I've been a writing my entire life and getting paid to scribble since I was studying journalism at Texas Tech University. It was there that I joined AWC and that membership moved with me from Texas to the Washington, D.C., area to Florida and back home to the Lone Star State. One of the first calls I made upon arriving in Austin seven years ago was to the city's AWC chapter.
So getting a Clarion Award, which is named after the medieval trumpet known for its clarity, is sort of like getting a present from your family. And I'm particularly honored because my professional communicator relatives this year include some nationally recognized and respected media members.
Among this year's 92 Clarion Award winners are representatives of WGBH; Good Housekeeping, Marie Claire, Glamour and O magazines; the Wall Street Journal; Reuters; Sports Illustrated; BBC; Voice of America; HBO; and my alma mater, Texas Tech.
It's an understatement to say I'm humbled to be in such company. But there I am, with Don't Mess With Taxes cited in the Online Media category as Best Personal Blog.
Yeah, a personal blog about taxes. Make of that category and my life what you will!
I'm slowly settling back into my routine after a jam-packed weekend in suburban Chicago with hundreds of other personal finance bloggers.
Not to sound all NASCAR-y, but thanks to all the corporate sponsors who supported the inaugural gathering. Their underwriting helped all us financial types follow our own money advice and be able to afford to participate. Please check them out at the Financial Blogger Conference home page.
Thanks to all the great speakers. We all gave up a weekend to get together, but you guys and gals actually worked while the rest of us got to sit back and absorb your wisdom. We really, really appreciated it.
Very special thanks to PT Money who not only came up with the Financial Blogger Conference idea but actually made it happen. Wait, he didn't just make it happen: He nailed it!
He'll tell you had lots of help (and he did), but we all know that nothing happens without a leader's vision and inspiration and that's what Philip Taylor brought plenty of this weekend and well before. Kudos sir.
Thanks to Flexo of Consumerism Commentary for also doing a ton of work on the Second Annual Plutus Awards. This year the awards, which are designed to celebrate the best in the financial blogging and products worlds, were part of the Financial Blogger Conference.
For the second year, the ol' blog was a finalist and I'm not being coy when I say it truly is an honor just to be considered by my peers and readers as worthy of recognition. I was truly surprised and very honored on Saturday night when Don't Mess With Taxes was announced as the Best Tax Blog. Yes, we got trophies!
Which brings me to my final thanks, to you, the readers. You're why I write the blog and your support by visiting the blog every day, not to mention by voting for me in the Plutus Awards, is truly humbling and gratifying.
So thank you, thank you, thank you.
My pledge to you, heeding the words of the Financial Blogger Conference speakers, is that I will do even better in getting you the tax info, alerts, insight, advice and occasional tax laughs that you want and deserve.
What a nice way to start a holiday weekend. The second annual Plutus Awards finalists have been announced and the ol' blog made the list again this year.
And as the word ballot indicates, there is a vote involved. If you're so inclined, click on open and pick your favorites, not only in the tax area, but for a wide variety of financial blogs.
There are a lot of categories and nominees; the tax section is three pages in. But dont stop there. I encourage you to check out all the nominated blogs and vote for those you enjoy reading and find useful.
I'm what's diplomatically described as being "of a certain age," so I feel free to use the term "kids" as I please. In this headline's instance, I'm not talking toddlers, but college kids.
That's an audience, specifically students studying accounting, that apparently might find the ol' blog entertaining and informative, according to Jared Eutsler, a CPA (and a lot of other financial accreditations noted by his many suffixes!) and full-time faculty member of the School of Business at Rasmussen College.
Check out the post and all the accounting and tax blogs listed there.
And I beg your indulgence as I repeat below the very kind words Eutsler had about Don't Mess With Taxes:
Don't Mess With Taxes – Kay Bell, a journalist and corporate communicator with a passion for taxes founded this blog to make "taxes less taxing." Bell provides practical daily, weekly and monthly tax tips full of valuable information for both taxpayers and accounting professionals alike.
Thanks, Mr. Eutsler, for your assessment and especially for reading my right and left nav bar information!
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No, that headline is not a description of my Halloween constume. I'm still deciding.
Neither is it the title of a new tax-themed television series. By the way, what ever happened to that Ron Howard/David Krumholtz "Tax Man" program pitched to Fox?
The directory is divided into categories including tax policy blogs by American professors, by think tanks and blogs specializing in state and local taxes.
The final grouping is what CPA Trendlines calls tax blogs that help American taxpayers make sense of policy.
There's obviously a school of thought that such a goal is unattainable, but I'm honored to be included among tax bloggers who are at least trying to decipher tax policy and what it means to us taxpayers.
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What a nice way to start a Monday! In catching up on my weekend tax reading, I discovered that the ol' blog made Career Overview's 2010 list of the 20 Best Blogs for Tax Advice.
Thanks for the recognition!
I'm thrilled to be cited for doing something that's so much personal fun. Yes, I'm a total tax geek. And I'm honored to be included in such stellar tax blogging company.
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As I mentioned earlier this week, Don't Mess With Taxes has been nominated for The Plutus Award as a top tax blog.
In my giddy nomination announcement (I'll say it again: It's a thrill just to be nominated!), I alsothreatened promised to let you know when you could help determine the winner of each of the many Plutus Awards categories.
If you're so inclined to give the ol' blog a click, thank you!
You can do so by scrolling down the ballot (don't forget to enter your name and e-mail first) and checking the circle in front of Don't Mess With Taxes.
As you work you way along the many finalists in the various categories, I recommend you check those folks' blogs out , too, when you get a chance. There's some fine financial writing on the Web and Flexo deserves many kudos for taking the time to recognize some of them.
Weekly Tax Tip
Estimated tax time comes around four times a year -- When you have income that's not subject to payroll withholding, you must file estimated taxes. The extra payments made to the Internal Revenue Service via Form 1040-ES are due four times a year: April 15, June 15, Sept. 5 and the next year's Jan. 15. Yes, four extra tax filings -- and payments -- each year are a hassle. But owing a big tax bill in April, as well as interest and penalty charges for underpaying your annual tax liability, is a bigger pain. Estimated taxes are routine for folks with self-employment income, investment earnings or even gambling winnings. You can pay your estimated taxes by snail mailing the IRS a check or money order, or by making electronic payments via credit or debit card, electronic funds withdrawal or the IRS' Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS). (June 12, 2013)
Check out all of the 2013 post-April 15 hints at Weekly Tax Tips.
You also can get a refresher of the Daily Tax Tips posted earlier this year on their respective monthly collection pages: January, February, March and April.
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Time for Tax Tasks
June 1: Hurricane season starts today. The countdown clock below can help you keep track of how many days until the Atlantic/Gulf of Mexico hurricane season ends on Nov. 30.
Now all we need is for Mother Nature to dial back on the tornadoes! As May wound down, deadly storms raked already pummeled Oklahoma and parts of the Midwest.
June 5: Welcome to summer. OK. The hottest season doesn't officially begin for a couple more weeks, but some thermometers here in Texas have already hit the triple-digit mark. And a heat wave in the Northeast has many feeling like it's mid-July instead of early June. Since it won't get cooler for a while, get your home in energy efficient shape now.
The $500 lifetime maximum tax credit for relatively easy energy upgrades could help. And if you want to install more extensive, and expensive, systems fueled by solar, wind or geothermal power, a more generous energy upgrade tax credit is available.
June 10: Does your job include tips? If so and you received $20 in tips in May, use Form 4070 to report them today to your employer.
June 16: Happy Father's Day! Dad might not say so, but he appreciates being recognized, so take time today to let him know you care. If you also show your affection by providing for the bulk of dad's living expenses (or mom's, too, for that matter), be sure you claim him, her or both of them as dependents on your tax return.
June 17: June 15 is a busy tax day, but since it fell this year on Saturday, you get until the next business day, today, to meet the deadlines.
If you're not paying your 2013 income tax through withholding, or will not pay in enough tax during the year that way, your second estimated tax payment of the year is due today.
June 17 also is the deadline for U.S. citizens or resident aliens living and working outside the country, as well as military personnel stationed abroad, to file Form 1040 and pay any tax, interest and penalties due. If you qualify, you can file online using Free File. Or if you need more time, you can file for an extension, Form 4868, to give you until Oct. 15.
June 24: Are you a June bride? Since the withholding rates are different for couples, both newlywed wives and husbands should file new W-4 forms at work to reflect their now-married tax status. Also, if the new missus changed her name, she needs to contact the Social Security Administration to make sure her tax ID number matches her new moniker. These tasks are just a couple of ways that marriage affects your taxes.
June 30: If you didn't get around to spring cleaning, you can do it now and donate any stuff you don't need but which is still useable. By giving the items to your favorite charity, your gifts could be tax deductible. Just be sure to get receipts!
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.
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 Don't Mess With Taxes.
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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.
It's no wonder Uncle Sam is not very happy here. His vault is empty. Don't Mess With Taxes aims to keep him cranky by providing tax and personal finance tips and advice that will put more money in your bank account, not the government treasury.
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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’s provided for your private, noncommercial, educational and informational purposes only. It’s not a recommendation or endorsement of any company or product. I strongly suggest that when it comes to filing your taxes, you get additional, professional, paid-for guidance from your accountant and other financial advisers who are familiar with your individual circumstances. In other words, don't blame me!
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 content's originating Web page. If you discover dead links, please e-mail me the details. Thanks.
