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Don't Mess With Taxes

Translating taxes into money-saving English

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Worth: All about finances in
Austin Woman magazine

New AW logo One of the first publications I picked up upon moving to Austin in 2005 was austinwoman. I was new to town, beginning my freelance life and the magazine appealed as a way to learn a bit about my new hometown, as well as serve as a potential job source.

I'm pleased to report that it has more than met both expectations. On the newcomer front, I've learned a lot about Austin and some of the city's many notable women. Professionally, I have been contributing to the magazine's monthly financial column, Worth, since its debut in June 2006.

In addition, I also get the chance to step off the money merry-go-round and write about other topics and interesting Austin and Central Texas women for austinwoman.

Here are PDF versions of the articles and columns I've written for austinwoman:

Worth columns

  • Making Business Travel Personal: Uncle Sam Can Help You Combine Business and Personal Trips, April 2011 -- You can enjoy a mini-vacation by tacking personal days onto a business trip and still deduct most of your business expenses.
  • Tax Moves to Make Now: The April Tax-Filing Deadline Is Approaching, March 2011 -- But you still have time to make some moves that could make the tax a little easier -- and less costly.
  • Becoming Financially Independent: Managing Money Poses Special Challenges for Women, February 2011 -- These 10 tips can help you get on the road to financial independence.
  • Budgeting: The Best Way to Meet Your New Year's Financial Goals, January 2011 -- If you always break your annual January 31st resolutions, you can keep your word this year, and beyond, by creating and sticking to a budget.
  • Philanthropic Kids: You're Never Too Young To Start Giving, November 2010 -- Parents, it's easy to channel your youngsters' compassion and good intentions into valuable charitable and money lessons.
  • Independent Appraisals: Knowing What Your Stuff is Worth, October 2010 -- You have a great collection of antique dishware, but do you really know what it's worth? An appraiser can help.
  • Cleaning Up Your Credit Score: Keeping a Top-Notch Credit Rating, September 2010 -- For better or worse, credit rules our lives. A good credit score is critical in ensuring we get the most out of it.
  • Coping With Credit Cards: Now Easier Under New Law, August 2010 -- We all have credit cards and sometimes we let them get away from us. A new consumer law, however, is helping us rein in our plastic.
  • Smoother Landings: Is Travel Insurance Worth It?, July 2010 -- When planning your much-needed vacation, take some time to consider whether travel insurance needs to be on your preparation itinerary. It could come in handy if your trip runs into trouble.
  • Homebuyer Homework: A Quick Lesson, June 2010 -- A little bit of pre-purchase study can ensure you get a good grand and a great house.
  • Retirement Planning by the Decade: Whether you plan to call it career quits next year or in 10, a retirement strategy is crucial, May 2010 -- Regardless of your age, there are steps you can take to ensure that your golden years truly shine.
  • Don't Cheat Yourself Out of Tax Savings: Last-minute tax moves, April 2010 -- April 15th is almost here, but there's still time to make sure you've taken every tax break possible. Here are five tax moves you may have missed.
  • Bring the Music Home: The advantages of setting up a personal stage, March 2010 -- Austin is the place for music. You can make the tunes even more personal by attending or even staging a house concert.
  • Personal Shoppers – A Good Buy: When help at the mall is worth it, February 2010 -- If you hate shopping, then a personal shopper could be your savior, both financially and emotionally.
  • Money Moves for the Young (and Young at Heart):     Finances for every stage of your life, January 2010 -- We all know time is money, but the time of our life could also affect how we deal with our money. Here are some financial moves for the young – and young at heart!
  • Fabulous Festive Frugality: With a little creativity, you can fashion fine holiday cheer on the cheap, December 2009 -- Even if time and dollars are at a premium, you still can throw a party that pops everything but your budget.
  • It's Not Your Mother's Tupperware Party: Direct sales offer bright opportunities in a dim economy, November 2009 -- Direct sales, or network marketing as it's known today, offers promising career and financial opportunities that are especially appealing to women entrepreneurs.
  • Diamonds Can Be Your Best Friend: The perfect diamond is the dream of every woman, October 2009 -- But getting the precious stone you want can be intimidating ... unless you get the proper help.
  • Covering Your Bling (and Other Treasures): Do you own some unusual or expensive items? September 2009 -- Then you might want to make sure they're covered property via a rider to your homeowner's insurance policy.
  • Turning to a Tutor: Is your child having trouble making good grades? August 2009 -- A tutor may be the best lesson plan.
  • Why Risk it All? If someone depends on you financially, you probably need life insurance, July 2009 -- Too many of us, however, put off buying this critical policy. Not only are the choices confusing, but we tend to avoid dealing with such a tough subject. That's a bad move, for you and your family.
  • When Retirements Don't Coincide: He wants to retire, but you love your job. Or vice versa, June 2009 -- Either way, couples face a challenge of not only saving enough to one day quit work, but in deciding just when that "one day" will be.
  • E$tate planning: It's Not Just for the Wealthy, May 2009 -- Your estate might not be the biggest in Texas, but it's worth the world to you. Protect it and your heirs by putting a well-considered estate plan in place.
  • Don't Short-Change Your Business: Check out these tax tips, April 2009 -- Tax time is upon us, but there is still time to shave your company's IRS bill. Commonly overlooked tax deductions could add up to some nice tax savings.
  • Social Media: It's not Just for Kids, March 2009 -- Popular online ways to reach out to existing and potential customers could help your business survive, and even grow, in this tough economy.
  • Getting all the Credit You Deserve: Borrowing money is tougher in a tight economy, but it's not impossible, February 2009 -- Improve your chances of getting that loan, and at the best rate, by keeping an eye on your credit history and score.
  • Financial Resolutions to Make (& Keep!): Too often, New Year’s resolutions are wasted efforts. But some simple fiscal pledges can really pay off for years to come, January 2009 -- This year, don't let these good financial intentions fall by the wayside.
  • Financial Gifts That Pay Off: Be a savvy Santa this holiday season by throwing away your usual list. Instead, make your gifts the kind that keep on giving for years, December 2008 -- Better than a sweater, these presents are priceless, not pricey.
  • Telling Your Story by Yourself: Ease, economy and autonomy make self-publishing an appealing solution for writers who wish to stay in control of their work, November 2008 -- Sometimes the best move for an author is doing it all yourself.
  • Don't Move. Remodel!: Sometimes all it takes to get the prefect home is remodeling the house you already have, October 2008 -- These tried-and-true renovations can enhance your home's livability and value.
  • Top 10 Ways to Tackle Tough Times: Recession is in the air, but there are ways to cope, September 2008 -- Make these financial moves to survive an economic downturn.
  • Family + Business = Success & Happiness: Franchising as a family business, August 2008 -- One Austin Woman's business plan makes a worldwide company her family business in every respect of the word.
  • Medical travel could be good for your health: A trip abroad could Be the right Rx, July 2008 -- With U.S. medical costs continuing to rise, many patients are choosing medical tourism.
  • Coming up with college cash: The cost of college keeps going up, June 2008 -- Luckily for most students (and their parents) educational aid options abound.
  • Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting: Helping Latinas create strong financial futures, May 2008 -- Young women are getting a firm footing in the financial sector thanks to Austin's professional and student members of ALPFA.
  • Taking a Bite Out of Your Grocery Bill: Ways to save on food, April 2008 -- Food prices keep rising, but savvy shoppers can keep their food budgets under control.
  • Make Your Musical Career Perform: Meshing music and business, March 2008 -- Austin arts organizations offer local performers help turning talent into a profitable business.
  • Making a Pretty Penny: A simple regimen can maximize your investments, February 2008 -- Regular rebalancing of your portfolio can keep your finances looking good.
  • An Uncharted Road: Texas' New Franchise Tax, January 2008 -- State officials are working to map out directions for businesses encountering this levy for the first time.
  • Volunteering: Can the Tax Man Giveth, Too? December 2007 -- Spending time at your favorite charity certainly is good for the soul. And with just a little more effort, it could also pay off for you at tax time.
  • Giving (and Getting) With a Donor Advised Fund: Giving like high rollers, November 2007 -- These combo investment/philanthropic accounts offer the rest of us a way to donate like the rich. 
  • FSAs: An Rx for Healthcare Costs, October 2007 -- Flexible spending accounts can be a tax-effective way to pay medical expenses.
  • Organization Can Really Pay Off: A place for everything and everything in its place, September 2007 -- Getting your living space in order can save not only room, but time and money, too.
  • Home Sweet Second Home: Making the vacation last, August 2007 -- A getaway home can offer recreational, as well as financial, benefits.
  • Raising Money-Smart Kids: Beyond the allowance, July 2007 -- Today's kids are probably the most money-conscious generation ever. Make sure your children know how to manage it well. 
  • When Roles Rever$e: Taking care of aging parents, June 2007 -- With the graying of America, more Baby Boomers are finding it's their turn to provide help to their folks.
    Plus, 7 Signs an Older Parent May Need Help.
  • Is an HSA the Right Rx? Pros and Cons of a Health Savings Account, May 2007 -- For some, a high-deductible health insurance policy and accompanying health savings account could be the right medical and financial prescription.
  • Breaking Out of the Cubicle: Starting Your Own Business, April 2007 -- Being your own boss has lots of advantages, but before you tell your boss goodbye, make sure you're ready for entrepreneurship's responsibilities.
  • Wedding Planners: Saving Dollars, Cents and Sanity, March 2007 -- In addition to saving your mental health, hiring a bridal consultant also could soothe your pocketbook.
  • Dealing with Divorce: Break-up Financial Basics, February 2007 -- Steps women can take to keep from becoming just another number on the deficit side of the divorce ledger.
  • Digging Out of December's Debt: Credit card overindulgence can produce a hefty holiday debt hangover, January 2007 -- Here are some surefire remedies.
  • Happy Holiday$: Give like Santa on Scrooge's budget, December 2006 -- By planning large during the holidays, you can spend small and still make your gift recipients happy.
  • Giving + Getting Back: How philanthropy pays, November 2006 -- Your contributions can provide a nice return, to both your favorite charity and your own finances at tax time,
  • Moving Through the Mortgage Maze: Mastering your largest financial transaction, October 2006 -- But with a little preparation, it doesn't have to be your most difficult one.
  • College Costs 101: A Short Course on Paying for Your Child's Education, September 2006 -- College costs keep going up but you don't need an advanced degree to find ways to save for it. Just check out these financing options.
  • Beauty on a Budget: You don't have to spend a fortune to look your best, August 2006 -- Simply approach your personal beauty treatments as investments in yourself and look for the biggest return on those investments.
  • Bright Buyer or Savvy Seller? What every home buyer and seller should know, July 2006 -- You can get a bargain when you buy, and the best price when you sell. These strategies will help, regardless of whether you're in a hot or cold real estate market.
  • His, Hers and Theirs: How couples manage their money, June 2006 -- Money is a contentious issue for many couples. Luckily, they have several financial options that can minimize a relationship's money problems.

Profiles

  • Pat Hayes: A lifelong leader, committed to community, July 2006 -- Pat Hayes came to Austin 22 years ago, not knowing a soul. Now, newly retired from the Seton Healthcare Network, she's an integral member of the community she helped build.
  • Mommy and Me: The women behind Austin's 24-hour music/entertainment network, October 2006 -- Constance Wodlinger and Jacqueline Renee, the mother-daughter team behind METV, are committed to making sure the musical revolution in the Live Music Capital of the World is televised.
  • Sara Pantin: Tackling finances, the Texan way, July 2007 -- This proud Texas native made her way back home to impart her independent attitude and financial savvy to family and clients of her financial services firm.

If you're in the Austin/Hill Country area, you can pick up your own copy of austinwoman at these locations.

A version of this page originally appeared as the Sept. 7, 2006, blog post Electronically thumbing through austinwoman.

Today's Tax Tip

  • Ways to pay your tax bill — The Internal Revenue Service still accepts paper tax payments, like checks and money orders. However, it prefers that we use one of these 6 e-payment options to settle our tax liability. (March 19, 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!

All About Kay

  • OK, some about Kay
    Open sign
    Kay Bell — Native Texan
    (the blog title totally makes sense now, right?). Professional journalist. Tax geek.

My Other Accounts

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Tick ... Tick ... Tick

  • 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


  • Hello ☘ March.
    Your 2023 arrival is welcome, officially bringing us spring and getting us closer to the end of the main tax filing season. In fact, it's even closer, since this third month of the years also has us spring forward into Daylight Saving Time. So let's not waste any more precious hours and, ahem, march right into this month's tax tasks.


    via GIPHY


    March 1: It's the last full month of the tax-filing season, so that's a good reason to come at our taxes in the proverbial like a lion March entry mode. The first thing to attack like the feline king is the gathering of all the tax statements you'll need to fill out your 2022 return. This includes the paper ones that you tossed on a stack when they arrived, as well as those sent electronically and that you need to download or at least look at.

    March 6: Official tax statements aren't the only things you'll need to help you file. Other documents have information that's relevant to your tax return. So are the answers to some basic life questions. This tax checklist can help guide you as you work on your return. And don't forget about your previous tax return. That prior tax year filing is a good template, especially if your tax life hasn't changed that much.

    March 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 January, you must account for the tips today by using Form 4070 to report last month's tips total to your employer.

    March 12: Feeling a bit tired after losing an hour of sleep earlier this morning? I'm right there with you. But I do love the extra end-of-day sunshine.

    Daylight Saving Time clock springs forward

    We can use that late-day natural light to work on our tax returns, including state filings if you, like most U.S. residents, live where state (or District of Columbia) personal income taxes are collected.

    March 15: This date is more than a literary reference. The Ides of March apply each year to many business taxpayers. Today is the tax filing deadline for partnerships (Form 1065 with K-1 or K-3 schedules) and S corporations (Form 1120S, again with the K schedules).

    March 17: Erin Go Bragh and
    Happy St. Patrick's Day!

    via GIPHY

    Enjoy this day, but don't trust lucky charms to get you through tax filing season. Double check your 1040 to ensure you haven't overlooked any tax breaks or made any common filing mistakes.

    March 20: Spring has sprung!

    Spring; click image for the Farmer's Almanac take on the vernal equinox

    That means it's time for spring cleaning. Your gifts won't help with your current tax return, but they could pay off next year as charitable donation deductions if you itemize.

    March 27: If you have a tax-deferred retirement account, such as a traditional IRA or workplace regular 401(k), and are in your 70s, you could be facing a required minimum distribution (RMD) due date in just more than a week. If you turned 72 last year and didn't take your initial RMD by Dec. 31, you must do so by April 1. A quick planning note, too, for septuagenarian savers not yet facing RMDs. These mandatory distributions this year kick in when you celebrate your 73rd birthday, thanks to the new SECURE 2.0 retirement law.

    March 31: This is it. March is over, which for taxes means you best shed your out like a lamb attitude and get to work on your Form 1040. The IRS recommends we file electronically, which will speed up processing of returns and issuance of any refunds. The tax agency also urges taxpayers to check out Free File, the no-cost online preparation and electronic filing web page for eligible taxpayers created by the IRS' partnership with the Free File Alliance. This year, seven tax software companies are participating.

    IRS Free File; click image for details

    The Free File income threshold this year remains at adjusted gross income (AGI) of $73,000 or less, regardless of your filing status.

    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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  • You can read more
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  • Kay Bell helps you build
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    "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
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  • Tax Reading Room

    You also might enjoy these other tax tips from some of my tax-writing colleagues:

  • JK Lasser 2023 Taxes
    JK Lasser 2023 taxes

  • Dealing With The IRS
    Dealing With the IRS

  • JK Lassers 1001 Deductions
    JK Lasser 1001 Deductions
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  • Numbers
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    Check out these (mostly) weekly
    By the Numbers figures.

Kudos Et Cetera

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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.

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    is a registered trademark
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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

March 2023

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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  

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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