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Saturday (or Sunday) Shout Outs for 2022

Meg White vintage megaphones via GiphyMeg White via Giphy

Yes, that shouting you're hearing is for the end of the chaotic, COVID-ridden 2021. Alas, we're still going to be dealing with the coronavirus pandemic (or endemic) for at least a bit into 2022.

I know, it makes me want to scream and yell and curse and shout, too. But I'm going to try to channel those urges into tax shout outs in 2022.

As in past years, this ol' blog's weekend feature will continue to recognize timely, helpful, interesting and sometimes amusing tax articles and posts.

The reason for and format of the Saturday (or Sunday) Shout Out(s) for 2022 remain the same. Sharing good tax info from other online sources gives me a bit more free time each weekend while keeping all y'all faithful readers up to date.

Or as we say here in Texas (and, I realize, elsewhere), if it ain't broke, don't fix it. So without further ado, let's get 2022's tax sharing and shouting going!

  • Trump's taxes reveal turns us all into auditors, but where was the IRS? (Dec. 31, 2022)
  • Help finding a tax credit eligible EV instead of a sleigh on Christmas Eve (Dec. 24, 2022)
  • Rolling IRA funds into an HSA is possible, but not simple (Dec. 17, 2022)
  • IRS seeking bilingual volunteers for VITA, TCE programs (Dec. 10, 2022)
  • Severance pay helps after a layoff, but it still is taxable (Dec. 3, 2022)
  • Tax Turkey to Avoid #4: Not moving some traditional IRA money to a Roth account (Nov. 26, 2022)
  • Voters made tax decisions on 2022 ballot measures (Nov. 19, 2022)
  • IRS criminal investigators ramp up crypto tax evasion cases (Nov. 12, 2022)
  • World Series games are a financial boon for Houston, Philly, and their tax collectors (Nov. 5, 2022)
  • DoL extends comment deadline on contractor or employee rule change (Oct. 29, 2022)
  • Tyler Perry audit ends in $9M refund, firing of accountants (Oct. 22, 2022)
  • Student debt relief online application site now open; prepare for beta test glitches and possible state taxes (Oct. 15, 2022)
  • Marshmallow seller doesn't owe s'more (or any) VAT to HMRC (Oct. 8, 2022)
  • New gig economy reporting law could create tax confusion for online sellers of personal property (Oct. 1, 2022)
  • Inflation's effect on stocks, as well as on investors' actions (Sept. 24, 2022)
  • 18 states sending residents tax refunds/rebates (Sept. 17, 2022)
  • Teachers deserve more than the current paltry tax deduction for classroom costs (Sept. 10, 2022)
  • How beer excise taxes hike your tailgating costs (Sept. 3, 2022)
  • Welcome federal student debt relief could create some state tax issues (Aug. 27, 2022)
  • Biden's just-enacted tax (and more) bill is SALT-free (Aug. 20, 2022)
  • Preparing for a possible IRS tax audit (Aug. 13, 2022)
  • Push to treat crypto as currency not wise, says tax expert (Aug. 6, 2022)
  • Inflation prompts 16 states to issue stimulus checks (July 30, 2022)
  • The different ways forgiven student debt is taxed (July 23, 2022)
  • Majority of surveyed merchants say crypto payments will be ubiquitous in 5 years (July 16, 2022)
  • Forget gas tax holidays. EVs are a legal way to evade the tax (July 9, 2022)
  • Notable state tax changes that kicked in on July 1 (July 2, 2022)
  • CBO reports 'unexplained' tax collection jump in 2020, 2021 (June 25, 2022)
  • Juneteenth: A time to celebrate and move forward, including within the tax code (June 19, 2022)
  • Don't fall for any of 2022's Dirty Dozen tax scams (June 11, 2022)
  • Not-Alex provides 2022 tropical storm season warm-up for disaster and tax preparations (June 4, 2022)
  • Tax timetables shift as we head into summer 2022 (May 28, 2022)
  • Taxes play key role in hit indie film 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' (May 21, 2022)
  • IRS refund late? At least you'll get some interest, which so far has totaled $3.3 billion (May 14, 2022)
  • Tax tips from the IRS to celebrate Small Business Week (May 7, 2022)
  • Cannabis acceptance, and taxation, gaining political ground (April 30, 2022)
  • Wanted: Free-for-all tax filing instead of our current chaotic Tax Day free-for-alls (April 23, 2022)
  • Some married parents could save this year by filing separate tax returns (April 16, 2022)
  • Cryptocurrency owners apparently are taking their sweet tax-filing time (April 9, 2022)
  • New TAP members named; volunteers sought for 2023 (April 2, 2022)
  • Problems with plans for the IRS to help taxpayers file returns (March 26, 2022)
  • Inflation + taxes + politics = confusion (March 19, 2022)
  • A review of the 116th Congress' 8 tax bills (March 12, 2022)
  • Ukrainian taxes, Russian tanks, oligarch yachts, and how you can help war victims (March 5, 2022)
  • Don't get your hopes up for a federal gas tax holiday (Feb. 26, 2022)
  • Yes, tax pros do fire clients. Don't get dumped by yours (Feb. 19, 2022)
  • Super Bowl bumps Olympics for day, with legal wagering an added allure (Feb. 12, 2022)
  • Tax savings likely are part of why popular musicians are selling their catalogs (Feb. 5, 2022)
  • Be sure to report cryptocurrency activity on your tax return (Jan. 29, 2022)
  • IRS online taxpayer account access soon will require selfies, more personal info (Jan. 22, 2022)
  • Tax form signature error negates couple's nearly $13K refund (Jan. 16, 2022)
  • Moves in 2021 motivated by COVID, family matters, & taxes (Jan 8, 2022)
  • 4 (and more) tax moves to make in January 2022 (Jan. 1, 2022)

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 four years, you'll find them on the 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021 pages. Yes, they also have the same megaphone image as the current collection. Again, not broke so not fixed.

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

  • Key 2023 federal tax deadlines — We made it through the first week of tax season 2023, but another deadline is looming. Jan. 31 is the filing, and tax payment, deadline for taxpayers who opted not to make their final 2022 estimated tax payment on Jan. 17. This tax calendar has that and other key individual tax due dates for the rest of this year. (Jan. 30, 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:
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    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

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
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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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