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Don't Mess With Taxes

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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

  • Student loan repayment tips — Around 40 million former college students had their loan repayments put on pause during the COVID-19 pandemic. This month, those payments are back on schedule. Check out these 4 tips to help you deal with the resumption of this higher education obligation. (Oct. 1, 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.
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Tick ... Tick ... Tick

  • Tax Season 2023 Continues!

    Tax Day 2023 is finally over … unless you're one of the millions who have more time to file — looking at you taxpayers abroad and those in major disaster areas — or you got an extension to file your 2022 tax year return. That's fine. In fact, the Internal Revenue Service appreciates some of us spreading out our filings, especially when it means we are taking the time to submit a complete and correct return.

    This tax focus shift means the ol' blog will continue to provide filing tips through the Oct. 16 extension deadline. Yep, it's a day later this year, since 10/15 is on Sunday. But I haven't forgotten my organized taxpayer readers, who are looking for ways to reduce their 2023 tax year bills. Yep, that amount already is adding up, but there are moves you can make. The monthly tips and reminders a little further down this column can help everyone, regardless of which tax year now is in your sights.

    Those on extension should also keep a keen eye on the countdown clock below. It will help you track the days tick, tick, ticking off toward that absolutely final fall filing due date. They'll speed by quickly when you're having tax fun, and aren't we always 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 👻 👻 👻 Ghouls
    Spooky October is here!

    Halloween, of course, is one reason that October is the most BOOtiful month of the year.
    But the impending mid-October extended tax filing deadline, which is on the 16th this year, also is pretty darn scary!


    Flickering Jack O'Lanterns
    Read about the history of jack o'lanterns

    But the October tips below should help at least ease our tax fears this month.

  • Oct. 1: This month, folks who borrowed money to pay for their college courses must start paying it back after a 3½-year pause that began with the COVID-19 pandemic. If you're one of the 40 million who now must come up with monthly payments, these 4 student loan repayment tips might help.

    Oct. 6: The deadline for most procrastinators to file their extended 2022 tax year returns is just 10 days away. If you're going to use this first October weekend to at least start working on that 1040, check out the ol' blog's monthly tax tip links a bit higher up in this column. The January through April ones should be most helpful.

    And since you'll probably file electronically, why not do it the least expensive way. For many, that's by using Free File, the online tax preparation and e-filing option that's, as the name says, free for taxpayers whose adjusted gross income (AGI) is $73,000 or less, regardless of your filing status.

    IRS Free File; click image for details

    It's still operational. You can select from seven tax prep companies that are part of the Free File Alliance and participating at the IRS.gov site.

    Oct. 9: So we're heading into another week and you've still not finished your extended tax return. No judging. I've been there. The good news is that today is the legal, federal Columbus Day holiday or, in many states and cities, now designated Indigenous People's Day. If you don't have to go into work, this is a great day to work on your soon-due tax return.

    Oct. 10: If your job is 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. Remember, though, that those tips 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.

    And if you got at least $20 in gratuities in September for doing a good job 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.

    Oct. 16: This is it! The absolutely final deadline to file your 2022 tax year return. Not to belabor things, but in addition to the filing tips mentioned earlier in this October tax tasks list, the IRS has some suggestions on getting the job done.

    Oct. 23: Now that you're finally done with your 2022 return, it's time to work on reducing your 2022 tax bill. One easy step to take now is to review your payroll withholding. If you find, whether you filed this month or back in April, that you owed a lot or got a big refund, you should use the IRS' online estimator tool to make sure a more appropriate amount of income tax comes out of each of 2023's remaining paychecks. If your withholding tweak gets you more money each payday, consider putting some of it into retirement savings, either your workplace 401(k) or a traditional or Roth IRA .

    Oct. 31: Sure, it's Halloween. But even scarier than the ghosts and monsters wandering your neighborhood tonight is the knowledge that we still have another month of the Atlantic/Gulf of Mexico hurricane season ahead of us.

    Hurricane satellite image


    Florida again got whacked by a major "I" storm, Hurricane Idalia, which also did major damage in Georgia and South Carolina. Others have churned out in the Atlantic this fall, so don't let up on storm preparations. The best we can do is be ready for the next system (or whatever possible disaster is common in your area). And we're likely to get at least one more tropical system, since the season officially runs through November. The countdown clock below can help you keep track of how many more days we have to worry about tracking tropical storms.



    If (when) that happens, the ol' blog's special Storm Warnings pages also can help, whether you're preparing for, recovering from, or 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 an itemized tax deduction.

    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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  • 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
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Affiliate Books

  • The Truth
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  • 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
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  • 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
    JK Lasser 2023 taxes

  • Dealing With The IRS
    Dealing With the IRS

  • JK Lassers 1001 Deductions
    JK Lasser 1001 Deductions
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0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 ...

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

Kudos Et Cetera

  • Association for Women Clarion Award Winner
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    2012, 2014 & 2017

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    Plutus Financial Bloggers Awards
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    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.

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  • Don't Mess With Taxes®
    is a registered trademark
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    All content on this site is
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    SKB Editorial Services, LLC

  • And a bit of housekeeping.
  • Note 1: Some of the links on this site
    are affiliate links. That means that
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    If you discover dead links, please e-mail me the details. Thanks.

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COVID-19 & Taxes

  • COVID-19
    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

  • 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

October 2023

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        

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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  • Just in case,
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