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!

Today's Tax Tip

Bunch your itemized expenses — There's not a bunch of time left in 2023, but enough to look into bunching itemized tax-deductible expenses. This deduction strategy essentially means alternating each year between your standard or itemized deduction amount. To get a Schedule A total that's larger than your allowable standard deduction, you'll have to pull your itemized expenses into one tax year, or push them into the next, aka bunch them! It takes some planning, calculating, and guesstimating, but when it works, it maximizes all those itemized amounts (and receipts) that are too often lost because they're just not quite enough to claim. (Dec. 8, 2023)
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!

All About Kay

OK, some about Kay

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

My Other Accounts

Tick ... Tick ... Tick

It's the final
2023 tax countdown!

It's over! We cleared 2023's extended filing deadline, unless you get more time because your filing was affected by a major natural disaster, military service, or some other Internal Revenue Service recognized special situation. If that's you, be sure to check out all the ol' blog's earlier Tax Tips, listed by month just under the old-school No. 2 yellow pencil tip atop this column.

For most of us, though, the passage of Oct. 16 means it's time to focus on the Form 1040 that we'll file next year. In most cases, we have until Dec. 31 to make moves that will reduce our still accruing 2023 tax bill.

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 of in each of these final 2½ months of 2023.
Note: I'm in the Central Time Zone, so adjust accordingly for where you live.

Time for Tax Tasks

Ho 🎅 Ho 🎅 Ho!
December is here!
You better watch out. You better not cry. But you better make some year-end tax moves this December or next April 15 could turn out to be the tax equivalent of Santa Claus putting coal in your stocking.

Click image to hear a musical Santa message from Bruce Springsteen.
St. Nick can't deliver a festively wrapped, already prepared tax return for you (unless he's even more magical than I think!) to file next year, but he does have a tax connection. Santa's tracking of naughty and nice boys and girls basically is the same method that the Internal Revenue Service uses. That's why we all need to be nice, especially to ourselves, in this final month of the year by making some important tax-saving moves. Let's get to it!
Dec. 1: This last filing season was more-or-less back to pre-COVID-19 pandemic normal, but if your own personal filing circumstances remained a mess, it's time to act. Maybe you realized you need professional tax help. If so, now is the time to find a tax preparer who can help ensure your return filing next year goes more smoothly. You have lots of options.There's also a December bonus. If you hire a tax pro this month, you might get some year-end tax tips!

Dec. 4: Are you taking on a variety of gig work to make some extra holiday cash? Those added jobs mean you're an independent contractor. And that means you're responsible for paying income taxes due on the money, as well as any self-employment tax. Now is the time to start gathering those records and tallying this taxable income so you're not surprised at filing time.

Dec. 11: If your job, over the holidays or full-time, is as a server at a restaurant or at any other establishment where gratuities from customers are part of your compensation, I hope you get extra seasonal financial thanks this month for doing your job well. Remember, though, that those tips are taxable income

Whether you're dining at your favorite eatery, or during the coronavirus pandemic discovered you really like 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 November 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.

Dec. 15: Christmas is just 10 days away! If you're still shopping for gifts, you're probably searching for the perfect present online. But beware and be wary. Internet crooks also are logged on, looking to steal your money and identity, using many of the techniques they employ in tax scams. Any personal information they get now can be used at tax time to file a fake return in your name and claim a fraudulent refund. So be careful out there, now and next filing season, and, well, unfortunately all the time.

Dec. 18: Many of us are trying to concentrate this final work week before Christmas. As far as taxes go, it's a good time to revisit your estimated tax situation, especially if you got some money from those previously mentioned gigs. Since these amounts typically aren't subject to withholding, you'll need account for the December earnings in your January 2024 final 1040-ES amount for 2023.
Better to know that amount now, than on Jan. 16's due date.

Dec. 22: It's Christmas Weekend! That means holiday treats, final decorations — or first, if you wait until the very end to get a tree — and frantic last-minute shopping! Rather than worry about how you'll get the perfect gift under the tree on time, consider instead some easy tax-favored gifts. Open a Roth IRA for your child or grandchild who earned some money this year. Or pay tuition for classes that will start in the first quarter of 2024 by Dec. 31. Those college costs then can be used to claim the American Opportunity Tax Credit.

Dec. 24: Christmas Eve!
No taxes tonight. It's early to bed for kiddies of all ages. Santa's on his way!

Click image to watch
Santa's delivery route as tracked by NORAD.

Dec. 25: Merry Christmas! My gift to you is another day without tax thoughts.
Just enjoy the holiday and your family and friends.

Dec. 26: Happy Boxing Day. This unofficial holiday on St. Stephen's Day is celebrated by additional giving.
If you donate to your favorite charity on this Boxing Day or any other day by Dec. 31, on your 2023 taxes you'll have to itemize your gifts on Schedule A to claim them. The option to claim a limited amount directly on your Form 1040 expired at the end of 2021. What didn't expire is the IRS' tax donation deduction rules.

Dec. 31: This is it. The drop-dead deadline to make most 2022 tax moves. A quick and easy action today is to zero out your medical flexible spending account (FSA) by buying over-the-counter medications for which the funds can be used. This is especially important if your employer doesn't offer a grace period to use the money or let you roll it over into 2024. Without those alternatives, you'll lose any FSA funds you don't use.

Done? Great! Make sure the champagne is chilling and settle in for your New Year's Eve party or a cozy night at home with your friends and loved ones. Either way, cheers and Auld Lang Syne as the ball drops at midnight.

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 2023 page.

What are you looking for?

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.

Search

Subscribe:
E-mail, RSS or both!

Enter your Email

Powered by FeedBlitz
RSS

Privacy Policy

Wondering what happens to your information once you subscribe? Don't worry. Don't Mess With Taxes respects your wish not to be a mere data source. Check the ol' blog's privacy policy at the Table of Contents page, as well as on the separate Privacy Policy page.

Affiliate Books

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.

Look for it on bookstore shelves
or order a copy (or two!) from
Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
Find out more about my book and excerpted chapters at the FT Press
Truth About Paying
Fewer Taxes Web page.
You can read more
of Kay's tax insights in ...

Kay Bell helps you build
a solid tax foundation in
"Personal Finance: An Encyclopedia
of Modern Money Management"

Kay Bell breaks down taxes and
estate planning for millennials in
"Future Millionaires' Guidebook"

A collection of Kay Bell stories
is included in
"The Gambler's Guide to Taxes:
How to Keep More
of What You Win"

Tax Reading Room
You also might enjoy these other tax tips from some of my tax-writing colleagues:
JK Lasser 2023 taxes
Dealing With the IRS
JK Lasser 1001 Deductions
~~~~~~~
Don't Mess With Taxes
is an Amazon Affiliate.
If you click on the product links above and/or buy the items,
I will be compensated.

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.

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 and 2013
Lifetime Achievement Nominee 2020

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.

Blog powered by Typepad
Member since 11/2005

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
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

December 2023

..................................................

Photo by Isaac Martin on Unsplash

.................................................................

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, 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.

Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
					1	2
3	4	5	6	7	8	9
10	11	12	13	14	15	16
17	18	19	20	21	22	23
24	25	26	27	28	29	30
31