June 2022 Tax Tips

Summer's arrival brings longer days and twin tax considerations.

Ah, June. Such a welcome month. Winter is long gone. The thunderstorms of spring have calmed down. Now we bask in your luxuriant days.

Such adoration of this month is not surprising. June was, after all, most likely named for the Roman goddess Juno, patroness of marriage and the well-being of women.

It's also the month in which we celebrate Father's Day.

That dichotomy isn't that surprising for the month in which three-quarters of its days are represented by Gemini, the twins astrological sign.

It's also the month in the Northern Hemisphere with the longest day of the year. After reaching that pinnacle, the remaining days begin losing daylight.

Multiple tax matters, too: These dualities also apply to taxes this month.

Some taxpayers, notably those who live abroad, haven't had to worry about their annual federal tax return filing deadline until this month. Their Tax Day is June 15. So many of them are now working to finish this annual tax compliance task.

Others, like the millions who filed their returns in April, are focusing on the current tax year. Their shared goal is to find ways to cut the amount in 2022 that they must pay the U.S. Treasury.

Those finish now vs. done with it approaches are reflected in June's tax tips. There will be pieces of filing advice, along with tax planning moves for the current year.

Plus, we'll look at how taxes affect some of this month's traditions, such as celebrations of fatherhood, loving couples trading wedding vows, and welcoming the summer solstice.

Whatever your tax status, filing due date, or plans for this first month of summer, do take some time during June to take care of tax tasks. You'll thank yourself next filing season.

Now, so as not to cut into your summer fun any longer, here are the June tax tips. Before they arrive on this consolidated monthly page, you'll find them highlighted in the upper right corner of the ol' blog.

Hurricane season preparation tips — The Atlantic hurricane season officially starts today, June 1. The Pacific storm season began May 15, with category 2 Hurricane Agatha hitting Mexico on Monday, May 30. Her remnants could produce a system that could threaten Florida. That means it's time to get hurricane ready, physically, financially, and tax-wise. (June 1, 2022)
Tax-smart financial gifts for grads (and the givers) — Got some new high school or college graduates in your life? Here are six financial gifts, most with some tax benefits, that they (and you) will enjoy. (June 3, 2022)
5 tax moves to make in June — June and summer are here! But before you head out to enjoy the season, take some time to make a few tax moves this month that could save you some money. Maybe enough to tack on a few more vacation days later this season. (June 6, 2022)
File by June 14 or face an added tax penalty — Were you too busy, or too frustrated, or too broke to file your 2021 tax return and pay what you owed on Tax Day back in April? Then you need to do so by June 14. Once your overdue filing passes the 60-day mark, the Internal Revenue Service adds another assessment. (June 10, 2022)
June 15 is Tax Day for more taxpayers — Before you head out to the beach or other activity you choose to celebrate the arrival of summer, take a tax minute. You could be facing a June 15 tax filing deadline if you live and work abroad (that includes military members posted overseas), pay estimated taxes, or are a resident of parts of Puerto Rico hit earlier this year by major storms. (June 13, 2022)
Don't fall for any of 2022's Dirty Dozen tax scams — This year's main tax season is over, even for folks who faced a June 15 deadline, but tax scams continue. Don't fall for any of the schemes any time of the year that made 2022's IRS Dirty Dozen tax scams list. (June 16, 2022)
Market drop could favor some Roth IRA moves — If you're freaking out because your retirement accounts are diving along with the stock market, you are not alone. But the one positive here is that if you have a traditional IRA, now could be a good tax time to convert it to a Roth IRA. Or, if you're a high-earner, open a back-door Roth before possible legislation removes that option. (June 18, 2022)
Tax tips for dads on Father's Day 2022 — Today is dad's day. Enjoy! But when you get back to real parenting life, these three tax tips could help: Determining child-related tax breaks when you're divorced and Parenting resources for single dads and 10 states with child tax credits. (June 19, 2022)
AI voice bots offering more IRS services — The Internal Revenue Service has activated new artificial intelligence (AI) bots that now can help taxpayers complete more elaborate tax tasks, such as setting up a payment plan. While we're not quite ready to totally welcome our IRS robot overlords, we are thankful that they're helping reduce some of the agency's frustrating wait times (and hold music) on in-person IRS telephone help lines. (June 21, 2022)
White House seeks federal gas tax holiday — If your gas tank can hold out, you might soon pay a little less at your neighborhood gas station's pumps. President Joe Biden has asked Congress to enact a 3-month gas tax holiday this summer. (June 24, 2022)
6 tax holiday shopping tips — Is your state one of the 18 holding a sales tax holiday this summer? Before you head out to make tax-saving purchases, check out these 6 shopping tips. They could help you make the most of your state's no-tax event. (June 29, 2022)

*****

I know June bugs, like the one pictured above, don't have a catchy, alliterative insect admonition like "busy as a bee" that would work for taxes. But like taxes, you work with what you've got, and for this sixth month of the year, it's June bugs.

While these beetles can damage your yard and plants, they, again keeping with the duality of Geminis, are lovely to look at. So enjoy its iridescent features.

Then, after that pause for a moment of nature, if you're still working on your tax return, feel free to check out this year's earlier monthly tips. The January through May ones are available by clicking on the links below.

And yes, you also can click on the July through December links, but you'll just be greeted by an enthusiastically animated gentleman urging you to, as we (or at least me) say in Texas, "Whoa Up!" His GIF visage will be replaced by appropriate tax tips when those months do arrive.

January	July
February	August
March	September
April	October
May	November
June	December

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)
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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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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 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.

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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

July 2025

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Uncle Sam on vintage postcard.
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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.

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