By the Numbers 2011

Starting with the 2011 tax-filing season, I began posting on the ol' blog each Sunday a new figure -- a percentage, dollar amount, raw number and the like -- that has a tax connection.

If you missed one of the numbers, no worries. Links to each item posted in 2011 are listed below. If you're looking for newer tax figures, check out By the Numbers 2012 and 2013.

2%
Miscellaneous itemized deduction threshold (Jan. 16, 2011)
$3,003
Average refund amount in 2010 (Jan. 23, 2011)
98,740,000
E-filers in 2010 (Jan. 30, 2011)
$27,197,000,000
Gambling income in 2008 (Feb. 6, 2011)
56,372,881
Married filers in 2008 (Feb. 13, 2011)
$13,283,907,000
IRS budget request for FY2012 (Feb. 20, 2011)
$75,000
Oscars 2010 swag bag value (Feb. 27, 2011)
23,027,000
Noncash charitable donations in 2008 (March 6, 2011)
12
States with off-synch filing deadlines (March 13, 2011)
5
Child dependency tests (March 20, 2011)
$15,652,149,000
First-time homebuyer credit claims (March 27, 2011)
10,155,306
Medical deductions (April 3, 2011)
2,948,057
Free File users in 2010 (April 10, 2011)
7%
Tax procrastinators (April 17, 2011)
176
Days until October extension deadline (April 24, 2011)
$36,500,000,000
Big Oil profits (May 1, 2011)
17,846,375
Child tax credit refunds (May 8, 2011)
$250,000
"Rich" earnings threshold (May 15, 2011)
$18
Beer excise tax (May 22, 2011)
529
College savings plans (May 29, 2011)
0.1%
Gift tax filings in 2010 (June 5, 2011)
1,000,000,000
Total e-filed returns since inception (June 12, 2011)
1,762,000
Happy Father's Day to single dads (June 19, 2011)
$50
NY Amish face fines for not e-filing (June 26, 2011)
$40,000,000
NFL lockout's potential tax cost to states (July 3, 2011)
$6,579
Property taxes across the country (July 10, 2011)
3,592
Tallying tax crimes (July 17, 2011)
77479
Comparing your taxes to your neighbors' (July 24, 2011)
$24,000,000,000
Congress joins online state sales tax fight (July 31, 2011)
505,000
Amazon's e-tax repeal petition signature goal (Aug. 7, 2011)
23
Polls say hike taxes as well as cut spending (Aug. 14, 2011)
10
10 years of 'temporary' tax cuts (Aug. 21, 2011)
4684
Form 4684, a disaster victim's best friend (Aug. 28, 2011)
$60 billion
Cost of Iraq, Afghanistan wars (Sept. 4, 2011)
15,014,000
Filers in 2008 reporting taxable Social Security benefits (Sept. 11, 2011)
3.8%
Projected inflation rate that will affect many 2012 tax provisions (Sept. 18, 2011)
155
California bill A.B. 155 postpones online sales tax collection (Sept. 25, 2011)
$17,000,000
Rhode Island now collecting more sales taxes, but not on marijuana dispensaries (Oct. 2, 2011)
$5,000,000
Al Davis' Oakland Raiders and federal estate tax issues (Oct. 9, 2011)
61,427
First-time homebuyer credit still causing compliance problems (Oct. 16, 2011)
$4,000,000,000
IRS says budget cuts could increase federal deficit by $4 billion (Oct. 23, 2011)
2013
IRS postpones backup withholding on credit card payment reporting until 2013 (Oct. 30, 2011)
½
Vikings' drive for new stadium thrown for a loss by Minnesota governor (Nov. 6, 2011)
47%
47 percent of former private tax debt collection cases left untouched by IRS (Nov. 13, 2011)
9%
America's opinion of Congress at new low (Nov. 20, 2011)
$480,400,000,000
Super committee failure could cost states billions in federal wages, projects (Nov. 27, 2011)
$100
Holiday gift from an employer: Taxable benefit or tax-free gift? (Dec. 4, 2011)
23
IRS issues 2012 mileage deduction rates (Dec. 11, 2011)
160,000,000
Payroll tax cut extension in doubt again (Dec. 18, 2011)
$156,510
What you'll pay for 12 Days of Political Influence on Capitol Hill (Dec. 25, 2011)

Some of you (OK, only the tax geekiest of you) might be asking why didn't this feature start before mid-January? You can, after all, file your tax return for the previous year as soon as you want after a new year rolls around as long as you have all the necessary information and are willing to file an old-fashioned paper return.

Well, there are two good reasons as to why this feature began on Jan. 16, 2011.

First, Jan. 16 was the Sunday after the IRS officially opened its 2011 electronic filing doors. Since around 70 percent of us use tax preparation software and e-file our returns, the beginning of e-filing marks the real, at least in the IRS' eyes, start of the annual tax filing season.

And reason number two for the delay is that I didn't think of it until that day!

Today's Tax Tip

4 September tax moves — Sept. 1 marked the arrival of Meteorological Fall, but it's still pretty darn hot across much of the United States. As we await the crisp chill of autumn, here are four cool tax moves to make this month. (Sept. 3, 2024)
The 2024 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

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 2024 continues!

We made it. Tax Day 2024 is finally over. For most of us. An estimated 19 million taxpayers got an extension to file their 2023 tax year return. That's fine.
In fact, the Internal Revenue Service appreciates some of us spreading out our filings. It gives the agency time to process the surge of returns
that came in on April 15.

But enough about Uncle Sam's tax collector and its issues. The focus now is on all y'all who filed for extensions, giving you another six months to complete your return. Let's get started on meeting that new Oct. 15 deadline. It will be here before you know it.

The monthly tips and reminders a little further down this column can help you finish up your Form 1040. There also will be tax tidbits each month that make sure you meet other tax deadlines. And, of course, you'll find advice on ways to cut your still adding up 2024 tax bill.

Finally, keep an eye on the countdown clock below. It will help you track yet more days tick, tick, ticking off toward that absolutely final fall filing due date.
Note: I'm in the Central Time Zone, so adjust accordingly for where you live.

Time for Tax Tasks

🍁 Hello 🍁 September 🍁
🍂 Fall 🍂 is 🍂 here! 🍂

OK, fall’s not here yet, at least not here in Texas according to still quite-warm temperatures. But forecasters say cooler weather — like highs in the 80s; yes, everything, especially weather, is relative — is on its way, and that meteorological promise gives up hope.

via GIPHY

As we get ready for the promised bit of chill, September also is a great month to make some cool tax moves, like those listed below. So, grab a sweater (or not yet), and let's go!
Sept. 1: Today is Meteorological Fall, the three months from Sept. 1 through Nov. 30 when days get shorter and cooler, but not cold. It's also the start of the annual National Preparedness Month. This year’s theme is “Start a Conversation,” since it's important to talk with your loved ones about potential emergencies. It's also critical to be prepared, as the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico hurricane season usually peaks in September.

We’ve already had three tropical systems do enough damage to prompt Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) major disaster declarations. The 2024 tropical storm season’s second named storm, Hurricane Beryl, landed as “just” a category 1 on the Texas coast, but still took 38 souls and left Lone Star State residents facing an estimated $30 billion in damages.

Hurricane Debby made two U.S. landfalls, in the Big Bend area of Florida and then again in South Carolina before moving up the Eastern Seaboard, producing disaster declarations all the way up to Vermont. Tropical Storm Ernesto, followed, slamming the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as spawning deadly rip tides along East Coast beaches as the storm moved toward Bermuda.

And, coinciding with Meteorological Fall, we’ve still got three months of the 2024 hurricane season to go!

That has coastal residents on edge, since Uncle Sam's official forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center say we could get 17 to 25 total named storms, which are those with winds of 39 mph or higher. Of those, eight to 13 are forecast to become hurricanes, meaning winds of 74 mph or higher. Four to seven becoming major hurricanes; that’s category 3, 4 or 5, with winds of 111 mph or higher.

Regardless of the count, it only takes one to wreck your world. If you haven’t already, get ready for not just tropical systems, but whatever dangerous weather that’s common where you live. The countdown clock above 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 collection of special pages with posts offer tax advice on preparing for, recovering from, and helping those who sustain damages from the many ways that that weather goes wild.

Sept. 2: Happy Labor Day! This annual celebration of workers' contributions is a federal holiday and day off for many.

When you get back to work after this three day holiday, take a few minutes to check the federal tax amount that’s coming out of your paychecks. If you need to adjust your withholding so that you have the most accurate amount of taxes withheld, now is the time to do that. Submitting a new W-4 early this month will mean any changes are spread over the last four months of the year, making any impact less noticeable.

Sept. 3: If you live in Auglaize, Crawford, Darke, Delaware, Hancock, Licking, Logan, Mercer, Miami, Richland, or Union counties in Ohio, today is your Tax Day. The Internal Revenue Service granted individual and businesses in those counties tax relief since they were declared major disaster areas following a tornado outbreak in March.

Sept. 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 get all the tips you deserve for doing your job well. Remember, though, that those tips are taxable income.

Whether you're dining at your favorite eatery or 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 if you got at least $20 in gratuities in August for your extraordinary services as a food server or hair stylist or parking valet or whatever job where tipping is common, you must report that amount by today. Use Form 4070 to let your employer know the total tips you took in last month.

Sept. 16: Today is the deadline to pay your third installment of estimated taxes. This tax is due on income that’s not subject to withholding, such as investment earnings or contract work. Most estimated tax filers make the payments four times a year. The September payment is for such earnings received in June, July, and August. It’s usually on the 15th, but since that was Sunday, the deadline is pushed to the next business day — today!

Sept. 23: Sept. 22: The Autumnal Equinox arrives today at 8:44 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time in the Northern Hemisphere, marking the first day of Fall for all us who don't follow the meteorological fall calendar. Adjust for your time zone, since the equinox occurs at the same moment worldwide. It's also a go-to day to think about home maintenance that will help you weather the coming colder weather. The Inflation Relief Act includes extension of older and addition of new energy-related tax breaks, including some for residential energy improvements.

Sept. 30: Wow! Where did September go? That’s a good question to ask if you got an extension to file your 2023 tax return earlier this year. The last day of this ninth month means that your absolutely final Oct. 15 due day is another month closer. So you might want to get to work on that Form 1040 now. The easiest way to do do is to use tax software and electronically file.

If your adjusted gross income is $79,000 or less, you should check into Free File, the no-cost online tax preparation and electronic filing program offered by the IRS and its Free File Alliance partners. It’s open through the Oct. 15 extension deadline. This year, eight tax software companies offer programs to qualifying taxpayers.

Note that the Free File $79,000 or less income threshold applies to all filing statuses. If your income is too high, you still can file for free by using Free File's Free Forms option.

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 2024 page.

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You also might enjoy these other tax tips from some of my tax-writing colleagues:
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Taxes for Dummies 2024
Tax Savvy for Small Business

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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 interpretation and 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. While I work to ensure each post's accuracy, the items are not recommendations of any specific tax action(s) you should or should not take. Similarly, mentions of commercial tax products or services are not endorsements.

In other words, my ramblings on the ol' tax blog are free advice, and you know what they say about getting what you pay for. That's why when it is time for you to file your own taxes, I urge you to get additional, professional, paid-for guidance from an accountant, Enrolled Agent, or other reputable, qualified tax preparer who is familiar with your individual tax circumstances.

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COVID-19 & Taxes

Coronavirus has wreaked havoc
on the 2020 and 2021 tax seasons.
These five Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Taxes pages have details:
March-July 2020
August-December 2020
January-December 2021
January-December 2022
…and so it continues into 2023
…and, alas, into 2024
You can find medical coronavirus resource links in the next section.

COVID-19 Resources

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

September 2024

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Photo by Kay Bell
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Tell it to the Hill

While it's easy to rail at the IRS, for the most part we can thank — or blame — Congress and the White House for our tax laws. 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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