By the Numbers 2013

Happy 2013 and welcome to this year's edition of By the Numbers.

As with the 2011 and 2012 numerical posts, each Sunday (most of the time!) will feature a new figure -- a percentage, dollar amount, piece of tax legislation, raw number and the like -- that has a tax connection.

If you miss one of the 2013 numbers, no worries. Links to each item are listed below, with the newest ones listed first.

$401,000
St. Louis Rams say they collected too much ticket sales tax (Dec. 29, 2013)
$27,393.17
True love's 12 Christmas gifts cost more in 2013 (Dec. 24, 2013)
$0.05
Tax deductible mileage rate drops by half-cent in 2014 (Dec. 15, 2013)
13,000
State tax refund debit card data exposed to hackers (Dec. 8, 2013)
80,000
French heroin dealer facing $108,000 (€80,000) tax bill (Nov. 30, 2013)
1.5
Oregon to test per-mile tax in place of gasoline tax (Nov. 27, 2013)
8
U.S. MexiCoke fans fear effect of Mexico's new soda tax (Nov. 17, 2013)
5,000
Military families among those affected by food stamp cuts (Nov. 11, 2013)
25 percent
Coloradans agree to a high tax to get high (Nov. 6, 2013)
319
Almost 700 IRS contractors owe $5.4 million in back taxes (Oct. 27, 2013)
29
Budget conference committee members named (Oct. 20, 2013)
4
4 Oct. 15 filing deadlines: 1 filing, 3 retirement related (Oct. 13, 2013)
20
Federal gasoline tax celebrates 20 years without an increase (Oct. 6, 2013)
15
IRS lays out plan to deal with federal government shutdown (Sept. 30, 2013)
7
7 Internet sales tax principles set for House consideration (Sept. 22, 2013)
$284 billion
Uncle Sam collects $284 billion more in taxes so far in 2013 (Sept. 15, 2013)
43%
More Americans are paying federal income taxes (Sept. 8, 2013)
12
Amazon now collects sales taxes in 12 states thanks to Georgia and Virginia levies that took effect Sept. 1 (Sept. 1, 2013)
30 million
Spaniards hot under the collar after government taxes the sun (Aug. 26, 2013)
17
Employers in 17 states could face higher unemployment taxes (Aug. 18, 2013)
$20
Lucrative loos' change leads to toilet tips tax evasion charges (Aug. 12, 2013)
078-05-1120
Tax-related identity theft: Its growth and IRS efforts to stop it (Aug. 4, 2013)
$19.2 billion
Farm bill subsidies feed America's junk food appetite (July 28, 2013)
94
The U.S. tax code is not very attractive (July 21, 2013)
73,954
The ever-growing tax code, or why we talk about tax reform (July 14, 2013)
1
Did IRS troubles play a role in delay of Obamacare tax penalty? (July 7, 2013)
6
Tax auditors' sixth sense helps them nab tax evaders (July 1, 2013)
3
Rethinking retirement as traditional 3-legged stool wobbles (June 24, 2013)
8
Global leaders to tackle tax evasion at G8 summit (June 17, 2013)
179
Supreme Court gay marriage ruling will affect 179 federal tax laws (June 10, 2013)
35
California's landmark tax-cutting Proposition 13 turns 35 (June 6, 2013)
56.5
Watching races, thinking about deducting business miles (May 26, 2013)
$92,724,192
There's a new Powerball multimillionaire. Winner, IRS rejoice (May 19, 2013)
2.7
IRS reports gains in criminal tax, other financial investigations (May 12, 2013)
5
5 tax tips for Cinco de Mayo (May 5, 2013)
25
Did you get your $25 gift card from H&R Block yet? (April 28, 2013)
20
World governments mounting global effort against tax evasion (April 21, 2013)
5
Some federal and state tax filing deadlines still to come (April 16, 2013)
$2,790
Tax returns, refunds running behind last year's levels (April 9, 2013)
40%
Supreme Court to consider tax dodge penalty case (April 2, 2013)
75
Online sales tax a step closer with Senate budget amendment (March 26, 2013)
3
New Jersey taxpayers could face three-month wait for refunds (March 17, 2013)
$3,500,000,000
Federal workers owe $3.5 billion in back taxes (March 10, 2013)
$100
Taxing environmentally conscious drivers (March 4, 2013)
$1.51 billion
And the film tax credit goes to ... (Feb. 24, 2013)
77 percent
Fewer expected to pay IRS with credit cards this year (Feb. 19, 2013)
$161,392
Man gets $161,392 erroneous tax refund (Feb. 11, 2013)
100
Happy 100th birthday federal income tax (Feb. 4, 2013)
$246
What do you pay for professional tax preparation and filing help? (Jan. 28, 2013)
$4.35
Is New York's high cigarette tax rate why the Empire State tops the smuggler list? (Jan. 20, 2013)
$850,000,000,000,000,000
White House says no to Death Star (Jan. 13, 2013)
13
Congressional triskaidekaphobia (Jan. 6, 2013)

Happy tax counting!

Today's Tax Tip

Most states move to May 17 Tax Day — Most Americans also must file an annual state tax return. And most of those states have decided to follow the Internal Revenue Service's decision to push Tax Day 2021 from April 15 to May 17, or at least adjust their deadline beyond its original setting. But not Hawai'i. The 50th state has said Aloha to making a filing deadline change. (April 7, 2021)
The 2021 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. While we're waiting for the 2021 calendar pages to flip and fill up with timely tax tidbits, check out 2020 (and earlier) tax years' advice.

COVID-19 & Taxes

Coronavirus has wreaked havoc
on the 2020 tax season.
These three Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Taxes pages have details:
March-July 2020,
August-December 2020, and
January-… 2021

All About Kay

OK, some about Kay

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

My Other Accounts

Tick ... Tick ... Tick

Tax Season 2021 is here!
Happy New Tax Year! Are you ready to file your 2020 tax return? Me neither. With all the delays last year due to COVID-19, it seems like that prior tax season just finished. But time and taxes wait for no taxpayer … unless we're still dealing with a global pandemic. Yep, COVID-19 is still hanging on, so the Internal Revenue Service, which started 2021 by delivering more coronavirus economic relief payments, says it's once again giving taxpayers (and the agency itself) more time to deal with 2020 returns. Tax Day 2021 has been moved from April 15 to May 17. The monthly tips and reminders a little further down this column should help us focus on our now-delayed filing and other tax moves and hopefully make things go a bit more smoothly. Also keep an eye on the countdown clock just below. It will help us keep track of how much more time we now have until Tax Day on May 17, just in case some of us want to put things off until the final hours. .
Note: I'm in the Central Time Zone, so adjust accordingly for where you live.

Time for Tax Tasks

No April Fooling
around this year, please.
COVID-19 is hanging on and we definitely are not in the mood.

I know, some folks like the 4/1 jokes, especially since April usually is a serious tax month. But with the persistent pandemic, even with more of us getting vaccines, things still are truly life and death. The U.S. tax world, like the rest of the literal planet, continues to deal with the changes this virus has wrought.

When it comes to taxes, one of the major COVID-19 changes is, once again, a delay of Tax Day. It's not April 15 this year. The IRS moved it to May 17.
But other tax tasks remain, including an important April one, so let's get to this month's tax moves.

April 1: Another April change is a holdover from last year, when required minimum distributions (RMDs) were waived. No 2020 RMDs meant none were pushed back to this April 1.
But get ready, these mandated withdrawals from tax-deferred retirement accounts are back for 2021. Note, though, that the RMD trigger age now is 72 instead of 70½.

April 6: Looking for tax help? During a normal April, it would be way too deep into the filing season to find a tax preparer. That's likely still true, even with more than a month left in this filing season. But some tax preparers have finished up with early filers, so you might be able to find a tax pro willing to take on new clients.

If you're looking for free help and are older or don't make a ton of money, check into Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) programs in your area. These IRS-trained volunteers are working around COVID-19 limitations to help eligible taxpayers fill out and file returns, all at no- or low-cost.

And, of course, there's Free File, the online no-cost tax preparation and e-filing partnership between the IRS and Free File Alliance.

The official Free File site at IRS.gov this season offers nine participating tax software options if your adjusted gross income is $72,000 or less, regardless of filing status.

April 12: Coronavirus vaccines are rolling out, albeit slowly in some places (yes, looking at you Texas), and some pandemic precautions are being lifted. That means some restaurants are opening for a limited number of diners. Other eateries are continuing with curbside pickup meals and deliveries. Whether you're able to enjoy table service or still relying on food brought to your house, remember to tip your server or delivery person.

If a tip isn't included in your food delivery charge, click the image above to calculate how much to tip the person who brought it to you.

As for servers who are still on the job, remember that your tips are taxable income. If you at least $20 in job-related gratuities in March, you need to account for them today by using Form 4070 to report your tips today to your employer.

April 15: Your 2020 tax year return and any payment if you owe tax aren't due today, but 4/15 is still the deadline for the first quarter of 2021 estimated taxes.

April 20: You filed your 2020 return early, in part to get the tax refund you're due, as well as to get all your COVID economic impact payments, including the amount you claimed on your Form 1040 as the Recovery Rebate Tax Credit. So where's your money? You can use the IRS' online Where's My Refund? tracker for that amount or the agency's Get My Payment search tool to find out the status of that money.

April 25: The 93rd Academy Awards will be presented tonight. I'll be watching because I love movies and also because there's a tax connection. Many of this year's nominees, like always, were made using state tax credits, exemptions, rebates and/or grants.

April 30: In filling out your return, you realized you could get a tax break by making a 2020 tax year contribution to your traditional IRA. Good news. The May 17 deadline also applies to this retirement saving and tax cutting opportunity. The new May Tax Day also is the new deadline to put that prior-tax-year money into a Roth IRA, health savings account (HSA), Archer Medical Savings Accounts (Archer MSAs), and Coverdell education savings accounts (Coverdell ESAs). Start looking now at where to get the cash to put into any of these accounts that affect your tax situation (and savings!).

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

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 Fiesta! page.

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Taxes are all about the numbers.
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Kudos Et Cetera

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2012, 2014 & 2017
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in Personal Finance
Winner, Best Tax Blog
2011 and 2013
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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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April 2021

Tell it to the Hill

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, use the federal legislator locator above to find just who on Capitol Hill should hear your concerns. And for matters tax or otherwise closer to home, you can find info on your state and local elected officials at USA Gov.

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