Last week at my other tax blog (2013)

Happy New Tax Year!

If the way we started this year is any indication -- let's all say it together: fiscal cliff nonsense -- 2013 is shaping up to be an exciting tax year.

That's why I'm glad I have two tax blogs to on which to hash out tax matters.

As has been my practice, I'll be recapping what happened last week at my Bankrate Taxes Blog here at Don't Mess With Taxes each weekend (mostly Saturdays ... I hope!).

But if you happen to miss those posts, this page will serve as an index with links to the previous week's synopsis.

Here's how my 2013 Bankrate tax blogging is shaping up.

Dec. 28, 2013: Mortgage forgiveness tax relief ends on Dec. 31
Dec. 21, 2013: Tax timing and travel-related taxes
Dec. 14, 2013: Attention senior citizens: IRA distribution date is Dec. 31
Dec. 10, 2013: Standard tax deduction amounts bumped up for 2014
Dec. 3, 2013: Where do your residential property taxes rank nationally?
Nov. 24, 2013: Senate Finance chair wants to hear your tax reform thoughts
Nov. 16, 2013: NY man pleads guilty to $9 million in fraudulent tax refunds
Nov. 10, 2013: 2014 individual income tax brackets
Nov. 4, 2013: Some in Congress want FSA use-or-lose rule eliminated
Oct. 27, 2013: Almost 700 IRS contractors owe $5.4 million in back taxes
Oct. 20, 2013: Budget conference committee members named
Oct. 14, 2013: Wyoming, 5 other western states have best business taxes
Oct. 5, 2013: Audit target? You're getting a bit of a shutdown break
Sept. 30, 2013: IRS lays out plan to deal with federal government shutdown
Sept. 21, 2013: Beanie Babies billionaire caught in offshore tax evasion net
Sept. 14, 2013: Estimated taxes and other September financial deadlines
Sept. 7, 2013: Renouncing U.S. citizenship, for tax and other reasons
Sept. 1, 2013: New York state of tax mind
Aug. 25, 2013: Gerard Depardieu now an honorary, and less taxed, Belgian
Aug. 18, 2013: Employers in 17 states could face higher unemployment taxes
Aug. 11, 2013: New York cop pleads guilty to identity theft, tax refund fraud
Aug. 4, 2013: Tax-related identity theft: Its growth and IRS efforts to stop it
July 27, 2013: Scholarships and grants get better grades than borrowing and tax breaks as ways to pay college costs
July 20, 2013: IRS emails, hearings and budgets, oh my!
July 13, 2013: Fear you might be a tax ID theft victim? Here's what to do
July 8, 2013: Congressional tax reform tour across America is underway
June 30, 2013: DOMA, taxes and where you live
June 23, 2013: Amazon heading to Florida, leaving Minnesota
June 15, 2013: June 15 deadlines bumped this year to June 17
June 9, 2013: States are collecting more tax money ... for now
June 1, 2013: Richer taxpayers get the bulk of tax break benefits and charitable donation rules
May 26, 2013: Continuing IRS questions and first sales tax holidays of 2013
May 19, 2013: All IRS all the time, at least last week at my other tax blog
May 12, 2013: IRS warrants for taxpayer emails and online sales taxes
May 6, 2013: Debt ceiling, home mortgage interest deduction and tax reform are in a twisted financial and political knot
April 27, 2013: South Florida tax scheme highlights ID theft, EITC concerns
April 21, 2013: Tax Freedom Day, cities with the most tax cheaters and Tax Day 2013 freebies
April 13, 2013: Spying on taxpayer social media accounts, Obama's rehashed tax provisions in FY2014 budget and other April 15 tax deadlines
April 7, 2013: How we'll spend tax refunds and Coping with sequestration pain
March 30, 2013: The wide reach of taxes: U.S. Supreme Court same-sex marriage case and March Madness basketball games
March 23, 2013: Added costs of not filing and Lawsuits prompted by refund delays
March 16, 2013 (posted March 23, 2013): Gun, ammo taxes and Tax processing delays create FAFSA problems
March 9, 2013: Tax refund loan product problems and Still anticipating sequester effects
March 3, 2013: Sequester, sequestration and Talk of tax code change
Feb. 24, 2013: Congressional pay cuts (yeah, right) and The role taxes play in state relocations
Feb. 17, 2013: Old-style savings bonds refund option and Talk of a possible gas tax hike
Feb. 9, 2013: Feds settle $15 million tax scam and Adding up sales tax deduction amount
Feb. 3, 2013: E-filing fraud fears and Employing plastic to trim property taxes
Jan. 27, 2013: Tentative tax reform talk and Court ruling poses a possible filing season snag
Jan. 19, 2013: Tax rates, tax refunds last week at my other tax blog
Jan. 12, 2013: Tax filing hassles: delayed start, complicated code
Jan. 6, 2013: What is and isn't in the fiscal cliff tax bill

You also can find links to the most recent Bankrate posts (and the RSS feed) over there in the right column of the ol' blog.

If you are really hankering for more tax bloggings, you can peruse the archive of 2011, 2012 and 2014 posts at my other tax blog.

And there's a link to my original Bankrate tax blog, Eye on the IRS, as well as a link to Don't Mess With Taxes posts in which I reference my other tax blog(s).

Thanks again for reading, here and there!

Weekly Tax Tip

Tax breaks for military veterans — Much of our tax money goes to the military. Veterans Day, the 11th day of the 11th month, is set aside to officially remember and honor those armed forces members who sacrificed, sometimes ultimately, to protect us. But beyond this holiday, there are ways the tax code can help our service men and women, both those still on duty or having competed their obligations. (Nov. 8, 2019)
Check out all the latest post-Tax Day tax advice in the 2019 edition of Weekly Tax Tips. Many of these once-a-week tips will focus on planning moves to cut your 2020 tax bill. If, however, you're working on a filing extension for your 2018 return, you can get a refresher of the 2019 Filing Season Tax Tips at their respective monthly pages: January, February, March and April.

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 Year 2019 Countdown
It's over! The final 2018 tax year extended filing deadline has passed, unless you get more time because your filing was affected by a natural disaster like Tropical Storm Imelda. For most of us, though, the passage of Oct. 15 means it's time to focus on the tax return we'll file next year. We have until Dec. 31 this year to make moves that will reduce our already accruing 2019 tax bill. The countdown clock below will make sure you don't miss these crucial actions or any tax deadlines.
Note: I'm in the Central Time Zone, so adjust accordingly for where you live.

Time for Tax Tasks

Welcome November! We love your cooler weather, the family gatherings and all that good food (yay pumpkin pies!) and, of course, the extra hour we get thanks to falling back to Standard Time to work on cutting our tax bills.

Nov. 1: This 11th month starts with Affordable Care Act (ACA) open enrollment, which runs through Dec. 15. Yes, the ACA, or Obamacare as it's still popularly known, is still here. You can enroll at HelathCare.gov or in some places at a state marketplace.

And while the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) eliminated the federal individual mandate, the federal subsidy, aka the premium tax credit, to help pay for coverage remains in the tax code.

Nov. 3: Daylight Saving Time ends at 2 a.m. today, as we fall back an hour to our local Standard Time.

Sure, you can spend the extra 60 minutes sleeping. Or you use the time to review and adjust your payroll withholding. The goal is to avoid owing a lot or getting a refund next filing season. A paycheck check-up is an especially good idea if you have a side hustle or other freelance earnings.

Nov. 11: Veterans Day is Nov. 11. That date marks the official, formal end of World War I at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. It eventually evolved into a day to recognize veterans of all armed conflicts.

On this federal holiday, honor veterans however you feel is appropriate. If you're a business owner, consider hiring a veteran. Adding a new military-trained worker by year's end also might provide your firm a tax benefit thanks to the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC).

Nov. 12: Does your job include tips? If so and you received $20 in tips in October, use Form 4070 to report them today to your employer. This report usually is due on the 10th of each month, but that fell on Sunday and Monday was the Veterans' Day federal holiday, it is pushed to today, the next business day.

Nov. 18: Speaking of income, if you're looking for or have already landed a seasonal job to make a little extra holiday spending cash, pay attention to how you're paid. It makes a difference in your taxes. If you're an independent contractor instead of an employee, you're responsible for paying self-employment taxes, as well as the income taxes that are usually withheld from employees' paychecks. If you're unsure about your employment status, the Internal Revenue Service has some guidelines on when each work status applies.

Nov. 22: In many years, it's Thanksgiving week, but not in 2019. This annual celebration of gratefulness is next week. You can use this extra time to make things better for others. Consider giving to the many charities, both national and those in your own neighborhood, that help the less fortunate, from food banks to homeless shelters to funding educational programs in needier schools. As long as the group is an IRS-approved 501(c)(3) nonprofit, if you itemize you can claim your gift as a tax deduction on Schedule A.

Nov. 28: Happy Thanksgiving!

via GIPHY

Take a break from taxes for turkey, football and time with your family. If you also happen to have a little cash on some fantasy or, thanks to the Supreme Court, real games, remember that wagering wins on sporting events, like all bet payoffs, are taxable income.

Nov. 30: Finally! The Atlantic hurricane season officially ends today.

The worst tropical damage came this year from Hurricane Dorian along the eastern seaboard and Tropical Storm Imelda in Texas.

While the countdown clock below is marking off the days left until the official end of the 2019 hurricane season, Mother Nature can throw many types of dangerous fits any time, anywhere.

So we can't let down our storm guards. You can find tips on getting ready, physically and financially, for all types of natural disasters, as well as tax help for recovery efforts and tax deductions for donations to those who are hit by such catastrophes at the ol' blog's Storm Warnings pages.

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.

0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 ...

Taxes are all about the numbers.
Check out these (mostly) weekly
By the Numbers figures.

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Mapping Your Tax Route

Do you get lost doing your taxes? Check out the Taxpayer Advocate Service's Taxpayer Roadmap.

This publication, designed along the lines of a subway map, shows the many routes and detours of a taxpayer's journey through our elaborate Internal Revenue Code and the Internal Revenue Service's enforcement of our tax collection system.

Kudos Et Cetera

National Association
for Women in Communications
Winner, Best Personal Blog
2012, 2014 & 2017
Plutus Financial Bloggers Awards
Celebrating the Best
in Personal Finance
Winner, Best Tax Blog
2011 & 2013

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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is a registered trademark
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