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A final look at year-end tax moves to make today!

December 31, 2019

End of calendar year

The countdown is on! In a few hours, 2019 will be outta here and we'll be celebrating a brand spanking New Year.

But if you want to celebrate a less costly tax bill when you file your 2019 return in 2020, you've got to make some year-end moves now.

Here's a collection of my latest posts on tax tasks with a Dec. 31 deadline.

10 year-end tax moves to make now — My first nag list of end of 2019 tax moves from Nov. 4

10 December tax presents for you instead of the IRS — Another nag reminder on Dec. 2

Year-end tax moves to help cut your business' IRS bill — A Shout Out to a couple of columns offering some business-specific year-end tax moves

5 more tax moves to make by Dec. 31 — Yep, here's a few more to take care of by today, Dec. 31

Final tax tasks for the final few days of 2019 — another Shout Out, this time to a column on tax moves for crypto currency and other investment asset owners

Also, check out my post on the federal spending bill, which also renewed and extended some popular tax provisions for the 2019 and 2020 tax years.

And if you're sure your 2019 filing will get you a refund — unlike what happened to many taxpayers this past filing season, the first under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) provisions — and plan to file as soon as you can in 2020, you might want to read my preview of 2020's upcoming Free File option.

The Internal Revenue Service and tax software manufacturers have a new agreement that should ensure you get directed to the no-cost tax preparation and e-filing site to do your 2019 taxes. That's an option if your adjusted gross income is $69,000 or less. It could be worth chilling for a bit until Free File opens. That's generally the next-to-last or last week of January.

Finally, if you've already taken care of your end of 2019 tax tasks, congratulations! If you're like me, more a brewski than bubbly kind of imbiber, consider ringing in in 2020 with some leftover (that's a real thing?) Christmas cookies and a cold beer.

Regardless of how you choose to celebrate at the stroke of midnight, do so safely! There's a whole new tax year on the way and you don't want to miss any of it!

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TO WRAP UP 2026

It’s over! With October’s extended filing deadline behind us, it is now time to focus on year-end moves to reduce your 2026 tax bill. 

You’ll find ways to do just that on the Tax Tips page (see the More Tax Posts drop-down menu at the top of the blog), as well as the separate tax tip pages for each month, notably October through December. If you’re on the Tax Tips page, you’ll find a monthly list at the end of this column. If you’re on another blog page, you can head straight to the October tips; at the bottom of that tips page you’ll find links to all the other 11 months’ collections of tax advice.

Not to spoil what you’ll find in that tax advice, but it does cover such things as tax deductions for charitable donations, investment moves that could reduce tax due, and ways to max out your tax-favored retirement savings. 

Finally, as the year winds down, things get hectic. There are lots of other things to occupy our time, like the much more fun upcoming holidays. But don’t lose sight of taxes, since timing is key. To be of use, most tax moves must be made by the end of the tax year. That’s Thursday, Dec. 31, which also is the last business day of the year. 

So that you don’t miss that final tax year deadline, also keep an eye on the countdown clock below. It will keep you on top of just how much time is left to make important, tax-saving moves. (Note: I’m in the Central Time Zone, so adjust accordingly for where you live.)

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