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Don't Mess With Taxes

Translating taxes into money-saving English

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More of Kay's Copy

 

SKB-head-shot-navbarI've been writing for, well, I'm not going to tell you how long!

But I will admit to writing specifically about taxes since 1999.

I started my tax blog, Don't Mess With Taxes, on Nov. 14, 2005. Feel free to poke around and see the type of tax topics that appeal to me and my writing style in explaining them.

While taxes are far from simple, my goal in blogging about them is: Translate taxes into money-saving English.

Here's what some folks have to say about me and my blog:

 

     One of my favorites is Kay Bell (@taxtweet). She’s funny, smart and good. Her blog won the National Association for Women in Communications Clarion Award in 2012 [SKB note: and in 2014 and 2017] as the year's best Personal Blog. She recently explained the potential tax liability for people who bet on the Super Bowl (In case you've been out of touch, the Seattle Seahawks crushed the Denver Broncos) and used the late Pete Seeger as a hook to talk about the tax liability of married couples who file jointly (Hint: they share it). … If you want a respite from the drudgery of taxes, turn here. She also has a really cool Web site called "Don't mess with taxes." Those from Texas — Bell’s a native Texan — will love the name of her Web site, the rest of us will love her tax commentary." -- Joann Weiner, Washington Post, Feb. 5, 2014

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

     "This blog by Texas journalist Kay Bell aims to provide tax and personal-finance tips and advice 'that will put more money in your bank account, not the government treasury.' Ms. Bell, who previously worked for the House Ways and Means Committee in Washington and now writes about taxes for Bankrate.com, offers different approaches to make taxes less taxing. She often puts advice in a social or historical context. For instance, in honor of Alexander Graham Bell's birthday on March 3 -- and while lamenting the recent bombardment of calls from candidates soliciting votes -- she discussed the scenarios in which U.S. taxpayers can get a break on phone use. In other recent posts, she breaks down the economic-stimulus rebate with information that pertains to families with children, the elderly and state-by-state variations that residents should watch for." -- Beckey Bright, Wall Street Journal, March 31, 2008

But wait, there's more.

Since no one, not even a dedicated tax geek, can live by taxes alone, I've also written general personal finance articles, some money-themed pieces for corporate clients, and taken on a few non-financial assignments, like my motorsports column for a national transportation publishing company.

Here are links to some of the books and articles I've written over the years for various clients.

 

My first book: A guide to saving thousands of tax dollars over your lifetime.
"The Truth About Paying Fewer Taxes"

TruthAboutTaxes

 

  • Bankrate.com Tax Guide:
    An Annual Manual to Filing Your Taxes
    Tax Channel/Guide
  • Bankrate.com Blogs:
    A second helping of SKB tax blogging

    Bankrate Taxes Blog
  • NerdWallet.com
    Taxes ad infinitum
  •  Austin Woman (AW) magazine
    "Worth" financial columns
  • Crazy Woman Driver
    Kay's rants and raves about motorsports
  • Uncle Sam to the savings rescue
    10 tax-favored ways to stash cash
  • Home improvements
    Bird-friendly landscaping
  • The money message in movies (multimedia presentation)
    Lights! Camera! Money!
  • Santa, Scrooge and 10 more Christmas icons unknowingly offer money advice
    12 money tips from holiday 'experts' (online version)
    12 money tips from holiday 'experts' (Word version with images)

 

       More of my books

  • 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"


 

If you'd like to see more of my portfolio or discuss a potential project, e-mail me at dontmesswithtaxes @ gmail dot com (email address edited to prevent spamming).

Weekly Tax Tip

  • Reporting your winnings to the IRS — Uncle Sam apparently is Lady Luck's cousin. Your lottery jackpot, other gambling winnings and prizes, too, are taxable income. Here's how to report them to the Internal Revenue Service on Form 1040's Schedule 1. (Jan. 11, 2021)

  • Tax Tip; click pencil for all tax tip links

  • Check out all the latest post-Tax Day tax advice in the 2020 edition of Weekly Tax Tips. Many of these once-a-week tips will focus on planning moves to cut your 2020 tax bill.
    If, however, you got an extension and are still working on your 2019 return, you can get a refresher of the 2020 Filing Season Tax Tips at their respective monthly pages:
    January, February, March, April, May, June and July.

COVID-19 & Taxes

  • COVID-19
    Coronavirus has wreaked havoc
    on the 2020 tax season.
    This Coronavirus (COVID-19) & Taxes page has details.

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.

My Other Accounts

Sponsored Links

Tick ... Tick ... Tick

  • Tax Season 2021 is here!
    Happy New Tax Year! Are you ready to file your 2020 tax return? Me neither. With all the delays last year due to COVID-19, it seems like that prior tax season just finished. But time and taxes wait for no taxpayer. The Internal Revenue Service, which started 2021 by delivering more coronavirus economic relief payments, says it will be ready for our returns. So let's get prepared, too. The monthly tips and reminders a little further down this column should help us focus on our taxes and make the filing of them by go more smoothly. Also keep an eye on the countdown clock just below. It will help us keep track of how much time we have until Tax Day on April 15, just in case some of us want to put things off until the final hours. .
    Note: I'm in the Central Time Zone, so adjust accordingly for where you live.


Time for Tax Tasks


  • monthly tax moves

  • Oh, 2021. I cannot tell you how happy we are to see you. You will be better than 2020, right? Right?!?

    via GIPHY

    And just so there's no confusion, that's a question New Year 2021, not a challenge. So don't you dare try to outdo the just-past Year of COVID-19 and its many, many complications, including in the tax world.

    Jan. 1: While there's some good news with vaccines going out to fight the coronavirus pandemic, we'll still be dealing with it for a while. The Internal Revenue Service is delivering the second round of relief payments and the commissioner promises that the agency will start the 2021 filing season as usual later this month. I hope that's correct, but we shall see.

    Jan. 4: If your job made it through the tough last year, good for you and your company and welcome to the New Year's first work week. It's the perfect time to refine your payroll withholding. This is particularly applicable true for federal employees, including members of the military and even IRS personnel, whose withholding was suspended that last few months of 2020. That money must be paid to Uncle Sam, but a new late-year law says the repayment isn't due until the end of 2021. Adjustment withholding now will give you 52 weeks to spread it across, making the per-paycheck bite less painful.

    Jan. 7: The IRS' online withholding assistant or your tax pro can help you with your withholding amount and other tax numbers, but it's also a good idea going into a New Year to have an idea of your tax bracket and income tax rate. The rates tend to hold steady (until Congress starts fiddling!), but the brackets are adjusted annually for inflation. You can check out the 2021 income brackets (and 2020's for comparison) in the first post in the ol' blog's annual inflation series. At the end of that item, you'll find a directly to the other nine inflation items.

    Jan. 11: Continuing coronavirus precautions mean some restaurants are still closed for in-house dining. Other eateries are managing with take-out meals and deliveries. Whether you're able to enjoy table service in or getting food brought to your house, remember to tip your server or delivery person.

    restaurant check tip iStock
    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 are still on the job, remember that your tips are taxable income. If you at least $20 in job-related gratuities last December, you need to account for them today by using Form 4070 to report your tips today to your employer.

    Jan. 13: Did some of those tips come from a side hustle? That's just one of the tax matters to think about when you are part of the gig economy. In these freelance or contractor situations, you'll need to pay estimated taxes.

    Jan. 15: The final estimated tax payment for the prior year, 2020 in this case, is due today. The other three payments are for earnings in 2021 that aren't subject to withholding and are due on April 15, June 15 and Sept. 15. And be sure to account for your self-employment tax in figuring your estimated amounts.

    Jan. 18: Many people spend Martin Luther King Jr. Day each year as a day of service.

     MLK Day 2020 logo
    Click image to find out ways
    you can volunteer on MLK Day.

    Taking time on Dr. King's holiday to volunteer at a charity isn't tax deductible, but some costs associated with volunteering could help reduce your tax bill if you itemize. Most filers, however, claim the standard deduction and a new tax law gives them a tax break, too. On your 2020 return, you can claim up to $300 in donations directly on your Form 1040. In 2021, the $300 amount remains, but is doubled for couples who file jointly.

    Jan. 21: If the IRS meets its usual timetable, the annual tax-filing season will start soon. If you can get your tax material together, then there are several good reasons to file your return early.

    Jan. 25: Millions of filers find electronic tax options are great ways to get returns to the IRS as soon as possible. The tax agency agrees. In fact, for almost two decades, the IRS has partnered with the Free File Alliance to offer eligible taxpayers access to online tax software and e-filing through the aptly named Free File site at IRS.gov.

    IRS Free File; click image for details

    Last year, Free File was available to filers with adjusted gross income of $69,000 or less, regardless of filing status. That threshold has been bumped up to $72,000 for this filing season. If you're eligible, be ready to log-on when Free File officially opens, which usually around this time.

    Jan. 29: Of course, regardless of how you file your taxes, you can't do so until you all the necessary documents, such as W-2 and 1099 forms. Employers have until the end of the month (or Feb. 1 this year since Jan. 31 falls on Sunday) to get the to you, so be on the lookout for all the documents you need to file.

    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

  • 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 Fiesta! 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
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Mapping Your Tax Route

  • Do you get lost doing your taxes? Check out the Taxpayer Advocate Service's Taxpayer Roadmap.

    Taxpayer Advocate Taxpayer Maps 2019

    This publication, designed along the lines of a subway map, shows the many routes and detours of a taxpayer's journey through our elaborate Internal Revenue Code and the Internal Revenue Service's enforcement of our tax collection system.

Sponsored Links

  • 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.

  • TruthAboutTaxes
  • 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 ...

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

Sponsored Content

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 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
    © 2005-2021 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.

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.
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