Books Kay wrote as sole author or as a contributor
The Truth About Paying Fewer Taxes: I wrote this book in 2009 as part of the popular FT Press "truth about" series. It covers just what the title says.

Personal Finance: An Encyclopedia of Modern Money Management: This reference book, published by ABC-CLIO in 2015, is designed for high school and college students and the educators who teach those subjects. I contributed chapters on an overview of the federal tax system, tax returns, tax deferral, online personal finance options, and flexible spending accounts.

Future Millionaires' Guidebook: I joined several of my Bankrate colleagues to produce this Book Baby ebook in 2012. My chapters? Taxes of course! I provided a comprehensive (but succinct) look at everything from payroll withholding to deduction options to saving for retirement. In addition, I wrote the estate planning chapter, which included, you guessed it, the tax component of this important financial step and cited the wise words of the great Canadian rock bank Rush.

The Gambler's Guide To Taxes: How to Keep More of What You Win: Several of my Bankrate.com tax articles are included in this handbook, published by Lyle Stuart in 2003, for bettors looking to protect more of their winnings from the IRS.

Other writings by Kay
Bankrate Taxes as former contributing tax editor
Last Week at My Other Tax Blog for some of my tax bloggy thoughts at Bankrate

Worth: A look at personal finance from the pages of Austin Woman magazine

Crazy Woman Driver: Kay's auto racing rants and raves from the pages of Randall-Reilly truckers' magazines

As time goes on, I'll be tweaking this index, adding new features, refining what's here.

If you're looking for something not listed here, try the search feature over in the right column under the "What are you looking for?" header.

Don't forget the Archives page, which compiles all my posts chronologically by month, as well as alphabetically lists the categories for my blog posts.

Finally, you can always contact me — via email or send a 140-character Twitter message (I'm @taxtweet) or jot a wall note at the ol' blog's Facebook page — if you have questions about a tax topic you think/know I blogged about but can't find.

If you want to get the ol' blog's tax news and information on a regular basis, you can subscribe via RSS, email or social media.

Privacy Policy
As for those subscriptions and other interactions on the ol' blog, a few words about your privacy.

I take your privacy seriously. Long-time readers know I don't even identify my better half; he's simply known on the intrawebz as the hubby. I want to give all readers of the ol' blog the same consideration.

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Filing Season Tax Tips

WOTC business break benefits new hires, too — Looking to expand your permanent payroll? Consider hiring someone who meets the qualifications under the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC). This business tax credit has been extended through 2020. Not only will you provide employment for folks who are having a hard time finding jobs, for example, military veterans, but your business will get a tax break. (Feb. 27, 2020)
Did you miss a tax tip posted above? No worries. They are, or eventually will be, collected in the 2020 Filing Season Tax Tips pages, one for each of the three-and-a-half months that we focus on our 1040s: January, February, March and — tah-dah! — April. After a brief break to catch our post-filing deadline breath, the Weekly Tax Tips, like these from 2019, will return.

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 2020 Countdown
Happy New Tax Year! Are you ready to file your 2019 tax return? Me neither.
But we need to start thinking about it now because April 15 will be here before we realize it. At least the 2020 filing season should be a bit easier than last year, when we submitted our first filings under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). Right? Let's be optimistic: Right!
To help make sure things go smoothly and you don't overlook any tax breaks or upcoming filing deadlines, check out the tips a little further down this column. And keep an eye on the countdown clock just below. It will help you keep track of the arrival of Tax Day 2020.
Note: I'm in the Central Time Zone, so adjust accordingly for where you live.

Time for Tax Tasks

Time to get hopping
on your 2019 taxes!

Click image for some fun
Leap Year/Leap Day facts.

OK, bad but easy pun (aren't they all?) about this being a Leap Year, but I couldn't resist. Joking aside, it's always good to have any extra time to work on your taxes. So let's, ahem, leap right into this February's 29 days of tax filing, planning and saving moves.
Feb. 1: If you haven't received all the tax statements you need to file your Form 1040, be patient. Issuers were supposed to have the tax docs at least on their way to you by Jan. 31, so they should show up in your email or snail mail box by next week.

Feb. 2: Happy Groundhog Day!

Don't get caught in a Bill Murray loop and end up doing your taxes over and over. Get your 2019 return right the first time. Once you get your tax docs, then review this filing checklist to make sure you have all you need to file.

Feb. 2 also is Super Bowl LIV day, which is fitting since pro football fans are happy to see this sporting event come around each year. So are gamblers. This is the biggest single betting day of the year and much of the money goes toward those goofy NFL championship prop bets. Just remember, if any of them pay off, then you owe tax on your winnings. Note, too, that even if your winnings are part of a fantasy sports bet, the associated taxes are very real.

Feb. 6: Finally! Your tax statements are here, you're ready to file and you've decided to do it yourself using tax software. Be sure to check out Free File, which, as its name sounds, offers eligible taxpayers access to tax software and e-filing at no cost. It's available for taxpayers with adjusted gross income of $69,000 or less.

There are 10 software companies participating this year at IRS.gov's Free File webpage. If you make too much to use the online software, look into using Free File's fillable forms.

Feb. 10: Does your job include tips? If so and you received at least $20 in gratuities in January, use Form 4070 to report them today to your employer.

Click image
to calculate how much to leave your server.

Feb. 12: Black History Month is celebrated every day this month, commemorating the achievements by black Americans and recognizing the role of African Americans in U.S. history.

This day is notable, however, because National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the nation's oldest and largest grassroots-based civil rights organization, was founded on Feb. 12, 1909. That was the centennial anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln, who issued the Emancipation Proclamation twice.

One of the NAACP's key divisions is its Legal Defense and Educational Fund.
If you want to support the Fund's work, you can donate to it and, since it is a 501(c)(3) organization, you can claim it as a charitable tax deduction
if you itemize.

Feb. 14: Happy Valentine's Day!

Do you and your better half file a joint return? Most married couples do. Remember to look over the 1040 carefully before you sign it. When both spouses sign their jointly filed 1040, each is jointly and severally liable for the entire tax amount due. This means the Internal Revenue Service can come after either spouse for payment of a tax bill, even the husband or wife who is in more dire financial circumstances.

Feb. 17: Today is Presidents Day, officially honoring George Washington, the Father of Our Country. Over the years, however, this federal (three-day, yay!) holiday has come to commemorate the contributions of all our Commanders in Chief. And we've got to give a (another) special shout out to Abraham Lincoln, who essentially was father of our income tax system, signing into law a tax on earnings to help pay Civil War costs.

Feb. 24: You filed your 1040 back on Jan. 27, the first day that filing season 2020 opened. Now you want to know when you're getting your refund. Check the status of your return online using the IRS' online "Where's My Refund?" tool.

Feb. 29: Happy Leap Day!

Click image for some more about Leap Day.

This extra day of the tax season is a great opportunity to do a little tax planning. Regardless of whether you owed tax (or will when you file) or got (or are expecting) a refund, you might want to consider adjusting your withholding. The IRS' online Tax Withholding Estimator can help you get just the right amount. .

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 Form Tuesday page.

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.

What are you looking for?

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Taxes are all about the numbers.
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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
of S. Kay Bell.

All content on this site is
© 2005-2020 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
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February 2020

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