Dog tired of hearing about taxes? Sorry, but these dog days of August are a great time to make some beneficial late summer tax moves.
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Technically, the Dog Days of Summer take up more of July than August. But July is so identified as America’s birthday month, I’m sure it doesn’t mind the following 31 days being more popularly associated with the canine descriptor.
So, I’m sticking with that take, and relying on some canine terms to talk about August tax tasks and tips to make them easier to complete.
Fetch the info you’ll need. This year, we get another shot at some of the tax law changes that were implemented for our 2025 taxes in the middle of that year.
That includes planning for how we can benefit from the tax breaks on tip income, interest paid on certain new auto loans, and the bonus deduction for older filers.
And for 2026, the new Trump Account investment for young people is officially available.
Obey the rules. This is a given every month. You need to know, and heed, the tax laws. Again, that means checking out the changes in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) to ensure that we don’t inadvertently negate our chances to lower our tax bills.
Be open to new tricks. Taxes are one of life’s few constants, but so are the changes to them. Be flexible to maximize your tax savings.
For example, just because you’ve filed one way for years doesn’t mean it’s always the best way to do your taxes. Maybe big medical bills and the OBBBA’s temporary increase in the state and local taxes (SALT) claim mean that this is the tax year you’ll finally (or again) benefit from itemizing.
A tax professional can help you find and properly claim all these new (and long-standing) legal tax tricks.
The following August tax tips also will give you an idea of tax moves you might want to explore further with your tax pro. And with that, no more dogging it! On to this month’s tax tips!
- August back-to-school tax holidays wind down summer — With fall semesters looming, August is prime back-to-school sales tax holiday season. Three states wrap up July and welcome August with tax-free events. Another continues its holiday into the coming month. And 12 have new tax-free events throughout August. (July 30, 2026)
Yes, the monthly tax tips once again are crossing calendar boundaries The end-of-July date on August’s first tax tip is correct, since three of this month’s tax-exempt shopping periods began at the end of July and continued into the early days of August. Now, to August proper, with the bulk of the summer’s tax holidays and more!
… - 5 tax moves to make this August — August brings us the sunsetting of summer. But as you rush to wring the most recreational value out of the waning season, don’t forget about taxes. Taking care of some tax tasks now can pay off in savings now and fewer hassles come filing time next year. Here are five tax moves to consider this August. (Aug. 2, 2026)
- Don’t miss out on August’s remaining sales tax holidays — Fall classes are about to start. Sales tax holidays can help you save on supplies. Here are the remaining events in a dozen states this August. Eleven of them begin this coming weekend. (Aug. 5, 2026)
- Business taxpayers get new digital IRS options — Computers are a key component in most of today’s businesses. The Internal Revenue Service wants you to use that electronic connection to establish a Business Taxpayer Account (BTA). To attract even more business taxpayers, the online tax account recently got some upgrades. (Aug. 6, 20266)
- NFL (and gambling) season is here. Records of winning (and losing) bets can help at tax-filing time — Are you ready for some football betting? As the National Football League’s 2026 preseason games begin, betting on the United States’ favorite sport ramps up, too. If you’re among those who wager around $30 billion each season on America’s professional football matchups — and $136 billion more on additional sports (and other) events — remember that your winnings are taxable income. (Aug. 9, 2026)
- Educators’ lesson plan for maximizing the expanded classroom supplies tax deduction — Teacher-purchased supplies for classrooms could provide tax savings — Many teachers and other educators regularly spend their own money to make sure that their students have a positive educational experience. This year, the educator expenses tax deduction is worth up to $350 and has been expanded to include more school personnel. (Aug. 11, 2026)
- A lesson plan for maximizing education tax breaks — School, at all levels, is back in session. In addition to classroom studies, students and their families need to do some homework on how tax breaks can help them cover educational costs. (Aug. 13, 2026)
- State sales tax rates up. Consumer spending down. Related? Maybe. Or not — State sales tax rates hit a new national average high this summer. Consumer spending fell. Coincidence? Probably. But the convergence also underscored the pressures on U.S. consumers … and political candidates as we head into November’s elections. (Aug. 17, 2026)
- IRS updates FAQs on OBBBA OT tax deduction — The tax deduction for some overtime pay took effect more than a year ago. But workers, and their bosses, still have some questions about one of the more-heralded tax breaks in the Republicans’ vast 2025 tax reform bill. The Internal Revenue Service answers in its just-updated OT Fact Sheet. (Aug. 19, 2026)
- New IRS digital report makes it easier to prove you are tax compliant — Paying your taxes not only keeps Uncle Sam happy, it also can pay off for you. Tax documentation is necessary in other transactions, such as mortgage and educational loan applications. The Internal Revenue Service’s new digital compliance report should make the process easier. (Aug. 20, 2026)
- IRS provides tax relief to recent major storm victims — The 2026 Atlantic basin hurricane season has been relatively calm, but Mother Nature has taken her fury out elsewhere this year. When major disaster declarations are issued, the Internal Revenue Service follows by providing tax relief to affected filers. Read on for the most recent extended tax deadlines for millions of U.S. taxpayers. (Aug. 21, 2026)
- Newly-expanded child care tax breaks could pay off for parents — Unfortunately for parents, finding — and paying — someone to care for their youngsters isn’t child’s play. At least the tax code offers some help in covering these expenses. And two tax-favored child care options, the Child and Dependent Care tax credit and the child care spending account workplace benefit, were expanded this year. (Aug. 25, 2026)
- 4 ways to officially authorize a tax representative — Tax professionals can be money (and life!) savers at tax time. After you file, they also can help you deal with any Internal Revenue Service inquiries, as long as you officially authorize them to do so. Here are your third party tax representative options and how to invoke them. (Aug. 27, 2026)
- Nebraska taxpayers get IRS relief in wake of wildfires and severe storms — Record-setting blazes across Nebraska earlier this year burned more than 800,000 acres. Those wildfires and severe storms prompted the Internal Revenue Service to issue five separate disaster-related tax relief announcements for affected Cornhusker State residents and business owners. They now have a new Feb. 1, 2027, filing deadline for various tax obligations. (Aug. 30, 2026)
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I can’t tell you how thrilled I and the chilling corgi above (who just happens to be the best poster pup ever for the Dog Days of summer) are that you want to spend the end of summer checking out more tax tips.
Rest assured, as the season’s (and year’s) remaining months arrive, those pages will fill up with timely tax information.
For now though, while you can can click on all the tax tip page links below. They are live in the sense that the links will open to the monthly pages instead of going to my 404 page.
But the September through December tax tips pages pages don’t have any advice yet because, well, they haven’t arrived. Instead, you’ll find an enthusiastic fellow telling you to whoa up! (Although he’s not wearing a Stetson, imagine the Texas twang associated with that phrase. 😉)
Again, I appreciate your wanting more tax tips, and your patience on waiting for them to be posted.
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