Last week at my other tax blog (2016)

It's that time again. A new year has arrived, bringing with it the hopes, fears, frustrations and confusion of another 365 days of taxes.

Actually, 2016 brings us 366 days, since it's a Leap Year. And that one extra day could make all the tax difference in the world.

The new year has gotten off to a relatively smooth start, tax-wise. Will that continue? I vote no, not because I want tax chaos, but because some sort of chaos generally accompanies taxes.

Whatever happens in the tax world, you'll find it here on the ol' blog, as well as at Bankrate Taxes Blog.

As I've done for the last five years, I'll continue in 2016 to recap on the ol' blog the tax topics that I discussed over at Bankrate. I'll try to get the highlights and links to my other tax blog up each weekend, but I can't commit to a specific weekend day or time.

You can keep checking the ol' blog for those Bankrate-related highlights (thanks!). Or you can check out his special directory page. Either way, enjoy!

No, I haven't been slacking off when it comes to updating this page.
Effective Oct. 5, 2016, I am no longer blogging for Bankrate.com.
But no worries!
That means I have even more time and topics for the ol' blog.

Nov. 4, 2016: Don't fall for phone or email tax scams (OK, this is the last Bankrate blog post, which I turned in back in September, but was held until the accompanying video was ready.)
Oct. 9, 2016: Add EAs to the tax preparation -- and privacy -- mix
Sept. 30, 2016: Wyoming: wild, western and welcoming to businesses seeking a friendly tax climate
Sept. 25, 2016: Taxes are part of travel, but at least many business trip expenses are deductible
Sept. 18, 2016: Tax code tweaks could help increase retirement savings
Sept. 12, 2016: Most people pay more payroll than income taxes
Sept. 2, 2016: Making sure your property tax bill is correct
Aug. 28, 2016: A possibly deductible tax tune worth learning
Aug. 21, 2016: U.S. Olympians might get a tax victory, too
Aug. 13, 2016: Tax ID thieves are hard at work this summer
Aug. 5, 2016: Shoppers in 12 states can pocket tax holiday savings as long as they read the eligible items' fine print
Aug. 2, 2016: Trump vs. Buffett in proposed tax return throwdown
July 20, 2016: Look for additional Koskinen impeachment action when Congress reconvenes in September
July 14, 2016: Private Mike Pence, Trump's possible VP pick, might not release his tax returns either
July 10, 2016: Las Vegas strip club gets 1099 from Floyd Mayweather
July 3, 2016: July is a big birthday month for IRS & Baby Boomers
June 27, 2016: Electronic advisory committee urges IRS to dive even deeper into the digital pool
June 18, 2016: Bloomberg taking effort to tax sugary drinks nationwide
June 12, 2016: No posts last week at my other tax blog. Even tax geeks take a vacation now and then.
June 5, 2016: Moving expenses are tax deductible, but don't go crazy with claims
May 27, 2016: Small businesses are easy state tax scam targets
May 23, 2016: DEA considering easing federal marijuana law
May 15, 2016: Texas former billionaire Sam Wyly convicted of tax fraud
May 10, 2016: Panama Papers players revealed in massive online database, but no big name Americans on the list
April 30, 2016: Tax gap hits $458 billion
April 26, 2016: IRS needs to address its insider tax ID theft risks
April 17, 2016: Fix the tax code, not just the tax-filing process
April 10, 2016: Near a 7-Eleven? Pop in, pick up a Slurpee and pay your IRS tax bill in cash … but plan ahead and be careful
April 3, 2016: IRS refunds still trickling out
March 27, 2016: Problems with prepaid card tax refunds
March 20, 2016: IRS 2016 refunds around same amount, at same pace; not so in many states
March 10, 2016: Ways & Means chairman promises more Congressional scrutiny of IRS security procedures
March 6, 2016: IRS 'Future State' plans and service, security concerns
Feb. 27, 2016: A look at IRS seizure, civil forfeiture rules
Feb. 18, 2016: IRS issues an extra tax phishing alert on the heels of its annual Dirty Dozen tax scams list
Feb. 11, 2016: Super Bowl jock taxes mean some players pay more in taxes than they made from the NFL championship game
Feb. 6, 2016: TaxSlayer data breach is the 3rd tax software-related security issue so far this filing season
Jan. 30, 2016: Global income inequality tied to worldwide tax havens
Jan. 24, 2016: Taxpayers want up-front pricing from paid tax preparers
Jan. 17, 2016: Lotteries aren't budget bonanzas for states
Jan. 10, 2016: 24 top taxpayer problems of 2015
Jan. 3, 2016: 6 reasons why a flat tax is not a good idea. Although these posts are from last week of December 2015, I've included them here since the ol' blog's post about them went up on the first Sunday of 2016.

If you've got some spare time and enjoy tax retrospectives, you can digitally thumb through the archives of 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 posts on the ol' blog about what I posted those last weeks at my other tax blog.

And finally, thanks for reading -- here, there and everywhere!

Today's Tax Tip

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)
The 2022 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!

COVID-19 & Taxes

Coronavirus has wreaked havoc
on the 2020 and 2021 tax seasons.
These three Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Taxes pages have details:
March-July 2020,
August-December 2020,
January-December 2021, and
January-… 2022
You can find medical coronavirus resource links further down this column.

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 Season 2022 continues!

Tax Day 2022 is finally over … unless you're one of the millions who have more time to file — looking at you taxpayers abroad and those in major disaster areas — or you got an extension to file your 2021 tax year return. That's fine. In fact, the Internal Revenue Service appreciates some of us spreading out our filings, especially when we and the agency still are dealing with all the complications of COVID-19 and taxes.

That's why the ol' blog's focus now is on all y'all still working on returns. But I haven't forgotten my organized taxpayer readers, who are already looking for ways to reduce their 2022 tax year bills. Yep, that amount is adding up, but there are moves you can make. The monthly tips and reminders a little further down this column can help everyone, regardless of which tax year you're working on.

Those on extension should keep a keen eye on the countdown clock below. It will help you track the days tick, tick, ticking off toward that absolutely final fall filing due date of Oct. 17. Yep, it's a few days later this year.
Note: I'm in the Central Time Zone, so adjust accordingly for where you live.

Time for Tax Tasks

Hello ☀️ June.
We are so happy to see your sunny face, bringing us the start of summer. Some brightness and warmth and a general better times ahead feeling is definitely what we need after a tax season, although back on an April schedule, still is feeling lingering COVID-19 effects.

via GIPHY

June 1: While we're ready to head to the beach, this month is important for coastal areas for another, less welcome reason. Today is the start of the Atlantic/Gulf of Mexico hurricane season. At least for the first time in eight years, we didn't have a tropical system form early on the eastern and southern sides of the United States. However, Hurricane Agatha did kick off the Pacific hurricane season. Regardless of where you live, it's time to get prepared for these potentially stormy summer months.

Uncle Sam's official forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center expect 2022 to bring as many as 21 named storms, with six to 10 possibly becoming hurricanes. Three to six of those could reach major status, which is category 3, 4 or 5 with winds of 111 mph or higher. Regardless of the count, it only takes one to wreak havoc. The countdown clock below 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.
These multi-page collections of posts offer tax advice on preparing for, recovering from and helping those who sustain damages from the many ways that that weather goes wild. That includes claiming uninsured losses from a major natural disaster as an itemized tax deduction.

June 5: Speaking of disasters, some other fits by Mother Nature earlier this year, delayed Tax Day for some taxpayers. Certain filers in Puerto Rico dealt with disastrous flooding in February, so the Internal Revenue Service gave them until June 15 to file their 2021 tax returns. If that's you, now's the time to get to work on those Form 1040s or file for an extension.

June 10: Eateries are still recovering from the challenges of operating during a national health crisis. Restaurants closed, then opened, then closed again. Others relied on and have stuck with take-out and deliveries. Whether you're dining in or still getting food brought to your house because of the latest Omicron coronavirus wave, 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 the person who brought it to you.

As for servers who now are back on the job, remember that your tips are taxable income. If you worked at least some of May 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.

June 14: Happy Flag Day! It's not a day-off-work federal holiday, but Flag Day has been an official day to celebrate the Star-Spangled Banner since 1949. If you need to buy a U.S. flag to fly today, you also might get a tax break. Several states exempt the national symbol from sales tax. Check with your state's tax department to see if you can save on your patriotic display.

June 15: In addition to being the federal 2021 return filing due date for some Puerto Rican taxpayers, today also is the due date for annual Form 1040 filings by U.S. citizens or resident aliens living and working abroad, as well as military personnel stationed outside the United States.

This mid-June day also is the deadline for the second estimated tax payment for the 2022 tax year.

June 19: Happy Father's Day!

Dad might not say so, but he appreciates being recognized, so take time today to let him know you care. And if your father is getting on up in years, take the time when you visit to make sure he doesn't need some added help from you. If you provide Pop a little, or even a lot of assistance, there's a chance you could get some help from a couple of tax credits.

June 19-20: June 19 also is our newest federal holiday, Juneteenth. This date marks when Texans finally received word that all slaves were free, and is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.

Since Juneteenth this year falls on Sunday, the federal holiday is on Monday, June 20.

June 21: It's official at 5:14 a.m. Eastern Time. Summer is here, on this longest day of the year.

Many charitable groups help people cope with the heat. Your gift to such IRS-qualified nonprofits could be tax deductible on next year's taxes. For now, you'll have to itemize to claim it. But there's a chance that Congress might reinstate the tax deduction for charitable gifts of up to $300 for single filers, double that for married jointly filing couples, that can be claimed directly on Form 1040.

June 30: If you missed spring cleaning, summer's still a good time to determine what you can do without. If that includes clothing or household items, you also can donate those and, if you itemize, claim what the items are worth on Schedule A. Just make sure you set the correct fair market value, or the IRS might disallow your tax break.

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 Talking Tax Forms 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.

Search

Subscribe:
E-mail, RSS or both!

Enter your Email

Powered by FeedBlitz
RSS

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.

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.
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"

Kay Bell breaks down taxes and
estate planning for millennials in
"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"

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

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

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 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.

©©©©© & ®®®®®

Don't Mess With Taxes®
is a registered trademark
of S. Kay Bell.

All content on this site is
© 2005-2022 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.

Blog powered by Typepad
Member since 11/2005

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

June 2022

Tell it to the Hill

While it's easy to rail at the IRS, for the most part we can thank — or blame — our tax laws on Congress and the White House. 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.

..................................................

.................................................................

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