Don't Mess With Taxes

Kudos

                                            
                                               IRS still accepts checks, but has rules about paper payments
                                            
                                                Tuesday, March 14, 2023

… and some special instructions for those who owe $1 or less or $1 million or more. While bank checks may seem antiquated to most people today, some people still like to pay that way. That includes writing a check to cover their tax bill. (Photo by Steve Shook via Flickr CC) Since most of us e-file our taxes, it's only natural that when we owe, we pay Uncle Sam electronically, too. But most is not all. Some folks still file paper returns. And some taxpayers who do e-file still prefer to pay with an old fashioned, handwritten paper check... Read more →

Posted on Tuesday, March 14, 2023 at 09:37 PM in Filing, Forms, IRS, Kudos, Paying taxes, Tax planning, Tax Tip, Taxes | Permalink | Comments (2)

Tags: cash, check, IRS, money order, paying taxes, tax, taxes, U.S. Treasury

                                            
                                               Don't Mess With Taxes named AWC 2012 Clarion Award winner
                                            
                                                Friday, August 17, 2012

It's always a thrill to be recognized, but I'm especially honored that the ol' blog was named a 2012 Association for Women in Communications Clarion Award winner. I've been a writing my entire life and getting paid to scribble since I was studying journalism at Texas Tech University. It was there that I joined AWC and that membership moved with me from Texas to the Washington, D.C., area to Florida and back home to the Lone Star State. One of the first calls I made upon arriving in Austin seven years ago was to the city's AWC chapter. So getting... Read more →

Posted on Friday, August 17, 2012 at 11:45 PM in Kudos, Taxes, Weblogs, Work-job-career | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tags: Association for Women in Communications, best personal blog, Clarion Award, online media, tax, taxes

                                            
                                               What a wonderful financial weekend
                                            
                                                Monday, October 03, 2011

I'm slowly settling back into my routine after a jam-packed weekend in suburban Chicago with hundreds of other personal finance bloggers. Not to sound all NASCAR-y, but thanks to all the corporate sponsors who supported the inaugural gathering. Their underwriting helped all us financial types follow our own money advice and be able to afford to participate. Please check them out at the Financial Blogger Conference home page. Thanks to all the great speakers. We all gave up a weekend to get together, but you guys and gals actually worked while the rest of us got to sit back and... Read more →

Posted on Monday, October 03, 2011 at 11:09 AM in Finances, Kudos, Taxes | Permalink | Comments (6)

Tags: best tax blog, Financial Bloggers Conference, Flexo, Plutus Awards, PT Money

                                            
                                               The Plutus Awards 2011
                                            
                                                Saturday, September 03, 2011

What a nice way to start a holiday weekend. The second annual Plutus Awards finalists have been announced and the ol' blog made the list again this year. Don't Mess With Taxes is tapped as one of four Best Tax Blogs. I'm thrilled to be on the ballot with CafeTax, JoeTaxpayer and TaxProf. We're part of the The Plutus Awards for financial blogs that aren't affiliated with mainstream media and commercial financial products. And as the word ballot indicates, there is a vote involved. If you're so inclined, click on open and pick your favorites, not only in the tax... Read more →

Posted on Saturday, September 03, 2011 at 04:22 PM in Finances, Kudos, Taxes, Weblogs | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tags: CafeTax, Consumerism Commentary, finance, JoeTaxpayer, personal finance blogs, Plutus Awards, tax, tax blogs, taxes, TaxProf

Accounting blogs for the kids

Friday, November 19, 2010

I'm what's diplomatically described as being "of a certain age," so I feel free to use the term "kids" as I please. In this headline's instance, I'm not talking toddlers, but college kids. That's an audience, specifically students studying accounting, that apparently might find the ol' blog entertaining and informative, according to Jared Eutsler, a CPA (and a lot of other financial accreditations noted by his many suffixes!) and full-time faculty member of the School of Business at Rasmussen College. Don't Mess With Taxes is included in Eutsler's blog post 20 Blogs Accounting Students Will Love. "We've hand-picked 20 authoritative... Read more →

Posted on Friday, November 19, 2010 at 12:16 AM in Kudos, Taxes, Weblogs | Permalink | Comments (2)

Tags: Rasmussen College, taxes, top blogs for accounting students

Tax geeks, wonks and me

Saturday, October 30, 2010

No, that headline is not a description of my Halloween constume. I'm still deciding. Neither is it the title of a new tax-themed television series. By the way, what ever happened to that Ron Howard/David Krumholtz "Tax Man" program pitched to Fox? My headline refers to a list complied by CPA Trendlines of 64 Tax Blogs for Geeks and Wonks. The directory is divided into categories including tax policy blogs by American professors, by think tanks and blogs specializing in state and local taxes. The final grouping is what CPA Trendlines calls tax blogs that help American taxpayers make sense... Read more →

Posted on Saturday, October 30, 2010 at 11:54 AM in Kudos, Taxes, Weblogs | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tags: CPA Trendlines, geeks, kudos, taxes, top tax blog list, wonks

Making the 20 top tax blogs list!

Monday, April 05, 2010

What a nice way to start a Monday! In catching up on my weekend tax reading, I discovered that the ol' blog made Career Overview's 2010 list of the 20 Best Blogs for Tax Advice. Thanks for the recognition! I'm thrilled to be cited for doing something that's so much personal fun. Yes, I'm a total tax geek. And I'm honored to be included in such stellar tax blogging company.Related posts: 2009 Plutus Awards Top Tax Blog finalist FINS/WSJ Top Five Accounting Blogs TaxProf's Top 10 Tax Blogs MauledAgain's 10 Favorite Tax Blogs BloggingSuit's Blogs We Like Want to tell... Read more →

Posted on Monday, April 05, 2010 at 01:07 PM in Kudos, Taxes, Weblogs | Permalink | Comments (2)

Tags: Top tax blogs

                                            
                                               Plutus 'top tax blog' voting underway
                                            
                                                Wednesday, February 24, 2010

As I mentioned earlier this week, Don't Mess With Taxes has been nominated for The Plutus Award as a top tax blog. In my giddy nomination announcement (I'll say it again: It's a thrill just to be nominated!), I also threatened promised to let you know when you could help determine the winner of each of the many Plutus Awards categories. Now's that time. Flexo at Consumerism Commentary, creator of the awards, explains The Plutus Awards genesis and the voting procedure for the ultimate winners. If you're so inclined to give the ol' blog a click, thank you! You can... Read more →

Posted on Wednesday, February 24, 2010 at 09:35 AM in Finances, Kudos, Taxes, Weblogs | Permalink | Comments (1)

Tags: Plutus Awards, taxes

Today's Tax Tip

Later estimated tax deadline delayed for disaster-area filers — Sept. 16 is the deadline for most estimated tax payers to make 2024's third payment, but not all. Those who live in a location where tax relief has been granted because of a major disaster get more time. That’s the case 19 states and 2 U.S. territories. Some now have a Nov. 1 due date. Others have until Feb. 3, 2025, to meet their estimated and other tax obligations. (Sept. 13, 2024)
The 2024 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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My Other Accounts

Tick ... Tick ... Tick

Tax Season 2024 continues!

We made it. Tax Day 2024 is finally over. For most of us. An estimated 19 million taxpayers got an extension to file their 2023 tax year return. That's fine.
In fact, the Internal Revenue Service appreciates some of us spreading out our filings. It gives the agency time to process the surge of returns
that came in on April 15.

But enough about Uncle Sam's tax collector and its 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 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 still adding up 2024 tax bill.

Finally, keep an eye on the countdown clock below. It will help you track yet more days tick, tick, ticking off toward that absolutely final fall filing due date.
Note: I'm in the Central Time Zone, so adjust accordingly for where you live.

Time for Tax Tasks

🍁 Hello 🍁 September 🍁
🍂 Fall 🍂 is 🍂 here! 🍂

OK, fall’s not here yet, at least not here in Texas according to still quite-warm temperatures. But forecasters say cooler weather — like highs in the 80s; yes, everything, especially weather, is relative — is on its way, and that meteorological promise gives up hope.

via GIPHY

As we get ready for the promised bit of chill, September also is a great month to make some cool tax moves, like those listed below. So, grab a sweater (or not yet), and let's go!
Sept. 1: Today is Meteorological Fall, the three months from Sept. 1 through Nov. 30 when days get shorter and cooler, but not cold. It's also the start of the annual National Preparedness Month. This year’s theme is “Start a Conversation,” since it's important to talk with your loved ones about potential emergencies. It's also critical to be prepared, as the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico hurricane season usually peaks in September.

We’ve already had three tropical systems do enough damage to prompt Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) major disaster declarations. The 2024 tropical storm season’s second named storm, Hurricane Beryl, landed as “just” a category 1 on the Texas coast, but still took 38 souls and left Lone Star State residents facing an estimated $30 billion in damages.

Hurricane Debby made two U.S. landfalls, in the Big Bend area of Florida and then again in South Carolina before moving up the Eastern Seaboard, producing disaster declarations all the way up to Vermont. Tropical Storm Ernesto, followed, slamming the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as spawning deadly rip tides along East Coast beaches as the storm moved toward Bermuda.

And, coinciding with Meteorological Fall, we’ve still got three months of the 2024 hurricane season to go!

That has coastal residents on edge, since Uncle Sam's official forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center say we could get 17 to 25 total named storms, which are those with winds of 39 mph or higher. Of those, eight to 13 are forecast to become hurricanes, meaning winds of 74 mph or higher. Four to seven becoming major hurricanes; that’s category 3, 4 or 5, with winds of 111 mph or higher.

Regardless of the count, it only takes one to wreck your world. If you haven’t already, get ready for not just tropical systems, but whatever dangerous weather that’s common where you live. 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 special 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.

Sept. 2: Happy Labor Day! This annual celebration of workers' contributions is a federal holiday and day off for many.

When you get back to work after this three day holiday, take a few minutes to check the federal tax amount that’s coming out of your paychecks. If you need to adjust your withholding so that you have the most accurate amount of taxes withheld, now is the time to do that. Submitting a new W-4 early this month will mean any changes are spread over the last four months of the year, making any impact less noticeable.

Sept. 3: If you live in Auglaize, Crawford, Darke, Delaware, Hancock, Licking, Logan, Mercer, Miami, Richland, or Union counties in Ohio, today is your Tax Day. The Internal Revenue Service granted individual and businesses in those counties tax relief since they were declared major disaster areas following a tornado outbreak in March.

Sept. 10: Do you work 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 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 August 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.

Sept. 16: Today is the deadline to pay your third installment of estimated taxes. This tax is due on income that’s not subject to withholding, such as investment earnings or contract work. Most estimated tax filers make the payments four times a year. The September payment is for such earnings received in June, July, and August. It’s usually on the 15th, but since that was Sunday, the deadline is pushed to the next business day — today!

Sept. 23: Sept. 22: The Autumnal Equinox arrives today at 8:44 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time in the Northern Hemisphere, marking the first day of Fall for all us who don't follow the meteorological fall calendar. Adjust for your time zone, since the equinox occurs at the same moment worldwide. It's also a go-to day to think about home maintenance that will help you weather the coming colder weather. The Inflation Relief Act includes extension of older and addition of new energy-related tax breaks, including some for residential energy improvements.

Sept. 30: Wow! Where did September go? That’s a good question to ask if you got an extension to file your 2023 tax return earlier this year. The last day of this ninth month means that your absolutely final Oct. 15 due day is another month closer. So you might want to get to work on that Form 1040 now. The easiest way to do do is to use tax software and electronically file.

If your adjusted gross income is $79,000 or less, you should check into Free File, the no-cost online tax preparation and electronic filing program offered by the IRS and its Free File Alliance partners. It’s open through the Oct. 15 extension deadline. This year, eight tax software companies offer programs to qualifying taxpayers.

Note that the Free File $79,000 or less income threshold applies to all filing statuses. If your income is too high, you still can file for free by using Free File's Free Forms option.

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 Forms 2024 page.

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Affiliate Books

The Truth
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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
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Find out more about my book and excerpted chapters at the FT Press
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You can read more
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Kay Bell helps you build
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"Personal Finance: An Encyclopedia
of Modern Money Management"

Kay Bell breaks down taxes and
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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 2024 Taxes
Taxes for Dummies 2024
Tax Savvy for Small Business

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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.

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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
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

September 2024

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Photo by Kay Bell
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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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