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Last-minute filing tips … again

April 14, 2009

Earlier this week, I posted an item with an almost identical headline, Some final filing tips and warnings.

Today, just when folks are finding they need the information the most, I learn that some of the links in the piece are dead.

Not that I'm trying to pass the buck, but many of them went to a Web site for which I write and which has just completed a major design overhaul. In that process, some links are now bad.

I've found the new, live links and restored them in the earlier post. But so you don't have to even click through to it (although if you do, by all means go ahead), I've reproduced the most relevant section below.

Some last-minute filing guidance:
If you can count some of your dry cleaning on your 2008 tax return [again, details on this tax break are in the earlier post],
good for you. For some other possible deductions and more helpful
last-minute tax hints, check out:

And don't forget, if you just can't complete all the paperwork by Wednesday, get an extension. Just send in Form 4868, either via snail mail postmarked by midnight April 15 or electronically by 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday.

That will give you six more months to get your Form 1040 and all associated schedules and other forms filled out and to the IRS.

Remember,
though, you still have to send in any tax you owe (or a good
approximation thereof) with your extension request or the IRS will
start tacking on interest and penalty charges.

Mea culpa redux: Again, sorry for any inconvenience. Heaven knows that all any of us need the day for the filing deadline is more hassle!

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The More Tax Posts tab at the top of this page will take you to, well, more tax posts. You also can search below for a tax topic. 

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TAX-SAVVY WAYS 
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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