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Don't Mess With Taxes

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Daily Tax Tips April 2012

We've made it! Welcome to the ultimate tax-filing month!

To help you make it these last few filing days to this year's April 17 deadline, here are April 2012's Daily Tax Tips. Thanks for making the jump from the January, February and/or March tax tip lists.Tax_tip_icon_pencil_point

Although time to finish your taxes is short, don't panic. There are still ways to get your taxes done, and done right, so that you don't miss the Tax Day deadline.

As with the previous month's tax tips, April's tips will appear every day, Monday through Sunday, including holidays -- even the Emancipation Day one that pushed the 2012 filing due date further into this month -- through Tuesday, Apirl 17. 

And while the focus will be on filling out the 2011 tax return, you'll still find some tax planning ideas to give you a start on reducing your 2012 tax bill.

You can find each day's new tip in the upper right corner of the ol' blog. But if you occasionally must tear yourself away from taxes -- say it ain't so! -- you can catch up on this and the other monthly tax tip compilation pages.

Many of the tips posted throughout filing season appear courtesy of Bankrate's annual tax guide. But some will be original Don't Mess With Taxes advice.

So now that you're through perusing January and February tax tidbits, let's flip that tax calendar page and take a look at the Daily Tax Tips for April 2012.

  1. Time to enroll in EFTPS -- Electronic transactions become more popular each year, both with the Internal Revenue Service and taxpayers. One way to electronically pay your tax bill and avoid any extra charges, such as credit card fees, is to use the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System, or EFTPS. EFTPS is the Treasury Department's free online payment system for businesses and individuals. Despite an early misstep in using EFTPS, I've used it for years to pay both annual and estimated tax bills. But to take advantage of EFTPS, you must enroll. And it takes about a week before you can use the system because you must wait for the IRS to send you a personal identification number, or PIN, via snail mail. Yep, even though the IRS in recent years has been encouraging (some say forcing) us to go electronic, it still uses the U.S. Postal Service to set up access to its own online payment system. But once you get past that ironic requirement and into EFTPS, it's a handy and free way to pay your tax bills. And if you want to try it out this filing season, set up your account soon. (April 1, 2012)
  2. Social Security number mistakes could be costly -- It seems simple enough. Make sure your Social Security number and those of your spouse and dependents are entered correctly on your return. But each filing season, lots of people this common tax-filing mistake. And for them, it could be very costly. A mismatched name and Social Security number on a tax return could, at best, could slow down a refund. At worst, it could unexpectedly increase a tax bill. The IRS checks Social Security numbers when you apply for tax credits such as the popular child and additional child tax credits or educational tax breaks. No or wrong numbers mean not tax breaks. Ultimately, a name and tax ID number discrepancy could prevent your wages from being posted correctly to your Social Security account record, which could mean you wouldn't get all the federal retirement benefits to which you're entitled. So remember to double check Social Security number entries before you send in your tax return. (April 2, 2012)
  3. Roth IRA rules -- Roth individual retirement accounts are popular for many reasons, the main one being that earnings on this type of nest egg are tax-free when withdrawn. As for those withdrawals, you get to decide when you take them. There are no required minimum distributions for Roth IRAs. But to ensure that you get all the Roth IRA advantages, you must meet follow the Roth rules. As with a traditional IRA, you must earn money to contribute to a Roth. You also can't make too much money; the IRS has earning limits on just who can contribute to a Roth. You can't put money into a Roth if in 2011 you made $179,000 or more and are married filing jointly; $122,000 if you file as single, head of household or married filing separately and did not live with your spouse during the year; or $10,000 if you lived with your spouse at any time during the tax year but file separate returns. If you made less than those amounts, you still might face a limit on how much you can contribute to a Roth. If you're eligible to open or contribute to a Roth IRA, you can put in up to $5,000 or $6,000 if you're age 50 or older. And remember that you can put money into the account through this year's April 17 filing deadline. (April 3, 2012)
  4. Traditional IRAs work just fine for some -- The big IRA decision is whether to choose a Roth IRA or a traditional IRA. The answer is it depends. Both retirement accounts offer some tax savings. The main difference is when you get those savings. For some, sooner is better and in those cases a traditional IRA still has a lot of appeal. Many taxpayers find that a traditional IRA lets them build tomorrow's retirement cushion while also reducing today's taxes. That's due to the above-the-line deductions deduction for a traditional IRA. Of course, you must meet the plan's requirements. You must earn money to open a traditional IRA. But if you earn too much, then your tax deduction could be reduced or disallowed totally. To figure that out, you must take into account your working spouse's retirement plan circumstances as well as the option to contribute to a workplace retirement plan at your job. For 2011 returns, a single or head-of-household filer with a company-provided pension plan can earn up to $66,000 and still get a partial IRA deduction. The earnings cap is $110,000 for joint filers where each partner has a company retirement plan. If you don't have a company plan but your spouse does, you lose your full traditional IRA deduction at $179,000. If you decide to contribute to a traditional IRA even if you can't deduct it, remember to file Form 8606. This paper trail will help you, and the IRS, keep track of money that you won't owe taxes on when you take distributions in retirement. (April 4, 2012)
  5. Make your nest egg pay off now with the retirement savers credit -- Retirement plans already offer many tax benefits. Taxes are deferred, and in some cases never collected, on money stashed now for your post-work years. But they also might enable you to reduce your current tax bill if you qualify for the retirement savers contribution credit. You'll find the credit on both Form 1040 and Form 1040A. Because it's a credit, it reduces your tax bill dollar-for-dollar, up to $1,000. Your actual credit amount depends on your income, filing status and just how much you put into retirement plans. Basically, the lower your income, the bigger your credit. Income limits are are adjusted annually for inflation. For 2011, the maximum $1,000 retirement savers credit is available to single filers making up to $17,000; to married joint filers with up to $34,000 in income; and head-of-household filers making up to $25,000. Reduced credits are allowed until filers' incomes reach more than $28,250 if single; $56,500 if married filing jointly; and more than $42,375 for head-of-household taxpayers. The credit can be claimed against contributions to traditional or Roth IRAs, as well as to employer-provided retirement plans, including self-employment plans. (April 5, 2012)
  6. Using IRA money to buy a house, pay for school -- Tax law allows you to tap your traditional individual retirement account early without paying the usual 10 percent penalty in certain hardship situations. But a couple of uses of the money, while technically considered hardship withdrawals, are usually far from adverse circumstances: buying your first home or paying for college. You can put up to $10,000 of IRA funds toward the purchase of your first residence. If you're married, and you and your spouse are first-time buyers, you each can pull from retirement accounts, providing $20,000 to put down on your first home. And best of all, you don't have to actually be purchasing your very first abode. You qualify as long as you (or your spouse) didn't own a principal residence at any time during the previous two years. When it comes to schooling, a happy accomplishment in most families, the IRS says no penalty will be assessed for withdrawing IRA money before you turn 59½ as long as the retirement funds go toward qualified schooling costs for yourself, your spouse or your children or grandkids. (April 6, 2012)
  7. Make sure your new name matches your Social Security number -- Have you changed your name? Make sure the Social Security Administration (SSA) knows or it could cause you tax-filing trouble. In in order for the Internal Revenue Service to properly process your tax return, your name and Social Security number must match. When they don't, your refund could be delayed or even disallowed. To make the change, filing a Form SS-5, Application for a Social Security Card, with the SSA. You can download the form, pick one up at your local SSA office or get one mailed to you by calling 800-772-1213. To finalize the change, you must provide the SSA with proof of your new name via a marriage document, divorce decree, Certificate of Naturalization or court order for a name change. (April 7, 2012)
  8. A dozen egg-cellent tax tips -- You probably took Easter Sunday off. That's OK. The ol' blog went on a tax eggstravaganza hunt for filing tips and found a dozen that, while not as yummy as chocolate rabbits, could sate your tax saving appetite. They include claiming day camp costs toward the child care credit; deducting mortgage re-fi loan points; writing off medical mileage, including trips to your pharmacy to pick up your prescriptions; including airline baggage fees in business travel deductions; claiming tax benefits for disabled taxpayers; and checking whether you're eligible to claim, via IRS Form 8801, a tax credit for prior year Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) payments. Other tax issues to consider are the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), Roth IRA conversion taxes due on 2011 returns, checking asset basis calculations, writing off moving costs, deductible state sales or income taxes and home energy upgrades tax credits. (April 8, 2012)
  9. Keeping track of the kiddie tax -- Do you have kids that have investment accounts in their names? Then you need to pay attention to the kiddie tax. Despite the name that sounds like it might help young taxpayers, this tax provision was designed to keep parents from shifting income to their kids in lower tax brackets. It used to affect young investors in their mid- and late-teens. Now, however, it could affect some young people as old as age 23. Here's the deal. A portion of a child's investment income -- up to $950 in 2011 and 2012 tax years -- is tax-free. Then next amount, again $950 for last year and this year, is taxed at the youth's lower tax rate. But when the earnings exceed the combined amounts, or $1,900 for the 2011 and 2012 tax years, the unearned income must be taxed at the parents' usually higher tax rate. What this essentially means is that by the time a young investor can take advantage of his or her lower tax bracket (at age 19 unless the child is a full-time student, a situation which kicks the age to 24), he or she will likely be out of high school or even college and possibly working and earning enough so that the youth is no longer in the lowest tax bracket. Parents also must decide whether to file a form for their child, Form 8615, or to add the kid's investment earnings to their income via Form 8814. Yep, raising kids is not easy and neither is taking care of kiddie tax issues. (April 9, 2012)
  10. Reporting investment income -- Making money via investments sure beats working for a living. But just like wage or salary income, you still have to pay taxes on investment earnings. The good news is that in many instances, the tax rate is substantially lower than the taxes on ordinary income. The bad news is that you have a bit more tax paperwork to do. If you have interest income of more than $1,500 you must file Schedule B with your Form 1040 or 1040A. That $1,500 threshold also applies to dividends. And dividend payouts in excess of that amount go on Schedule B, too. Note that the dividends and interest amounts are calculated separately for reporting purposes. If you have $500 in interest and $1,100 in dividends, you don't need to file Schedule B even though your total of these investment earnings is more than $1,500. When you're able to report your earnings directly on your tax return because they were enough to trigger a Schedule B filing, be sure to note that there are two lines for these earnings. On both the 1040 and 1040A, interest goes on line 8. For ordinary dividends, use line 9a. Just below is 9b, for entering qualified dividends that are eligible for the lower capital gains tax rate, 15 percent for most filers. Investment earnings also require more calculations to come up with your correct bill. But in this case, the extra work is definitely worth it, since it usually means you have a smaller tax bill than if the investment income had been taxed at ordinary income rates. And remember that in both interest and dividend payment situations, you still have to report the money even if you didn't actually get it. If it was reinvested into your account or fund, you constructively received it, meaning it still counts as taxable earnings to you. (April 10, 2012)
  11. Taking advantage of foreign taxes -- If you have an internationally diversified portfolio you likely paid foreign taxes on some of your investments. You'll find any foreign taxes paid on your investments in box 6 of the 1099-DIV you got from your investment manager. It's never fun paying taxes to any country and especially not to one where you don't live. But you can recoup those foreign tax costs on your U.S. tax return. You have two ways to do that. You can claim the foreign taxes as an itemized deduction. This means you'll must file Form 1040 and the associated Schedule A. As a deduction, the foreign taxes will add to the amount you can subtract from your adjusted gross income so that you'll have a smaller taxable income upon which you figure your final Internal Revenue Service bill. Or you can claim the foreign tax amount as a tax credit, which will reduce your tax bill dollar for dollar. In this case, simply enter your foreign tax amount on line 47 of Form 1040. You also might have to complete Form 1116, but only if your foreign tax amount is more than $300. (April 11, 2012)
  12. Home energy tax credits -- Uncle Sam wants to help cover improvements to your house to make it more energy-efficient, but not as much as he did in prior tax years. For 2011, some relatively easy ways to cut your energy costs -- storm windows and doors, skylights, insulation, roofing (metal and asphalt), biomass stoves, and conventional furnaces, air conditioners and water heaters -- could be worth a maximum tax credit of $500. That's just a third of the credit that was available previously. And the available credit amounts vary with the different improvement options. Still, the tax break is a credit, meaning your tax bill is reduced dollar for dollar. If, however, you have already claimed the maximum credit for upgrades in prior tax years, you're not eligible for more. But you do get a second home energy improvement chance if you install more dramatic energy upgrades and the tax savings are larger. This includes solar powered systems, fuel cell plans, wind energy programs and geothermal heat pumps. The credit in these cases is up to 30 percent of the cost of the alternative-energy equipment. (April 12, 2012)
  13. Ways to e-pay your tax bill -- If you end up owing Uncle Sam this year, you can pay your tax bill electronically. One of the most popular payment options is with a credit or debit card. The Internal Revenue Service has approved three vendors to process plastic payments. The only problem here is that each will charge you for the convenience of using your Visa, MasterCard, Discover or American Express card to pay your taxes. If you don't mind paying the U.S. Treasury directly from your bank account, that's OK too and there's usually no charge for these transactions. You can pay via electronic funds withdrawal, or EFW, or Electronic Federal Tax Payment System, known as EFTPS. EFW essentially is the reverse of the direct deposit that the IRS encourages for receipt of refunds. You can pay this way via Free File, commercial software or a paid preparer. You'll need your financial institution's routing transit number and account number. Check with your bank to confirm these numbers, especially the routing data since it's not always the same as on your paper checks. Since EFTPS requires some set-up time, if you haven't already established an account it's out of the tax e-pay picture for the impending filing deadline. But after you're through with your 2011 return and tax payment, check it out. You can use it rest of the year to electronically make your estimated tax payments. (April 13, 201)
  14. Self-employment tax issues -- If last year was the first one in which you worked for yourself, either as your full-time job or by doing some freelance work on the side to supplement your wages, you are likely to encounter a big tax surprise when you file: self-employment tax. Self-employment tax, or SE tax, is in addition to the usual federal income tax. It goes toward Social Security and Medicare, similar to those tax amounts that employees see withheld from their working-for-the-man paychecks. SE tax kicks in when your net profit is $400 or more. To determine that, sole proprietors or independent contractors will calculate their earnings on Schedule C or C-EZ. Once you get your self-employment earnings amount, you calculate your SE tax. This used to be 15.3 percent of net earnings, but the payroll tax holiday, in effect for 2011 and 2012, cuts the tax rate to 13.3 percent -- 10.4 percent goes toward Social Security tax and 2.9 percent to Medicare. As a self-employed taxpayer you pay both the employer and employee portion of the SE tax. Again, this process follows that of standard employees and employers where the worker pays half of the payroll tax via withholding and the boss matches that amount. And again because of the payroll tax holiday, employees now pay just 4.2 percent while employers still must put in 6.2 percent of a worker's earnings. Since you're both the worker and the boss, you must make both tax payments. But you do get to deduct the employer portion of the SE tax on your tax return. You'll find it in the adjustments to income, also known as above-the-line deductions, that are listed in the last section on page 1 of Form 1040. (April 14, 2012)
  15. State taxes due, too; most on April 17 -- Taxpayers in 43 states and the District of Columbia District of Columbia have multiple taxes to worry about this time of year. Not only are their federal returns due in mid-April, but they also must file with their state tax department. And in 38 of those jurisdictions, state (or D.C.) Tax Day is the same as the Internal Revenue Service deadline. For 2011 filings, that's Tuesday, April 17. Taxpayers in Maine and Massachusetts also have to keep an eye on Patriots Day. This commemoration of the beginning of America's tax-sparked revolution against Great Britain is a state holiday in those two New England locations. When that third Monday in April holiday coincides with Maine's and Massachusetts' tax deadline day, residents get until the next business day to get their state filings done. But Pine Tree and Bay State residents still must get their federal returns to the IRS on the regular April due date. That's not a problem for 2012. This year Monday, April 16, is both Patriots Day and Emancipation Day, the D.C. holiday that has pushed federal filings until Tuesday, April 17. And what states collect income taxes but don't follow the IRS filing calendar? Hawaii, with tax returns/payments due by April 20; Delaware and Iowa, with tax returns/payments due by April 30; Virginia, with tax returns/payments due by May 1; and Louisiana, with taxes tax returns/payments due by May 15. (April 15, 2012)
  16. Payment options when your tax bill is too big -- Freaking out because you just finished your tax return and discovered you owe the Internal Revenue Service a lot? And by a lot, I mean more than you can pay right now? Don't panic. You have several tax payment choices. If you don't have the money in your checking account, but you have a credit card limit that's large enough to cover your bill, you can pay with plastic. Just try to pay that charge card bill off as quickly as possible so that you don't incur a lot of interest charges. Or you can set up an installment plan with the IRS. Uncle Sam's interest rate is a lot lower than the credit card companies (right now it's just 3 percent), but you will pay an application fee and also incur some late payment charges until your tax bill is paid in full. If you're expecting money in a few months that you can use to pay your tax bill, you might even be able to get a NAMEshort-term (up to 120 days) payment plan that doesn't have as many associated costs as longer payment arrangements. And if you're unemployed or the business you own has taken a hit in the economic slowdown, the IRS is waiving some penalties in these cases. Check out all your payment options, because you do need to work out some way to come up with the money as quickly as possible. And definitely go ahead and file your return, even if you can't pay your full bill. The IRS' non-filing penalties are steeper that its non-payment charges. (April 16, 2012)
  17. It's Tax Day. File something! -- Most taxpayers are able to finish their returns by the annual filing deadline (for 2012, that's April 17). But each year around 7 percent of us are uber procrastinators. We (and yes, I am one) opt to postpone our filing deadline for up to six months by filing Form 4868. This short (nine lines) and easy (really!) tax form will get you until Oct. 15 to finish your tax forms. Of course, you can send in your return any time before then that you finish it. But one thing you must send in by the April deadline is any tax bill you owe. Remember, the Internal Revenue Service grants the automatic extension to file your tax paperwork, not to pay any due taxes. (April 17, 2012)

Missed a tip or two?

Check out

 January 2012's Daily Tax Tips

February 2012's Daily Tax Tips

March 2012's Daily Tax Tips

Again, thanks for continuing on the ol' blog's filing season tax tip journey.

Once we wrap up April's tips, the Weekly Tax Tips for the filing "off season" will begin.

Today's Tax Tip

  • Key 2023 federal tax deadlines — We made it through the first week of tax season 2023, but another deadline is looming. Jan. 31 is the filing, and tax payment, deadline for taxpayers who opted not to make their final 2022 estimated tax payment on Jan. 17. This tax calendar has that and other key individual tax due dates for the rest of this year. (Jan. 30, 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!

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

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  • Tax Year 2023 Countdown!

    Happy New Tax Year! Are you ready to file your 2022 tax return? Me neither. But at least this year we're getting some extra time to file and pay any tax we owe. Even better, it's not COVID-19 pandemic related. Tax Day 2023 is Tuesday, April 18. This later date is because April 15, 2023, is on Saturday, and the next business day, Monday, April 17, is Emancipation Day.
    When this Washington, D.C., holiday falls on the day our federal taxes are due, it bumps Tax Day nationwide to the next business day. So this year, we have until Tuesday, April 18, to finish our federal forms and, if we find we owe, come up with the money for Uncle Sam. The states that follow the federal tax calendar, which is most of them, also tend to abide by this date change.

    The countdown clock below should help us from missing out on making important tax-saving moves the rest of this year. Plus, the Tax Moves below the counter will list some timely tasks to take care this first month of 2023, and each of the remaining 11 when they arrive. They'll speed by quickly when you're 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


  • 🎆 Happy 🎉 New 🥂 Year! 🎆

    via GIPHY

    Hello 2023! I cannot tell you how happy I am to see you! I know, I said that about 2021 and 2022, but I really, really mean it. And I'm hoping you reciprocate, you brand spanking new year, on the personal front by letting go of COVID-19, and, on the tax side, by making this the year that taxes also get back to normal. Don't laugh. A gal can hope!

    Jan. 1: Once more for the official date — Happy New Year! One way to make things more enjoyable on the tax front is to get organized this month. Early this month. It will help you keep track of the myriad tax documents — W-2 earnings statements, 1099 forms, charitable donation receipts, year-end account statements — that will soon be on their way to your email or snail mail box. You'll need those (and more) to file your 2022 tax return as soon as the Internal Revenue Service starts accepting them.

    Jan. 3: It's the first official work day of 2023. It's also a deadline for employers, including those who are self-employed, who took advantage of the COVID relief option in 2021 to defer the employer's portion of the Social Security payroll tax; that's 6.2 percent of each worker's wages. If you didn't remit thr taxes before the end of December, today is the absolute final due date for paying the balance of those postponed tax collections.

    Jan. 6: It's Friday, the end of the first holiday-shortened work week of 2023. Even though most of us are thinking about filing our 2022 returns when the IRS opens filing season later this month, we also need to start our 2023 tax planning. Start with the inflation adjustments that apply to a variety of tax situations. You can find this year's figures in the ol' blog's 10-part tax inflation series.

    Jan. 9: Tonight, TCU's Horned Frogs and Georgia's Bulldogs face off at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles to decide the men's college football championship. Thousands of fans are rooting for their teams. Even more people with no personal connections are betting on the game, thanks to the Supreme Court's 2018 ruling to allow states to accept sports wagers. If you're one of those bettors and your pick pays off, remember that you'll owe taxes on your winnings. The good news is that you won't have to share your luck with Uncle Sam until you file your 2023 return next year. The better news is that there are ways to reduce your taxable winnings.

    Jan. 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 got lots of financial thanks for doing your job well, but remember 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.

    If you got at least $20 in gratuities in November, you must account for the tips today by using Form 4070 to report last month's tips total to your employer.

    Jan. 13: It's the first Friday the 13th of 2023. That might not worry you, but even non-superstitious folks are frightened a bit by taxes. However, on this or any other day, don't fear, or fall for, these 13 scary, but wrong, tax myths.

    Jan. 16: Every Martin Luther King Jr. Day, millions of people commit to a day of service.

     MLK Day logo
    Click image to find out ways
    you can volunteer on MLK Day.

    Taking time on the Rev. Dr. King's holiday to volunteer at a charity isn't tax deductible, but some costs associated with volunteering could help reduce your tax bill if you itemize.

    Jan. 17: Today is the due date for the final estimated tax tax payment for the 2022 tax year. It's usually on the 15th, but that fell on Sunday. Then Monday was the federal MLK Day holiday. So the final estimated tax payment deadline was shifted to the next business day, Tuesday, Jan. 17.

    Jan. 17: This date isn't firm yet, but the IRS and its Free File Alliance partners usually offer their no-cost online tax preparation and electronic filing program Free File around the middle of January. When the special Free File website at IRS.gov is available, take advantage of it if you qualify.

    IRS Free File; click image for details

    Free File last year was open to taxpayers whose adjusted gross income was $73,000 or less, but that earnings limit should be bumped up a bit for the 2023 filing season. Whatever the amount, the income level applies to all filing statuses.

    Jan. 23: If you make too much to use Free File, and don't want to use its Free Forms option, you always can purchase your own tax prep software or high a tax pro to handle your taxes. If you looking to hire someone, get to it now. At this point, if you can find a tax preparer taking new clients, you'll be at the end of the filings list. But at least you'll be on the list.

    Jan. 27: It was this week last year that the IRS started accepting and, more importantly, processing tax year returns. If you plan to be among the earliest of filers, you need to make sure you have all the necessary information and documentation. Check out this list of the statements, documents, and forms you'll need before you start work on your return.

    Jan. 31: Wow! The first month of 2023 is over? Time really does fly when you're having tax fun. We'll keep it going here in this new year with new Tax Moves to Make each month, which you also can find on their monthly tax tips pages. January already is filling up!

    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 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.

©©©©© & ®®®®®

  • Don't Mess With Taxes®
    is a registered trademark
    of S. Kay Bell.

    All content on this site is
    © 2005-2023 S. Kay Bell
    dba Write Here, a division of
    SKB Editorial Services, LLC

  • And a bit of housekeeping.
  • 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 copy's originating website.
    If you discover dead links, please e-mail me the details. Thanks.

    Note 3: The banner art for the ol' blog
    is courtesy Pictures of Money
    via Flickr Creative Commons.
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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

January 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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