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Saturday (or Sunday) Shout Out 2020

Meg White vintage megaphones via GiphyMeg White via Giphy

Shout it out loud: A new year and decade has arrived!

You know what that means. It's time for a brand new bunch of Saturday or Sunday Shout Outs for the 2020 tax year.

As in its earlier iterations, this feature allows me to share good tax info from other places and gives me a bit more free time each weekend.

Hey, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. So I'm just going to keep on sharing and shouting.

Enjoy these articles/posts and your weekends!

  • Boxing Day 2020 giving ideas and tax tips (Dec, 26, 2020)
  • Some bad and good tax advice from the pros (Dec. 19, 2020)
  • Surprise! Congress reaches agreement on handling of unexpected medical bills (Dec. 12, 2020)
  • Yes, Virginia, you'll probably pay tax on your Christmas tree (Dec. 5, 2020)
  • A tax return clue in the D.B. Cooper mystery (Nov. 28, 2020)
  • IRS won't provide blanket tax relief for penalties assessed during COVID-19 (Nov. 21, 2020)
  • Working from home is an advantage that should be taxed, says report (Nov. 14, 2020)
  • Tax ballot issues 2020 results (Nov. 7, 2020)
  • Halloween tax scare: state taxation of candy and other food (Oct. 31, 2020)
  • In the wake of disasters & COVID-19, will the IRS be ready for the 2021 tax season? (Oct. 24, 2020)
  • Trump, GOP claims about Biden's tax plan are wrong (Oct. 17, 2020)
  • Tax lessons from an indicted millionaire for the rest of us (Oct. 10, 2020)
  • Garage sale proceeds typically aren't taxable (Oct. 3, 2020)
  • Work from home pros, cons and home office tax tip (Sept. 26, 2020)
  • Thank you, RBG. RIP (Sept. 19, 2020)
  • Third estimated tax payment due Sept. 15 (Sept. 12, 2020)
  • 529 plans, other tax breaks help cover education expenses, even during a pandemic (Sept. 5, 2020)
  • Treasury clears up Trump's payroll tax order. Just kidding! (Aug. 29, 2020)
  • IRS stops sending nonpayment tax notices until it clears COVID snail mail backlog (Aug. 22, 2020)
  • COVID-19 sports consequences and gambling costs, even on the fantasy sports front (Aug. 15, 2020)
  • COVID-19 is screwing up sports and complicating some professional athletes' taxes (Aug. 8, 2020)
  • Remembering land value tax advocate Mason Gaffney (Aug. 1, 2020)
  • Rep. John Lewis' efforts, including for tax justice, remembered (July 25, 2020)
  • COVID-19 relief phase 4: Provision previews and predictions (July 18, 2020)
  • Crazy tax deductions: When they don't - and do! - work (July 11, 2020)
  • Not yet independence, freedom or justice for all in America on this July 4th (July 4, 2020)
  • Summer job 2020 prospects + 12 tax tips if you do get hired (June 27, 2020)
  • TIGTA says IRS needs to get tougher on delinquent tax pros (June 20, 2020)
  • Positive audit burdens and other tax readings (June 12, 2020)
  • Trump vs. Biden on taxes, a 2020 election preview (June 6, 2020)
  • Sweet tax dreams with Tax Code Coma tape (May 30, 2020)
  • Expat tax break could net larger COVID-19 relief payment (May 23, 2020)
  • New cinematic take on most famous U.S. tax cheat (May 16, 2020)
  • Sharing mom's love with good causes on Mother's Day (May 10, 2020)
  • COVID-19 payments going to foreign students, as well as dead people (May 3, 2020)
  • Don't fall for these 4 common COVID-19 payment scams (April 26, 2020)
  • States also are taking COVID-19 financial hits (April 18, 2020)
  • July 15 now the deadline for most tax actions (April 11, 2020)
  • Don't forget 'normal' tax matters during COVID-19 tax season (April 4, 2020)
  • Compare COVID payments using 2019 or 2018 tax return (March 28, 2020)
  • Taxes' critical role in times of crisis (March 22, 2020)
  • Tax Day still is (for now) April 15, but IRS has new coronavirus tax webpage (March 15, 2020)
  • Tennessee tornado victims' tax deadlines extended to July 15 (March 7, 2020)
  • Leap Day poses potential tax withholding issues (Feb. 29, 2020)
  • The wide range of state and local taxes (Feb. 22, 2020)
  • Ways to work around the end of the stretch IRA (Feb. 15, 2020)
  • Dealing with a wrong tax statement (Feb. 8, 2020)
  • Super Bowl rooting reasons and tax residency implications (Feb. 1, 2020) 
  • Timing differences in Vanguard's issuance of 1099s (Jan. 25, 2020)
  • How Prohibition made us more reliant on the income tax (Jan. 18, 2020)
  • IRS gig economy tax tips for all side hustlers, even TV stars (Jan. 11, 2020)
  • Progressive tax rates help ease tax bite on income increases, minimum wage or otherwise (Jan. 4, 2020)

You can read more of the whys and wherefores of the Shout Out idea in the original post about the one-weekend-day posts. There you'll also find all of 2017's Shout Outs.

And if you interested in who got tax-related hollers in the last two years, you'll find them on the 2018 and 2019 pages. (And, thanks to the magic of the internet, if you want to time travel into the future, check the 2021 tax shouts.)

Thanks and I'll say it again, enjoy your weekends with a little bit of taxes on the side. I know I will!

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Today's Tax Tip

  • IRS TACs holding special Saturday hours for walk-ins — To help taxpayers who can't make a weekday appointment at an Internal Revenue Service Taxpayer Assistance Center (TAC), the tax agency will open some of them across the country on four upcoming Saturdays nationwide. The first Saturday TAC sessions will be this weekend, Feb. 11. The other special openings will be on March 11, April 8, and May 13. Best of all, no appointments needed at any of the TAC Saturdays. (Feb. 8, 2023)

  • Tax Tip; click pencil for all tax tip links

  • The 2023 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
    Open sign
    Kay Bell — Native Texan
    (the blog title totally makes sense now, right?). Professional journalist. Tax geek.

My Other Accounts

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Tick ... Tick ... Tick

  • Tax Year 2023 Countdown!

    Happy New Tax Year! Are you ready to file your 2022 tax return? Me neither. But at least this year we're getting some extra time to file and pay any tax we owe. Even better, it's not COVID-19 pandemic related. Tax Day 2023 is Tuesday, April 18. This later date is because April 15, 2023, is on Saturday, and the next business day, Monday, April 17, is Emancipation Day.
    When this Washington, D.C., holiday falls on the day our federal taxes are due, it bumps Tax Day nationwide to the next business day. So this year, we have until Tuesday, April 18, to finish our federal forms and, if we find we owe, come up with the money for Uncle Sam. The states that follow the federal tax calendar, which is most of them, also tend to abide by this date change.

    The countdown clock below should help us from missing out on making important tax-saving moves the rest of this year. Plus, the Tax Moves below the counter will list some timely tasks to take care this first month of 2023, and each of the remaining 11 when they arrive. They'll speed by quickly when you're having tax fun!
    Note: I'm in the Central Time Zone, so adjust accordingly for where you live.


Time for Tax Tasks


  • monthly tax moves


  • Hello February, and ❤ to our new 2023 Valentine, the Internal Revenue Service. OK, maybe love for the IRS is a little much, but we at least want to make nice with Uncle Sam's tax collector this month as it goes into the first full, albeit short, month of the tax season. That means some taxpayers will be getting their refunds in February!

    via GIPHY

    With just 28 days, it will mean some full days for both IRS employees, some of whom are still trying to catch up on that lingering COVID-19 pandemic backlog, and all of us who'll file this month. So let's not waste anymore time, and get to some tax tasks for this shortest month of the year!

    Feb. 1: Employers and other third-party payers were to have issued us our W-2 and associated 1099 forms by Jan. 31. If you're still waiting, be patient and give them a tad more time. And don't forget to check your email, as many issuers sent out electronic notices of the online availability forms and other statements you need to file your taxes instead of relying on the U.S. Postal Service.

    Feb. 2: Happy Groundhog Day!

    Fat Groundhog; click image for Groundhog Day details

    The main reason to wait for the correct tax statements is to avoid getting caught in a Bill Murray kind of tax loop, where you have to file an amended tax return because you entered wrong info on your original 1040.

    Feb. 7: Black History Month is celebrated every day this month, commemorating the achievements by black Americans and recognizing the role of African Americans in U.S. history.

    The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the nation's oldest and largest grassroots-based civil rights organization, was founded on this month, specifically on Feb. 12, 1909, the centennial anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln, who issued the Emancipation Proclamation twice.

    One of the NAACP's key divisions is its Legal Defense and Educational Fund.
    If you want to support the Fund's work, during Black History Month or any day of the year, you can donate to it and, since it is a 501(c)(3) organization, claim your gift as a charitable tax deduction if you itemize. Sorry, filling out Schedule A is your only option this filing season, since Congress didn't renew the option to claim cash gifts of up to $300 for single filers or $600 for married filing jointly couples directly on Form 1040.

    Feb. 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 got lots of financial thanks for doing your job well, but remember that those tips are taxable income.

    restaurant check tip iStock
    Whether you're dining in or, still COVID leery and 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.

    If you got at least $20 in gratuities in January, you must account for the tips today by using Form 4070 to report last month's tips total to your employer.

    Feb. 12: Are your ready Chiefs, Eagles, and special television commercial fans? It's finally Super Bowl Sunday! Not only will today's 57th Super Bowl decide American professional football's champion, it's also the biggest single betting day of the year. The NFL, like the other professional U.S. sports leagues, have embraced betting. Just remember, if any of your wagers pay off, you owe tax on your winnings. Note, too, that even if your winnings are part of a fantasy sports bet, the associated taxes are very real.

    Feb. 14: Happy Valentine's Day! Do you and your better half file a joint return? Most married couples do. Remember to look over the 1040 carefully before you sign it. When both spouses sign their jointly filed 1040, each is jointly and severally liable for the entire tax amount due. I don't want to spoil your Heart Day celebration, but this means the IRS can come after either spouse for payment of a tax bill, even the husband or wife who is in more dire financial circumstances.

    Feb. 15: Today is the day that the Internal Revenue Service finally can issue refunds to filers who claimed the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or additional Child Tax Credit. But don't spend the money just yet. Even if you're getting your tax refund directly deposited, the IRS' general processing time plus protocols of financial institutions receiving the refunds you’re your tax cash probably won't actually show up in your account until the end of this month.

    Feb. 20: Today is one of the reasons for tax refund delays. It's the Washington Birthday federal holiday, officially honoring George Washington, the Father of Our Country. Over the years, however, this federal (three-day, yay!) holiday has come to commemorate the contributions of all our Commanders in Chief, and is popularly known as Presidents' Day. That means we've got to give another shout out to Abraham Lincoln, who essentially was father of our income tax system, signing into law a tax on earnings to help pay Civil War costs.

    Feb. 24: You're ready to work on your tax return, but you're on a budget. No worries. The IRS and its Free File Alliance partners again offer no-cost online tax preparation and electronic filing to eligible taxpayers at the IRS' special Free File web page. This year, seven tax software companies are participating.

    IRS Free File; click image for details

    The Free File income threshold this year remains at adjusted gross income (AGI) of $73,000 or less, regardless of your filing status.

    Feb. 28: Wow! February really did speed by, especially since we were having so much tax fun. Or maybe you weren't having any fun at all trying to do your taxes yourself, even with software's prompts, and have decided to turn to professional tax help. That's a smart move, and here are some tips on how to find the perfect tax professional for your filing and planning needs. Note, though, that at this point in the filing season, you're likely to be placed at the end of that tax pro's very long client queue, as reputable tax preparers' calendars fill up fast. So again, be patient. You're at least now in tax filing line.

    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 2023 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 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.

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COVID-19 & Taxes

  • COVID-19
    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-December 2022
    You can find medical coronavirus resource links in the next section.

COVID-19 Resources

  • COVID-19
    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

February 2023

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5 6 7 8 9 10 11
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 28        

Tell it to the Hill

  • DMWT Politics Posts
  • 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.

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