It’s the main tax filing season, so that means it’s also tax scam season. The Internal Revenue Service has been keeping track of the year’s most prevalent schemes for more than two decades and alerting us in its annual list of the 12 scams it has found to be the most egregious over the last year. The Dirty Dozen for 2025 includes some repeat [dis]honorees. A few are new or have been tweaked. But they share one characteristic. They target taxpayers, businesses, and the tax professional community, and all too often end in the loss by victims of personal information,... Read more →
Tax Tip
You aren't legally required to file a federal tax return, but maybe you should. Here are six reasons why it might be a good idea. (Photo by Unsplash+ in collaboration with Getty Images) Millions of taxpayers have filed their returns so far this year. Millions more are working on their taxes. But not you. You checked out my post on who has to file a tax return (thank you!) and confirmed that you're one of the lucky few who doesn't have to file a Form 1040 this year. You might want to rethink that no-filing decision. Even if you aren't... Read more →
Here’s hoping your tax procrastinating doesn’t go this far! (Photo by Tara Winstead) More than 33 million taxpayers already have filed their 2024 tax returns this year. Chances are a lot of them live in the Midwest. Taxpayers in Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana tend to procrastinate the least when it comes to filling out their federal returns, according to IPX1031’s latest Tax Procrastinators report. Midwest-adjacent Pennsylvania rounds out the five states, coming in between Ohio and Michigan, where filers don’t dally So where do taxpayers tend to put off filing? Waiting to file: The sixth annual study from the... Read more →
We’re through a full month of the 2025 tax filing season. Many of the taxpayers who filed when the season started at the end of January have already received their refunds. The official count, last updated by the Internal Revenue Service on Feb. 14, shows nearly 13.7 million refunds have been issued. The average refund check so far is $2,169. You, however, are still waiting for the IRS to send you your money. The best way to find where it is in the IRS system is to use the agency’s online tracking tool Where’s My Refund? Here are some questions... Read more →
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth recently shared on social media a document he said was a $33,558.16 bill from the Internal Revenue Service. Hegseth also claimed the tax due notice — the image of which didn’t show any letterhead, address of the sender, or date — was the result of a “rushed” audit. He then accused the Biden administration of pushing the audit forward, implying political payback, not tax errors, was the reason for the IRS inquiry and subsequent mailing. Finally, Hegseth told the followers of his personal social media account that as far as the tax audit, he and... Read more →
Retirement can be more enjoyable when you don't have to worry about money or, if some lawmakers get their way, taxes on Social Security benefits. (Photo by RDNE Stock project) Lots of folks are paying more than usual attention to Social Security of late. We’re wondering just what Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) minions are doing as they poke around the federal system that provides financial support to millions of older and medically disabled people. We’re also curious as to when Donald Trump might follow through on his campaign promise to end taxation of Social Security benefits. The... Read more →
Federal tax returns get most of the attention during the annual tax season. That's because Uncle Sam's individual income tax laws apply across the country. But as noted in yesterday's post, states also demand taxes from their residents, and most of them require annual income tax filings, too. taxes also are demanded of most Americans. And in most of the 43 states and District of Columbia that tax some type of individual earnings, April 15 also is the due date. No individual income tax states: The only states with no personal income tax at all are Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New... Read more →
Some taxpayers got a new earnings statement this year, a 1099-K form. The tax statement arrived because they sold more than $5,000 in products or services through apps and marketplaces. The 1099-K, officially titled Payment Card and Third Party Network Transactions, finally was issued this year on a widespread basis. It was supposed to go out years earlier to sellers who made $600 or more. That was a change made in the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021 from the $20,000 in sales and 200 transactions trigger to issue the form. All income you make, even if you don’t... Read more →
Photo by Polina Tankilevitch This weekend is bookended by holidays. Today’s Valentine’s Day gift and card exchanges and Presidents Day sales on Monday, Feb. 17. It also marks the peak phone traffic at the Internal Revenue Service, with taxpayers taking advantage of a day off, and finally having their tax statements in hand, to work on their returns. For many callers, however, it also means time on telephone hold. Avoid bad tax-hold tunes: Instead of listening to music that’s not really your taste, the IRS suggests taxpayers with questions this weekend — and beyond — look online for the answers.... Read more →
Photo by RDNE Stock project Valentine's Day is tomorrow. The annual Feb. 14 celebration of love immediately conjures thoughts of hearts, flowers, chocolate, love songs, rom-coms, and taxes. Yes, taxes. I don’t want to interrupt, at least not too much, your efforts if you’re still nailing down events and gifts for tomorrow. But the following tax considerations might have an impact on your choices for Valentine’s Day. In most cases, it will be state taxes that come into play. And since states don’t impose sales taxes on all goods and services in a uniform manner or at a uniform rate,... Read more →
Photo by David Guerrero It's early in the 2025 filing season, but millions of taxpayers have already received their tax refunds. Most of these early filers also instructed the Internal Revenue Service to directly deposit their tax cash. Not only is direct deposit faster — in most cases, the IRS says refunds sent straight to financial accounts get there in 21 days or less — it’s a safer delivery method. You don’t have to worry about the U.S. Postal Service losing or misdelivering your Treasury check. Even better, it takes tax refund mailbox thieves out of the equation. Some taxpayers,... Read more →
Photo by Pixabay The Internal Revenue Service says that most taxpayers get refunds. Good for them. But those of us who end up owing Uncle Sam after we run our Form 1040 numbers have to come up with a way to pay. The easiest way, both for taxpayers and the tax collector, is electronic. Here's a quick review of six e-payment options available this 2025 tax filing, and paying, season. 1. Credit or Debit Card or Digital Wallet: Paying by plastic is one of the oldest and most popular tax e-pay methods, so Uncle Sam happily accepts our credit or... Read more →
Tomorrow night, we’ll have a repeat Super Bowl winner. Both the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles have hoisted the NFL’s Lombardi Trophy before. As I type late Saturday afternoon, sportsbooks have the defending champion Chiefs as 1.5-point favorites to win their third consecutive professional U.S. football title. The bets on the game’s outcome, as well as the many possible prop bets mentioned in my Friday post, have gotten more attention as more states have allowed wagering within their borders since the gave them the go-ahead in 2018. So, for this Saturday Shout Out, I’m getting ready for tomorrow's game... Read more →
UPDATE, Monday, Feb. 10, 2025: Yes, that's green font in honor of Philadelphia's Super Bowl LIX win last night. I'm taking solace in that it took a Texan, Houston native Jalen Hurts, to lead the Eagles to the title. Did you place a prop bet on last night's NFL championship game? If it paid off, you owe tax on the winnings. Check out the results of some of the most popular Chiefs-Eagles prop bets. Super Bowl LIX is Sunday. It's a rematch between the Kansas City and Philadelphia. KC is looking to take home a third consecutive Lombardi Trophy. The... Read more →
Photo by Nataliya Vaitkevich It’s been an exciting time in your life. You got your diploma. You got a job. You even got your own apartment. OK, sort of your own, since you’re sharing it with a couple of roommates to give your budget a bit more flexibility. Now you’re about to face another financial first. Your first time filing taxes. I know, it’s not exactly a celebratory milestone. But it’s a crucial one. And it doesn’t have to be an ordeal. Here are seven steps that first-time tax filers can take to make sure their initiation into the taxpayer... Read more →
When you just can't with your taxes, check into getting help from a VITA or TCE volunteer. (Photo by Nataliya Vaitkevich) Even simple taxes can be confusing. So it’s a relief when a reputable, knowledgeable person can help you file. But what if you can’t afford a tax professional? The people who staff the thousands of Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and Tax Counseling for the Elderly sites across the United States could be your tax-filing answer. Locally-provided tax help: The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, or VITA, program was created after passage of the Tax Reform Act of 1969 as a... Read more →
The standard tax deduction is used by most filers. The amounts are substantial, thanks to the increases of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017. Plus, it’s easy to claim. The standard amount for each filing status is listed directly on Form 1040. See more tax forms and more about them at Tax Forms 2024 and Tax Forms 2025. But that doesn’t mean you should stop looking for deductions. There are two dozen that are available to qualifying taxpayers, regardless of whether you take the standard claim or itemize. Here’s a look at these 24 tax write-offs that,... Read more →
Hello, February! Even though it's the second month of the year, it's the first full month of the annual tax-filing season and the time when most of us finally start focusing on our 1040s. So, since February also is the shortest month, and we’re already three days into it, I’ll cut to the chase and keep this month’s recommended tax moves short. 1. Keep an eye out for tax statements. Jan. 31 is the day that W-2 and various other earnings statements are supposed to be delivered to workers. Guess what? That date usually slips. Today, for example, I got... Read more →
When severe weather leads to major disaster declarations, the tax obligations of the residents dealing with the aftermath also are affected. The Internal Revenue Service regularly announces tax relief for those taxpayers, including later filing deadlines. One of those delayed tax due dates is Monday, Feb. 3. Taxpayers in 14 states and two U.S. island territories who were struck by devastating hurricanes, floods, and various other lashings from an irate Mother Nature last year were given more time to file their 2023 tax returns for which they had received an extension. So, instead of having get their 2023 tax year... Read more →
The Internal Revenue Service has its own Groundhog Day, but it's not limited to just one specific 24-hour period. Most often, this re-do of a tax return is when you find you made a mistake on your original Form 1040. The do-over is accomplished by filing Form 1040-X, an excerpt of which is shown below. See more tax forms and more about them at Tax Forms 2024 and Tax Forms 2025. Fix errors: Nobody's perfect, and the annual filing season underscores that for many of us. When we do make a mistake on our taxes, filing an amended return takes... Read more →