June 2025 Tax Tips

It's time to walk on summer's sunny, and tax-tip-filled, side of the street.

Ah, June. We've been waiting for you!

Longer and warmer days are already here, even before the summer solstice's official arrival. Schools are out. Pools are open. People are taking vacations.

What more could we ask?

How about tax moves.

I know, I'm harshing your summer bliss before it's even under way. Sorry, not sorry.

Taking some time between lazing by the pool (don't forget your sunscreen!) for a bit of tax planning now can mean as smoother, and potentially less costly, 2026 tax filing season.

Tax Day. Again: In keeping with the Gemini astrological sign that dominates two-thirds of June, this month means dual tax responsibilities for many taxpayers.

June is home to another Tax Day, June 15, although this year it's Monday, June 16 since the 15th is on Sunday.

June 16 is the filing deadline for U.S. citizens or resident aliens living and working abroad. This includes military personnel stationed outside the United States and Puerto Rico.

That same mid-June day is also the deadline for the second estimated tax payment for the 2023 tax year.

And then there are the millions who filed extensions so they didn't have to worry about the first Tax Day on April 15. Some of them will finish up those returns this month so they can enjoy the rest of the summer.

Taxes 2025, too: Most taxpayers, however, finished their filing in April. So, they are focusing on the current tax year. Their goal is to find ways to cut the amount they must pay the U.S. Treasury next filing season.

These multiple tax approaches are reflected in June's tax tips. There will be pieces of filing advice for those still working on 2024 returns, along with tax planning moves for 2025 taxes due next April.

Plus, we'll look at how taxes affect some of this month's traditions, such as celebrations of fatherhood, wedded bliss, and the summer solstice lauded at the start of this post.

Whatever your tax status, filing due date, or plans for this first official 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. As usual, before they land on this consolidated monthly page, you'll find them highlighted in the upper right corner of the ol' blog.

Hurricane season 2025 is officially here. Get ready now. — Federal forecasters once again are warning of a very busy hurricane season, which officially starts today, June 1, and runs through Nov. 30. The outlook is for up to 19 named storms, with as many as 10 becoming hurricanes. And three to five of this year's 'canes could be major storms. While the season heats up in August and September, the time to get ready is now. (June 1, 2025)
Take a pre-disaster inventory — The start of a new hurricane season means it's time to kick your disaster preparations into high gear. Among them is taking a pre-disaster inventory of your household goods. It will help you with your insurance claims or, if the catastrophe is declared a major disaster, support your claim of uninsured losses as a tax deduction. (June 1, 2025)
Estimated taxes, summer cleaning, and other June tax moves — June, the month when summer officially arrives, is the time we start, or at least plan, well-deserved vacations. But you also should make time for some June tax tasks. Some will keep you out of tax trouble. Others could mean tax savings. (June 2, 2025)
Better call a reputable tax professional for help — A tax professional can help you get the best possible results when you file your return. Unless you pick the wrong tax pro. Unscrupulous tax preparers cost taxpayers, and the Internal Revenue Service, every year. So do your homework and pick a reputable tax pro. (June 4, 2025)
DOGE minus Musk = DOGE — Donald Trump and Elon Musk are kaput personally, for now; with Trump, you can’t ever say never. But Musk’s controversial unofficial government agency created to ferret out waste, fraud, and abuse in federal agencies will continue. This weekend’s Saturday Shout Out post looks at the persistence of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). (June 7, 2025)
Still haven't filed your taxes? Do it now! — Yes, you read that nag friendly reminder right. Tax Day is long gone, but some folks still haven’t filed their returns, or paid the tax they owe. And every day, their tax bills grow thanks to penalties and interest. If you’re one of these post-deadline procrastinators, get on the stick and take care of your taxes now. Here are some ways to file and pay. (June 9, 2025)
Don't miss June 16 estimated tax due date — It’s estimated tax time again. The second payment for tax year 2025 is due Monday, June 16. The good news is you get an extra day, since the official June 15 due date is Sunday (which, by the way, is Father’s Day). The bad news is if you miss it, you could end up owing penalties and interest when you file next year. Here’s a look at the estimated tax rules, and ways to pay if you have income not subject to withholding. (June 10, 2025)
Uncle Sam's tax break gifts for fathers — Father’s Day is this weekend. If you’re buying pops a present, better get shopping. Or just laugh at his dad joke. You also can share info on the tax gifts that Uncle Sam has for dads (and moms) all year round. (June 11, 2025)
IRS e-payment posting problems — What’s up with e-payments recently? I’ve had an issue with a regular monthly e-payment that’s been in place for years. Then the Internal Revenue Service announces that it’s having problems properly registering electronic tax payments, resulting in some compliant taxpayers getting notices that they owe unpaid tax (and penalties and interest). The IRS, like my personal account, says it’s aware of the issue and working on it, so taxpayers don’t have to do anything. But, still, it’s a disconcerting e-trend. (June 12, 2025)
TX, OK, MO & MS get disaster tax relief as Trump plans FEMA phaseout — The Internal Revenue Service announced tax relief last week for taxpayers in Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Mississippi who live or have businesses in areas hard hit this spring by major storms. The move includes a new Nov. 3 deadline for various tax obligations. As that relief was being finalized, Donald Trump announced that he want to dramatically alter Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), whose decisions are the guide for IRS disaster-related tax relief. Trump want to phase out the disaster agency’s current role, shifting more disaster responsibility (and costs) to states. (June 14, 2025; updated June 15, 2025, to add Mississippi)
Added summer income means more tax considerations — If you’re taking on added jobs this summer instead of taking a vacation, be aware of the tax implications. Students at their first paying job are encountering the Internal Revenue Service for the first time. And workers well past their school days but who are earning extra via summer gigs could face new self-employment tax challenges. (June 15, 2025)
Senate releases tax bill that's at odds with House-passed version — Senate Republican tax writers on Monday, June 16, afternoon released their tax bill. As expected, there are changes that their House counterparts will not like. Notably, the Senate wants to keep the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act’s $10,000 cap on the federal tax deduction for state and local taxes. Some Representatives say they will vote against the bill if it arrives in the House with that provision. (June 16, 2025)
Juneteenth and the effects of federal holidays on taxes — Federal workers, whose offices are closed today, will be able to join Juneteenth celebrations nationwide. This newest federal holiday commemorates June 19, 1865, the day when the last enslaved people in the United States finally learned, two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, that they were free. Juneteenth will only tangentially affect taxes, but some other federal holidays cause major adjustments to Internal Revenue Service operations. (June 19, 2025)
Beating summer heat, and tax benefits for helping others chill, too — Summer is officially here. So are dangerous and potentially deadly heat waves. Know the heat-related illness warning signs, and keep yourself and your family safe. Also consider contributing to efforts to help others stay cool. Your assistance might provide you a tax deduction. (June 20, 2025)
Newlyweds’ tax checklist — Marriage can be wonderful. And challenging as two adjust to a new merged lifestyle. One change newlyweds encounter is how taxes affect their new shared life. Here are six tax matters couples who’ve recently tied the knot, or plan to, need to consider. (June 23, 2025)
Its’ past time to prepare for hurricane season 2025, as first storm is named — The 2025 hurricane season’s first named storm arrived Tuesday, June 24. The good news is that Tropical Storm Andrea is in the middle of the Atlantic and not a threat to any land and is expected to quickly fall apart. But the formation is a good reminder to get ready for the rest of the season’s coming tropical systems. Here are some tips from my blog, as well as government resources that can help. (June 24, 2025)
Tax changes take effect in many states on July 1 — Most tax watchers are focused on Capitol Hill, as Congress works to finalize a huge piece of legislation for Donald Trump to sign on July 4. But there’s another July date that’s also of tax importance. July 1 is when many state law changes take effect. Here’s a look at the new state tax laws that will kick in then. (June 28, 2025)
Electric vehicle tax credit could end in just three months — The Senate version of the One Big Beautiful Bill is even tougher on clean energy tax breaks, for both businesses and individual taxpayers, than the House’s original bill. One change would force drivers looking to lower their carbon tire tracks to act more quickly. To get the electric vehicle (EV) tax credit, they’d have to take possession of the auto by Sept. 30. (June 30, 2025)

*****

I can't tell you how thrilled I am that you want to kick off your summer with more tax tips. Rest assured, as the season's months arrive, those July and August pages linked below this June bug photo will start filling up with more timely tax information.

And yes, you can click on all the yet-to-come months' links in the list below. Those tax tips pages are live, in the sense that like this June page, the links will open instead of going to my 404 page.

But those tax tips pages don't have any advice yet because, well, they aren't here. Instead, you'll just find an energetic guy telling you to whoa up. When those calendar pages are flipped, the tips will be added.

Again, I appreciate your wanting more tax tips, and your patience on waiting for them to be posted.

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

OK, some about Kay

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

Taxes, Accounting, and Bookkeeping
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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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