments sections. Even then, if I see something that has a bit TMI and makes me a bit uncomfortable (since I must OK all comments), I'll edit it so that I, and therefore you, are confident that your privacy is respected and protected.

I must note, however, that Don't Mess With Taxes is hosted on Typepad, a blogging service owned by Endurance International Group. As such, your visits to Don't Mess With Taxes, either via my Typepad subdomain or directly at Don't Mess With Taxes, also are covered by Endurance's privacy policy.

The Endurance International Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries and brands, including Typepad and by extension Don't Mess With Taxes, care about protecting the personal information of customers and visitors who use its websites, products or services. This privacy notice provides details about how your personal information is collected, shared and used by us.

Endurance's Privacy Notice was updated Dec. 12, 2019, to provide you with more information about the additional rights California residents have under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), which takes effect Jan. 1, 2020. If you are a California resident, you can read about these additional rights here.

For the purposes of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679, or GDPR, The Endurance International Group, Inc. and each of its brands local European representative is AppMachine B.V., located at Sophialaan 32, 8911 AE Leeuwarden, Nederland.

If Typepad/Endurance is involved in a merger, acquisition, a sale of all or a substantial portion of our assets, or other similar sale transaction, your information will be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you by email and/or a prominent notice on our website of any such transfer and any choices you may have regarding your information.

You can find highlights of Don't Mess With Taxes/Typepad/Endurance's privacy policy here.

 

Today's Tax Tip

  • What the one big tax bill could mean for you — It’s official. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act is law, signed at a White House July 4th ceremony. Taxes are a major part of the nearly 1,000-page measure. Here’s a collection of articles on what the new tax (and more) law could mean for your tax planning and ultimate Internal Revenue Service bill. (July 5, 2025)


  • Tax Tip; click pencil for all tax tip links

  • 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
    Open sign
    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


  • monthly tax moves


  • Welcome July!
    🗽 USA 🎆 Birthday 🎉 Time! 🦅


    This first full month of summer really knows how to get the season started: Fireworks across the country on July 4!
    Or, if your neighborhood is annoyingly like mine, fireworks from July 1 through July whenever the pyrotechnics are all boomed!

    Even more exciting, tax-related sparklers continue through the month. In fact, as the calendar of tax tasks below notes, they started before the wicks on any official Independence Day firecrackers were lit.

    toddler with flag background
    Click on the image for some fireworks safety tips and warnings from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

    I know, you're feeling like the youngster above, not quite ready yet to hear about taxes. But when you do take your hands off your ears to hear — or rather, scroll down to read — you’ll find some tax information to note and tax moves to make in July.

  • July 1: The majority of state individual and corporate income tax policy changes follow the calendar year and take effect each Jan. 1. But, notes the Tax Foundation, many sales and excise tax changes take effect today, July 1, which is the beginning of the fiscal year for all states except Alabama, Michigan, New York, and Texas. That’s why that notable tax changes will take effect in several states today.

    July 4: Happy 249th Birthday, America!

    Most of us will never be totally independent of taxes, but we can celebrate fewer tax hassles by paying attention to what we might owe and how we can reduce that amount throughout the year. As for that owed amount, if you meet most of your annual tax federal obligation via paycheck withholding, now is a good time to review that amount. If you need to adjust your withholding, the amounts will be less noticeable by being spread across 2025’s remaining six months.

    July 10: 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.

    restaurant check tip iStock
    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.

    If you got at least $20 in gratuities in June 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. Use Form 4070 to let your employer know the total tips you took in last month.

    July 11: Today kicks off the first of the annual summer state sales tax holidays. During these special shopping events, usually touted as back-to-school tax holidays, certain items are exempt from the states’ and usually the local sales taxes. Announced July sales tax holidays are (so far) in —
    Mississippi from July 11 to 13;
    Alabama from July 18 to 20;
    New Mexico from July 25 to 27, and
    Tennessee from July 25 to 27.

    July 18: If back in April you got an extension to file your 2025 tax return, you don’t have to wait until the final Oct. 15 deadline to do so. You can get this tax task out of the way so you don’t have to think about it for the rest of the summer. You also might be able to file electronically at no cost if your adjusted gross income (AGI), regardless of your filing status, is $84,000 or less by using the official IRS.gov Free File website.

    IRS Free File; click image for details

    Eight software companies are part of this year’s IRS-Free File Alliance partnership option at IRS.gov. They will be available through the Oct. 15 extension deadline, but again, you don’t have to wait. And if your income is too high, you still can file for free by using Free File's Fillable Forms option.

    July 24: Millions of us head to the beach to beat summer’s heat. But when the waters heat up, too, they can feed tropical systems. So far, the 2025 Atlantic (and Gulf of Mexico) hurricane season, which runs through Nov.  30, hasn’t been that bad. But federal forecasters say just wait. They once again are forecasting a more active than usual hurricane season. Before another tropical system forms, now is the time to get ready.

    Hurricane satellite image

    Uncle Sam's official forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center say we could get 13 to 19 total named storms, which are those with winds of 39 mph or higher. Of those, six to 10 are forecast to become hurricanes, meaning winds of 74 mph or higher. Three to five of the storms this season could become major hurricanes; that’s category 3, 4 or 5, with winds of 111 mph or higher.



    The countdown clock above 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 Storm Warnings collection of special pages with posts offer tax advice on preparing for, recovering from and helping those who sustain damages from the many ways that that weather goes wild.

    July 31: Summer is a great time to make home improvements. And there’s some added urgency this year if you’re relying on tax credits to help cover the cost of energy-efficient residential upgrades. Congress has targeted green energy tax breaks in its massive One Big Beautiful Bill. Many of the tax breaks will expire sooner than originally scheduled, so get your home improvements — and other environmentally friendly moves, like buying an electric vehicle — in under the tax law change wire.

    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


  • 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.

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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.

  • TruthAboutPayingFewerTaxes
  • 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"


    Personal Finance Encyclopedia

    Kay Bell breaks down taxes and
    estate planning for millennials in
    "Future Millionaires' Guidebook"

    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"


    The Gamblers Guide to Taxes

  • Tax Reading Room

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

  • J.K. Lasser 2025 Taxes
    J.K. Lasser 2025 Taxes

  • Tax Savvy for Small Business 2025
    Tax Savvy for Small Business 2025

  • Taxes, Accounting, and Bookkeeping Bible 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 ...

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

Kudos Et Cetera

  • Association for Women Clarion Award Winner
    National Association
    for Women in Communications

    Winner, Best Personal Blog
    2012, 2014 & 2017

  • Plutus Award Winner
    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.
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COVID-19 & Taxes

  • COVID-19
    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

  • COVID-19
    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

July 2025

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    

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  • Uncle Sam representation on vintage postcard
    Uncle Sam on vintage postcard.
    ...............................................

Tell it to the Hill

  • DMWT Politics Posts
  • 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.
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