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Tax Forms Fiesta!

Tax forms broad city via giphyBroad City image via Giphy.com

Well, we finally made it through the global annus horribilis that was 2020. Here's hoping things will be better — I'm not naïve enough to say much better — in 2021.

That hope extends to the tax world, which last year also was c0ronavirus chaotic. There were new laws, deadlines and regulations, some of which are still being deciphered. Yes, I'm looking at you Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

All that change also naturally applied to tax forms. And in addition to new law revisions, we also have, even in more normal tax times, some new ones.

Regular readers know that the ol' blog focused on forms last year with the launch of Tax Form Tuesday. It worked. Sort of.

Sometimes a Tuesday slipped by without a form feature. Sometimes a tax document got attention a day or two early or late. The schedule slippage was because, as anyone who watches taxes knows, things happen that take precedence. Even in times when we're not coping with a COVID-19 pandemic.

So in 2021, the ol' blog will continue to report on tax forms, but without a set schedule. That's right, I'm free forming!

But like last year, I will continue to collect the posts on a special page. In fact, on this page. I am so thrilled with it — and am such a fan of alliteration…and of celebrating tax matters — this assemblage has been dubbed Tax Forms Fiesta.

While we're getting our new fiesta fired up, you can always peruse the forms that were the sorta weekly rage in 2020 at the archived Tax Forms Tuesday page.

  1. If you don't get your COVID money by Jan. 15, you'll have to claim it on your 2020 tax return (Form 1040, line 30) (Jan. 4, 2021)
  2. Replacement direct deposit refunds should be easier to get under new IRS procedure (Form 3911, Taxpayer Statement Regarding Refund) (Jan. 7, 2021)
  3. 9 tax software companies offer Free File products in 2021 (Jan. 15, 2021)
  4. Tax statements you need to file your 2020 return (Jan. 19, 2021)
  5. EITC claiming option: use 2019 or 2020 income (Schedule EIC) (Jan. 29, 2021)
  6. Form 1040 goes bigger for 2020 return filings (Jan. 31, 2021)
  7. Older taxpayers get their own 1040 form for tax filing (Form 1040-SR) (revised Jan. 31, 2021)
  8. COVID PPE counts toward teachers' expenses tax deduction (Form 1040 Schedule 1, line 10, educators expenses) (Feb. 5, 2021)
  9. Reporting all your income, including gambling winnings, on Form 1040 Schedule 1 (Feb. 8, 2021)
  10. 23 tax deductions, no itemizing required, on Schedule 1 (Feb. 9, 2021)
  11. IRS mails 260,000 failure-to-file notices, but admits many likely are wrong (IRS Notice CP59; Feb. 21, 2021)
  12. Paying self-employment taxes on the revised Schedule SE (March 2, 2021)
  13. Decoding your W-2 (revised March 5, 2021)
  14. Tax-free unemployment change could require amended tax return filings (Form 1040-X) (March 10, 2021)
  15. The child care tax credit is a good claim on 2020 taxes, even better for 2021 returns (Form 2441, Child and Dependent Care Expenses) (March 11, 2021)
  16. New tax phishing scam targets students, .edu emails (Form 14039, Identity Theft Affidavit) (March 30, 2021)
  17. Household help could mean more tax work for employers (Form W-4, Employee's Withholding Certificate; Form W-3, Transmittal of Wage and Tax Statement; and Schedule H-Form 1040, Household Employment Taxes) (April 7, 2021)
  18. FBAR filing deadline is April 15. Or Oct. 15 (FinCEN Form 114) (April 9, 2021)
  19. Bernie Madoff's tax legacy: Ponzi scheme loss deduction (Form 4684, Casualties and Thefts) (April 15, 2021)
  20. More COVID payments — and written confirmation notices — are on the way (IRS Notice 1444 versions for three COVID-19 economic impact payments) (April 30, 2021)
  21. 10 overlooked medical expenses that could make it worth itemizing tax deductions (Schedule A deductible medical expenses) (May 4, 2021)
  22. No itemizing needed to claim these 23 tax deductions (Form 1040 Schedule 1, adjustments to income) (May 6, 2021)
  23. Saver's Credit already offers an added nest egg tax break & there's talk of enhancing it (Form 8880) (May 12, 2021)
  24. Get an extension if you can't file your tax return on time (Form 4868) (May 16, 2021)
  25. Nonprofits' tax status reviews sometimes aided by public tips (Form 13909) (July 8, 2021)
  26. IRS adds more tax forms to required e-filing list (Forms 1042; 1097-BTC; Form 1098-C; Form 1098-Q; Form 3921; Form 3922; and Form 8300) (July 23, 2021)
  27. IRS releases drafts of 2021 Form 1040 and Schedules 1, 2 and 3 (July 26, 2021)
  28. New IRS tax collection notices offer QR code contact option (Aug. 1, 2021)
  29. Louisiana sports betting expected this football season (Form W-2G) (Aug. 29, 2021)
  30. 41 IRS forms now can be signed electronically (Sept. 3, 2021)
  31. Moving? Let the IRS know (Form 8822) (Sept. 7, 2021)
  32. Employee or contractor classifications and other employment tax tips for businesses (Employment related tax forms SS-8, 8919, and 8952) (Sept. 15, 2021)
  33. Work Opportunity Tax Credit can help businesses meet staffing needs, save on taxes (Forms 8850, 5884, 5884-C, and 3800) (Sept. 21, 2021)
  34. Proposed $600 bank account reporting rule won't change current cash app tracking (Forms 1099-INT and 1099-K) (Oct. 10, 2021)
  35. Business closure tax tasks (Schedule C, Form 1120, Form 1099-NEC; Form 1096) (Oct. 21, 2021)
  36. Determining child-related tax breaks when you're divorced (Form 8332) (Nov. 26, 2021)
  37. RMDs are back and due for some by Dec. 31, 2021 (Form 5498) (Dec. 8, 2021)
  38. Kentuckians in tornado disaster areas get new May 16, 2022, tax deadline (Form 1040-X) (Dec. 14, 2021)
  39. You got your last 2021 Advance Child Tax Credit payment. Now what? (Form 1040 and Schedule 8812) (Dec. 15, 202)
  40. May 16, 2022, is new Tax Day for Illinois & Tennessee tornado victims (Form 1040-X) (Dec. 21, 2021)

And if you want more info on other forms not featured here, check out the ol' blog's Forms category. It will show Tax Form Fiesta! entries, as well as other tax documents that I've posted about over the years, with the newest post first. Just keep scrolling. 

 

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Today's Tax Tip

  • Tax-smart financial gifts for grads (and the givers) — Got some new high school or college graduates in your life? Here are six financial gifts, most with some tax benefits, that they (and you) will enjoy. (May 31, 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
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    Kay Bell — Native Texan
    (the blog title totally makes sense now, right?). Professional journalist. Tax geek.
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Tick ... Tick ... Tick

  • Tax Season 2023 Continues!

    Tax Day 2023 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 2022 tax year return. That's fine. In fact, the Internal Revenue Service appreciates some of us spreading out our filings, especially when it means we are taking the time to submit a complete and correct return.

    This tax focus shift means the ol' blog will continue to provide filing tips through the Oct. 16 extension deadline. Yep, it's a day later this year, since 10/15 is on Sunday. But I haven't forgotten my organized taxpayer readers, who are looking for ways to reduce their 2023 tax year bills. Yep, that amount already 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 now is in your sights.

    Those on extension should also 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. They'll speed by quickly when you're having tax fun, and aren't we always 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 🌞 June! ☀️
    We are so happy to see your radiant face, bringing us the start of summer. Some brightness and warmth and a sunny attitude are definitely what we need to fully recover from tax season, even one that wasn't that bad.


    via GIPHY


    June 1: Summer conjures dreams of lazy beach days. But for full-time coastal residents, June is less welcome. Today is the start of the Atlantic/Gulf of Mexico hurricane season. While there's a low pressure in the Eastern Gulf, at least we made it to opening day without an official system forming. That gives us time to prepare for hurricane season, a chance some folks got recently thanks to special sales tax holidays.

    Hurricane satellite image

    Uncle Sam's official forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center expect 2023 to bring 12 to 17 named storms, with five to nine possibly becoming hurricanes. As many as four of those storms 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: With school out, working parents need to make child care arrangements. Consider day camps. Not only do they offer some supervision of your kiddos while you're at the office, the activities' costs also count toward claiming the child and dependent care credit.

    June 12: 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 don't forget 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.

    And you, as the server or delivery person, must account for those tips. If you got at least $20 in gratuities in May, you must report the amount by today (it's usually the 10th, but since that was Saturday, it moves to the next business day) by using Form 4070 to let your employer the total of the tips you took in last month.

    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: It's Tax Day, this time for 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 2023 tax year.

    June 18: Happy Father's Day!

    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: It's Juneteenth. This date marks when Texans finally received word that all slaves were free. And although it is our newest federal holiday, it is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.

    Juneteenth


    June 21: It's official at 10:58 a.m. Eastern Time. Summer is here, arriving on this longest day of the year.

    Summer sun

    Many charitable groups help people cope with the heat. If you itemize, your gift to such IRS-qualified nonprofits could be tax deductible on next year's tax return.

    June 26: If you missed spring cleaning, summer's also a good time to determine what you can do without. If that includes clothing or household items, you also can donate those and claim the fair market value of the items.

    June 30: If you got an extension to file back in April, or by June 15 if you're a taxpayer living overseas, remember that Free File, the online preparation and electronic filing web page for eligible taxpayers created by the IRS' partnership with the Free File Alliance, is still operational.

    IRS Free File; click image for details

    You can prepare and e-file as its name says at no cost if your adjusted gross income (AGI) is $73,000 or less, regardless of your filing status. You should be able to find a software that works for you from the seven tax prep companies that are participating.

    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 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

June 2023

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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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