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.

So I assure you that I won't use your contact and/or subscription info for any purposes — not humorous, not illustrative and definitely not anything nefarious.

I also want all y'all to feel comfortable coming here and sharing what you choose to share in posts' comments sections. Even then, if I see something that has a bit TMI and makes me a bit uncomfortable (since I must OK all comments), I'll edit it so that I, and therefore you, are confident that your privacy is respected and protected.

I must note, however, that Don't Mess With Taxes is hosted on Typepad, a blogging service owned by Endurance International Group. As such, your visits to Don't Mess With Taxes, either via my Typepad subdomain or directly at Don't Mess With Taxes, also are covered by Endurance's privacy policy.

The Endurance International Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries and brands, including Typepad and by extension Don't Mess With Taxes, care about protecting the personal information of customers and visitors who use its websites, products or services. This privacy notice provides details about how your personal information is collected, shared and used by us.

Endurance's Privacy Notice was updated Dec. 12, 2019, to provide you with more information about the additional rights California residents have under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), which takes effect Jan. 1, 2020. If you are a California resident, you can read about these additional rights here.

For the purposes of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679, or GDPR, The Endurance International Group, Inc. and each of its brands local European representative is AppMachine B.V., located at Sophialaan 32, 8911 AE Leeuwarden, Nederland.

If Typepad/Endurance is involved in a merger, acquisition, a sale of all or a substantial portion of our assets, or other similar sale transaction, your information will be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you by email and/or a prominent notice on our website of any such transfer and any choices you may have regarding your information.

You can find highlights of Don't Mess With Taxes/Typepad/Endurance's privacy policy here.

Today's Tax Tip

Opting out of Advance Child Tax Credit payments — Some taxpayers might have to pay back Advance Child Tax Credit amounts next filing season. If that's your case, use the Internal Revenue Service's online tool to opt out of getting the early monthly payments this year. (Aug. 1, 2021)
The 2021 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. While we're waiting for the 2021 calendar pages to flip and fill up with timely tax tidbits, check out 2020 (and earlier) tax years' advice.

COVID-19 & Taxes

Coronavirus has wreaked havoc
on the 2020 tax season.
These three Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Taxes pages have details:
March-July 2020,
August-December 2020, and
January-… 2021

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 Season 2021 continues!
Tax Day 2021 is finally over … unless you're one of the millions who got an extension to file your 2020 tax year return. That's fine. In fact, the Internal Revenue Service appreciates some of us spreading out our filings, especially in a year like this where it's dealing with so many other COVID-19 related tax tasks. But enough about Uncle Sam's tax collector. The focus now is on you and your still-to-be-completed 2020 return. Let's get started! Your new Oct. 15 tax filing deadline will be here before you know it.

The monthly tips and reminders a little further down this column can help you finish up your returnon time. Once that's done, then look for tips each month that offer advice on ways to cut your still adding up 2021 tax bill.

Also 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

The Dog Days of August are here!

via GIPHY
That usually means being like the pup above and taking it easy during these hot, sultry days as summer winds down. 2021, however, continues to follow 2020 — darn you, COVID-19! — meaning this year, like its predecessor, is usual, tax and otherwise. summer winds down. 2020, however, is not a usual year, tax or otherwise. So instead of dogging it this August, let's get to making some potentially money-saving tax moves.

Aug. 1: Despite the Delta-driven coronavirus resurgence, some schools are planning to welcome students back to classrooms. While that return is in flux, August still is the month for back-to-school sales tax holidays. A handful are wrapping up today, but a dozen more such events are still on tap this month. You can find details for the upcoming tax holidays in Arkansas, Connecticut, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia in my post on the 2021 summer sales tax holidays.

Aug. 2: If you qualify for the Advance Child Tax Credit (AdvCTC), you should have received money from Uncle Sam last month. Through the rest of 2021, he's sending eligible families $300 for each child age 5 or younger and $250 for youngsters ages 6 through 17. Some folks, however, might have to pay back at least some of the AdvCTC amounts when they file their 2021 returns next year. So they've decided to stop the early credit payments. If you want to stop the scheduled for August, you must do so online by today.

Aug. 2 also is the filing deadline for taxpayers in parts of Tennessee and Alabama who earlier this year were hit by major disasters. Any applicable forms must be filed and associated payments made, electronically or postmarked if they are sent via the U.S. Postal Service, today.

Aug. 6: Did you lose your job, temporarily or for good, last year when the United States was in full COVID pandemic shutdown? If so, you probably got at least some unemployment insurance (UI) benefits. The out-of-work payments help, but they also usually are fully taxable income on your next year's tax return. A COVID-relief bill in March exempted $10,200 of 2020's UI benefits from taxation. If you filed before it the law was enacted and counted all your unemployment as taxable, the IRS is sending out refunds for your overpayments. Keep an eye on your bank account for direct deposit, or your snail mail box if the IRS doesn't have your financial institution info.

Aug. 10: Until the Delta variant took over, even among the vaccinated (dang it!), some of us were back to enjoying Before Days events, like eating at our favorite restaurants. Some eateries are still offering table service. If you're comfortable going to them, be sure to share your happiness about being served in person again with your waiters. If you're still a bit hesitant about going to a packed diner, also tip the food delivery folks still bringing meals to your door.

If a tip isn't included in your restaurant check or food delivery charge, click the image above to calculate how much to tip.

Those of you getting the tips, remember that your tips are taxable income. If you got such added financial thanks that came to a total of at least $20 last month, whether as a waiter/waitress or hair stylist or valet or whatever job where gratuities are common, you need to account for them today. Report them to your employer on Form 4070.

Aug. 13: This is the only Friday the 13th of 2021. In addition to looking out for the usual superstitions that abound this day, don't bring any unnecessary bad luck on yourself by falling for these 13 tax scams, today or any other day.

Aug. 18: We're well into the Atlantic/Gulf of Mexico hurricane season. Mother Nature took some time off after an early start. But don't be surprised is she returns with tropical systems in her wake in August.

The good news is that we still have time to prepare for what the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) expects eventually to be an active 2021 tropical storm season. Even if we don't get the predicted 20 named storms, with possibly 3 to 5 reaching major status, it only takes one to wreak havoc. The countdown clock below 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.
These multi-page collections of posts offer tax advice on preparing for, recovering from and helping those who sustain damages from the many ways that that weather goes wild. That includes claiming uninsured losses from a major natural disaster as on itemized tax deduction.

Aug. 25: Speaking of filing, if you got an extension back in May, giving you until Oct. 15 to finish your 2020 tax return, you don't have to wait until then. You can get to work on that now. And whenever you do get around to finishing your taxes, the IRS recommends you do so electronically. You can do that and possibly save some money by using Free File, the online no-cost tax preparation and e-filing partnership between the IRS and Free File Alliance.

The official Free File site at IRS.gov this season offers nine participating tax software options if your adjusted gross income is $72,000 or less, regardless of filing status. If you make too much to use the online software, look into using Free File's fillable forms. Both the online Free File and fillable forms are available through October's extension due date.

Aug. 31: If you've already filed your 2020 taxes, were you surprised by either the size of your refund or how much you owed? If so, now's the time to make sure that doesn't happen next year. The IRS' online estimator can help you more accurately adjust your payroll withholding.

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 Publication 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 Fiesta! 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.

*************

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
© 2005-2021 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

August 2021

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, use the federal legislator locator above to find just who on Capitol Hill should hear your concerns. And for matters tax or otherwise closer to home, you can find info on your state and local elected officials 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

Table of Contents