IRS.gov Identity thieves continue to target taxpayers, but the Internal Revenue Service has given individuals a way to fight back. By using an Identity Protection Person Identification Number, or IP PIN, instead of their usual Social Security number, taxpayers can show the IRS that the IP PIN filing is the legitimate one. Even if a thief already has filed a fraudulent tax return, an IP PIN offers protection for later years, preventing taxpayers from being repeat victims of tax-related identity theft. Success of IP PINs: The IRS began allowing all taxpayers to apply for an IP PIN in January 2021.…

Most homes have welcome mats, but the friendly message usually doesn't apply to IRS personnel making home visits. (Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash) Nobody likes it when an Internal Revenue Service revenue officer shows up at a person's home. Not even the IRS officer. That's one reason why IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel today announced that the agency will stop, except in a few unique circumstances, making unannounced visits to taxpayers' homes. The move, effective immediately, ends a decades-long practice by IRS revenue officers. Before today's change, part of a revenue officer's job included visiting households to help taxpayers resolve…

Residents of four states this spring found themselves dealing with the aftermath of tornadoes that ravaged their neighborhoods. They were given more time to meet various tax deadlines. Their new Tax Day, July 31, is almost here. (Photo by Chandler Cruttenden on Unsplash) Attention residents of areas of Arkansas, Indiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee that were declared major disaster areas this spring. Your deadline for filing your 2022 tax return, and completing other tax tasks, is Monday, July 31. All of the affected taxpayers in those states were in places hard hit by Mother Nature in late March and early April…

State programs complement federal tax breaks for energy-saving commercial and residential property improvements. These pups probably would be cooler inside under the A/C instead of atop the condenser. As a general rule, your cooling system works better when you keep the outside air conditioning unit clear of everything, including pets! ….My phone’s battery is being drained by the summer heat. No, not because I’m using it outdoors. I rarely leave my climate-controlled haven. It’s being sucked of power because I’m getting an inordinate number of alerts about how freakin’ hot it is in my part of Texas, as well as places…

Many taxpayers already are unhappy with the assistance they get from the IRS during filing season. Will that frustration be compounded if/when the tax agency implements its own direct tax preparation and e-filing system? My guess is yes. (Unsplash+ in collaboration with Getty Images) It’s the middle of July, so most of us aren’t thinking about how we’ll file our tax return next year. But A U.S. senator and intern at a Washington, D.C.-based tax policy think tank are. And both oppose the Internal Revenue Service getting more directly involved in our filing lives. Idaho Republican Sen. Mike Crapo cuts…

A Vermont waterway in a more bucolic time. (Photo by Brian Urso on Unsplash) Vermont was inundated earlier this week by what many are saying is the worst flooding since Tropical Storm Irene devastated the area 12 years ago. That’s still to be determined, as state and federal officials continue to literally dig out of the waters’ aftermath, as shown in the tweet below. Finally got to return to the house and get my stuff — here’s the aftermath of yesterday’s mudslide and flood in Ludlow, Vermont. Grateful I got out when I did! Don’t think I’ll be moving that…

And if that’s not enough to get what’s owed, Oregon and other states’ child support officials get the U.S. Treasury’s assistance in collecting those delinquent family financial payments. Unsplash+ in collaboration with Getty Images It’s a given that raising children is an expensive endeavor. When parents split up, that financial burden is shared. That continues, ideally, even when couples split. In those cases, one parent often is held legally responsible for providing funds to the other who has main custody of the youngsters. The payments typically last until the children are legal adults. When the paying parent is delinquent on…

Photo by Olga DeLawrence on Unsplash .If you didn’t file a 2019 tax return and missed out on that tax year’s refund, you have less than a week to collect your money. You must file that old tax return, which originally was due on July 15, 2020, to account for COVID-19 pandemic delays that year, by July 17. That’s next Monday. The Internal Revenue Service announced this fast-approaching deadline, and I blogged about it, back in April. You can find details in that post, July 17, 2023, is deadline to claim $1.5 billion in 2019 tax year refunds. But since people,…

Hello, July! Yeah, I know my welcome to the first full month of summer is a bit late. But admit it. You don’t really focus on the month either until after you wrap up July 4th celebrations. Since Independence Day this year fell on Tuesday, that meant an extra-long holiday weekend for lots of us. But the fireworks are over and, sadly, we’ll never be independent of taxes. So it’s back to work this first week of July, and back to making tax moves that can at least keep a few more dollars out of Uncle Sam’s clutches. Here are…

The Internal Revenue Service incorrectly sent tax payment due notices earlier this year to taxpayers whose filing deadline hadn’t yet arrived. Now the IRS is contacting these folks again, but with less alarming news. The first errant CP14, Balance Due $5 or More, No Math Error, went in May and June to residents of areas that had been declared major disaster areas. But because of that official federal designation, the IRS granted them a variety of tax relief, including new tax filing and payment dates. This second IRS mailing reassures these disaster area filers in eight states that they do…

Photo by Christa Dodoo on Unsplash The National Taxpayer Advocate has some good news for taxpayers and the Internal Revenue Service. But it's not great news. "The taxpayer experience vastly improved during the 2023 filing season," wrote National Taxpayer Advocate Erin M. Collins in her mid-year report to Congress issued today. The main reason for the improvement, she noted, was that the IRS caught up in its processing of paper 1040 forms. The tax agency also did a better job this year in dealing with various business returns, generally issued refunds quickly, and upgraded its phone assistance lines so that…

We got word today that a person connected to the White House and who didn't pay all his due taxes is pleading guilty to tax evasion. No. It's not that person. It's Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden. The younger Biden has agreed to plead guilty to two charges of misdemeanor tax evasion and enter a pretrial diversion agreement on a firearm possession charge, according to a Justice Department court filing today in Delaware. The two tax charges carry a maximum of one year in prison as well as a $25,000 fine. The arrangement reportedly also includes repayment of…

Running through a sprinkler is one way to beat the heat. Making your home more energy efficient can help, too. (Photo by MI PHAM on Unsplash) Summer doesn't officially arrive until next week, but temperatures in much of Texas are running about 10 degrees above normal. My fellow Lone Star Staters and I are not alone. A brutal heat wave is expected to scorch much of the southern United States through the Juneteenth holiday weekend. The biggest worry during extreme temperatures, hot or cold, is that the public power grid will fail. Even when utilities manage to stay operational, customers…

June 15 was the deadline for certain taxpayers to make their second estimated tax payment for the current year. That could change, though, if a recently introduced bill makes it into law. Trueing up tax and real-life calendars: Even though they are called quarterly, the four estimated tax amounts follow a different IRS calendar instead of the one we have on our electronic devices or hanging on our walls. The tax agency wants the quarterly estimated payments on the 15thh of April, June, September, and the following January. The Tax Deadline Simplification Act move two of those estimated tax deadlines.…

Photo by Ays Be on Unsplash Congratulations to the Denver Nuggets on winning their first National Basketball Association championship. Congratulations, too, to all the bettors (like Drake) who pocketed some cash when their sports wagers paid off. Now all that's left is declaring those winnings as income on 2023 tax returns next year and paying the tax due on the money. Since sports betting has expanded across much of the United States, the Internal Revenue Service is in a much better position to know about these winnings and collect the associated taxes.     U.S. commercial gaming revenue reached a quarterly record…

As someone who wants to be helpful — OK, I'm a moderately naggy wife — I appreciate that tendency, for the most part, in others. Even Uncle Sam. That's why I actually was glad to see the reminder, shown at the top of this post, pop up in my email, encouraging me to make sure my second estimated tax payment on June 15 won't bounce. Since other once-a-year expenses, like auto and home insurance premiums, are due this month, too, my checking account is a bit stretched. And it is possible the payment could slip my mind. I scheduled it…

Photo by Leeloo Thefirst Tax Day 2023 came and went and you weren’t part of the annual tax-filing party. That means the Internal Revenue Service has been toting up penalty and interest charges you now owe on your unpaid tax. But you can stop that running number and avoid even larger noncompliance penalties if you do the job by June 14. Normal tax penalties: Under normal non-filing and non-payment calculations, the IRS assess two penalties. They can add up quickly. The late-filing penalty is 5 percent of the unpaid tax for each month or part of a month that an annual…

Automation often makes life easier, until it doesn't. Some very surprised California taxpayers learned that lesson this week. So did the Internal Revenue Service. The IRS' automated notice issuance system sent most California taxpayers letters saying that they had missed their filing deadline and owed the U.S. Treasury. The IRS was wrong. The agency's mistake understandably freaked out Golden State residents whom the IRS previously granted a new Oct. 16 due date. The extra time was allotted so the taxpayers could deal with problems caused by widespread natural disaster across the state earlier this year. The IRS issued a mea…

Photo by Art Rachen on Unsplash News has not been good of late for crypto fans. The Securities and Exchange Commission last night (June 5, 2023) filed an emergency motion in federal court asking a judge to freeze assets in Binance's two U.S. holding companies. The SEC contends that the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange mishandled funds and lied to regulators. The SEC followed that today by suing Coinbase, alleging that the largest crypto exchange in the United States violated rules that require it to register as an exchange and be overseen by the federal agency. Now, two Democratic congressmen are…

Welcome to the first full week of June. Have you finished making your vacation plans? I hope you left some time to also deal with summer tax tasks. That's right, taxes don't go on holiday. And while they aren't fun, there are some tax moves you need to make, or at least consider, this June. Since we're already on fifth day of the month, let's get right to them, focusing on some other relevant numbers. Don't miss Tax Day take two.June 15 is Tax Day for U.S. taxpayers who live and work outside the United States and Puerto Rico. This…

Even when companies try to comply with employment tax law, things can go awry. That's why many businesses hire third-party providers to handle those filings. The key here, detailed later in this post, is to hire the correct and reputable service. A Portland area construction company operator was sentenced to federal prison last week for his role in a multiyear scheme to evade the payment of payroll and income taxes on his workers' wages. The Aloha, Oregon, businessman was one of six men indicted last December by a Portland federal grand jury on charges of conspiring to defraud the United…

Two enterprising women packing up items they sold for shipping. (Photo by Kampus Production) A major contributor to the Tax Gap is unreported taxable income. The Internal Revenue Service thought it was going to be able to collect more when Congress new reporting rules were included in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021. ARPA dramatically reduced the income level at which third-party, e-commerce payment platforms — such as eBay, PayPal, Etsy, CashApp, and Venmo, — must issue 1099-K forms to sellers who got money through them. It was set to drop from $20,000 to $600 beginning in 2023. That…

UPDATE, Sept. 5, 2025: Has your state joined Direct File? Check out this special Direct File 2025 Participating States page. The Internal Revenue Service announced last week that during filing season 2024 it will run a pilot program in which some taxpayers will be able to file their returns directly with the tax agency for free. Such no-cost, direct filing has been the tax holy grail. There would be no private software middleman, as is now the case for Free File. All of us could just go to the IRS website and file our taxes. There would be no cost,…

Long-time ol' blog readers know I regularly nag remind them to make sure their payroll withholding is correct. The tax goal is to have the amount of income taxes taken out each pay period to be as close as possible to what you owe when you file your return. Adjusting that amount can get you to that target. That's accomplished by completing a new Form W-4 with your new withholding details, as discussed in my post earlier this year on how to get your tax withholding just right. OK, maybe I am a bit of a tax nag. Withholding changes…

In February 2022, the Internal Revenue Service announced that it was suspending several automatic tax notices. The move was prompted in large part by the massive backlog of tax filings that piled up when the agency closed offices as a precaution early in the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, taxpayers can expect those mailings to resume, starting with 2022 balance due notices. Current CP14s going out first: IRS Deputy Commissioner for Collection and Operations Support Darren Guillot, who was part of an American Bar Association tax conference panel in Washington, D.C., last week, said that approximately 5-to-8 million CP14 Notices, should start…

Mike Mozart via Flickr CC In April 2019, the online investigative news site Pro Publica revealed that some major tax software companies who were part of the Internal Revenue Service Free File partnership instead used computer code to funnel taxpayers to their products' paid filing options. State officials soon started their own investigations into the tax preparation marketing tactic. The following year, Intuit, the corporate parent of the popular TurboTax tax prep program, reached a settlement agreement with all 50 states (via 49 state Attorneys General and the Hawai'i Office of Consumer Protection), and the District of Columbia. That deal…

Coastal flooding in a Florida community. (Photo by Barry Bahler via Wikipedia Commons) They may be more than 3,100 miles apart, but residents of counties in California and Florida now have a couple of things in common. They recently were pummeled by major disasters. They now have an Aug. 15 deadline to meet certain federal tax responsibilities. Florida flooding: The Internal Revenue Service is offering relief to those who live or have businesses in the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster designation are of South Florida that endured tornadoes, severe storms, and flooding from April 12 to April 14. The FEMA declaration and…

Young woman getting ready to record an online video. (Photo by George Milton) Being an influencer apparently isn't all it's cracked up to be, especially when the tax collector gets involved. Sure, some of those ubiquitous TikTok videos are just for fun. Others, however, can make big bucks for their online creators. That happens when the viral stars are paid influencers. In most cases, the influencers work as independent contractors for the companies they endorse. SE and income tax due: This self-employed status, reminds the Internal Revenue Service, means the online promoters must pay self-employment (SE) tax in addition to…

Some of the world's largest companies are family owned. Yes, we're looking at you, Walmart. But the real backbone of every community is its locally owned and operated businesses. Although they are much smaller, these owners face many of the same challenges as do corporate behemoths that are run by and employ family members. Working with family can be even more fraught when it comes to taxes, since employment tax requirements for related employees may vary from those that apply to other employees. Here's an overview of some common family business tax considerations. Married couples as business partners: For better…

A Cole, Oklahoma, home destroyed by the EF3 tornado that went through McClain County on April 19, 2023. The National Weather Service estimated winds at 152 miles per hour. (Photo by U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration via Wikipedia Commons) The Oklahoma City area seems to be a tornado magnet. I'm aware of this unwanted meteorological frequency not just because of my weather fixation and its tax connection, but also because my brother lived in OKC back in 1999 when an EF5 twister destroyed much of the state capital's southern suburbs. Back then, my parents were in Western Oklahoma, which…

Unscrupulous tax return preparers once again made the Internal Revenue Service's annual Dirty Dozen scam list. That's not a surprise. The IRS and reputable tax community members are constantly battling shady tax pros and the schemes they use to lure taxpayers to use their so-called services. While the tax world is divided in how to best combat these crooks and scams, the IRS has long argued for tighter tax professional regulation. President Joe Biden also has expressed support for more tax pro oversight. And this month, members of Congress introduced the latest bicameral effort to protect taxpayers from dishonest tax…

Updated, Thursday, May 25, 2023 (more in UPDATE paragraph below) The interior of the U.S. Supreme Court (Photo by Phil Roeder, Flickr via Wikipedia) April is not a fun fiscal month for a lot of us. In addition to Tax Day, when many of us, including the hubby and me, owe the U.S. Treasury a bit, along with an estimated tax payment, it is property appraisal time here in Texas. The last couple of years, that’s been particularly distressing. If we were putting our house on the market like a couple of our neighbors, we’d be happy that we could…

Whatever your reason for moving, be it a temporary disaster displacement or settling into your forever dream home, you need to let the Internal Revenue Service know where you are.

Photo by Sharon Waldron on Unsplash Every year after Tax Day, I get emails from my financial institutions and local office supply stores about upcoming shredding days. On these dates, I and all my neighbors and fellow customers can bring our documents we would like turned into confetti to prevent identity thieves from using any of the information. That's a welcome service. But there are some documents, especially tax-related ones, that you need to hang onto for a while. Here's an overview of the tax material you need to keep and for how long. Your 1040: The main record everyone should…

Photo by Alesia Kozik The devil is in the details, especially when it comes to taxes. That's why the Internal Revenue Service today updated its almost decade-old guidance on cryptocurrency. Specifically, the IRS clarified that while Uncle Sam doesn't consider crypto as a currency, other jurisdictions do. In its Notice 2014-21, the IRS stated that digital currencies were not legal tender. Nine years later, however, the IRS acknowledges that other countries have officially recognized Bitcoin as legal tender. "Thus, the sentence in the background section of Notice 2014-21 stating that virtual currency does not have legal tender status in any…

Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden share a lighter moment. Last week, they also shared their 2022 federal and state tax returns with the American public. (Photo courtesy K. Harris/White House) The U.S. president's and vice president's tax returns were among the more than 117 million filings that the Internal Revenue Service has received through mid-April. We know this because, as is once again tradition, President Joe Biden and his wife, First Lady Jill Biden, made their 2022 tax return public. So did Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff. The Bidens' filing showed they paid…

Photo by Markus Winkler Tax Day came and went, and you weren't part of the annual Internal Revenue Service's every earner is invited party. It happens. Maybe a personal emergency took precedence. Perhaps you meant to get the job done, but it took longer than you planned and exasperated, you just said, "Later!" Or you discovered you owe, but don't have the money and thought, "What's the point?" The point, regardless of why you didn't get your Form 1040 (or Form 4868 to get a six-month extension) to the IRS on time, is that your continued procrastination could cost you.…

Photo by Lachlan Ross Procrastinating taxpayers are rushing to file their returns this Tax Day 2023. Some, however, have extra time. Unfortunately for them, the reason for the delayed filing deadline is not one any of us want. They live or have businesses in areas that were declared major disaster areas. Indiana residents are the latest to join this later Tax Day club. Today, the Internal Revenue Service announced that Hoosier storm victims now have until July 31 to file various federal individual and business tax returns and make tax payments. Yeah, I know getting the word out that Tax…

It's Tax Day 2023, meaning there literally are just hours left to finish your Form 1040 and get it to, or at least on its way, to the Internal Revenue Service. If you're still working on your tax return, here are five final tips for all y'all ultimate tax procrastinators. 1. File something. You need to send the IRS either your 2022 Form 1040 or Form 4868. You can submit either electronically, which the IRS recommends and is the option most taxpayers choose. That gives you until midnight in your time zone to punch send on your computer keyboard. But…

Tax filing time is ticking away. Make the most of these dwindling hours leading to the Tax Day deadline. (Photo by KoolShooters) If you've put off your tax filing until now, the day before your return is due, don't panic. You've still got time — but not much — to do the tax job right. These 10 last-minute filing tips can help you get the job done by tomorrow's April 18 deadline. 1. Determine whether you need to file.Most Americans who earn money, be it through full-time jobs or self-employment or investment income, do have to fill out a tax…

Millions say "no, back off," to their taxes every year, as Tax Day nears. They get an extension to delay doing their annual returns. They also have some strong feelings, as the survey discussed below reveals, about taxes and the filing process. (Photo by Alena Shekhovtcova) Tax Day 2023 — that's Tuesday, April 18, in case you forgot — is almost here. As of April 7, the latest date of tax filings the Internal Revenue Service has tallied for its filing season reports, the agency has received just more than 101.3 million returns. That down almost 2 percent from the same time period in…

Happy Tax Day! Except in 2023, April 15 isn’t the practical filing deadline. As tax procrastinators know, the convergence of this being a Saturday and Monday being the Emancipation Day holiday in Washington, D.C., Tax Day 2023 doesn’t arrive until Tuesday, April 18. Today is, however, a good day to look at how the middle of April came to be one of America’s most feared and hated days. Changing tax deadlines: I provided an answer, briefly, in my post Why is April 15 Tax Day? on this day in 2012. April 15 wasn’t always Tax Day. As the Internal Revenue…

Still have tax filing to complete on this last weekend before Tax Day, Tuesday, April 18? The following tips could help you salvage at least some of the coming Saturday, Sunday and, this year, Monday. (Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash) Do you have big weekend plans? Or are you going to be working on your 2022 tax return? Here are some tips on this final weekend — plus Monday's extra 24 hours because of Emancipation Day — to help you complete that Form 1040, maybe with enough time to still do what you really want on your days off. Basically,…

Tax Day comes four times a year for millions of taxpayers. We (yes, I’m one of them) must make these added payments to Uncle Sam. Here’s a look at these added tax tasks required on the 15th of each April, June, September, and January.

Photo by Karolina Grabowska Nearly 1.5 million people across the United States are due tax refunds they didn't claim in 2020 by filing a 2019 tax year return. They can get that money, which totals almost $1.5 billion, by filing that old return. Even better, they don't have to mess with the old filing by this year's April 18 filing deadline. Instead, they get until July 17 to file for their 2019 refunds. 3-year window's opening and closing: Tax law gives taxpayers three years to file a return and collect the associated refund. The three-year filing period is from the…

Residents in 21 states got some good news from the Internal Revenue Service earlier this year. In 2022, they received general welfare, disaster, or stimulus payments from their state officials. These generally were referred to as refunds. Basic state tax refunds in some instances are taxable at the federal level. But the IRS announced on Feb. 10 that in most cases these special 2022 state payments were not. The affected taxpayers live in Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Virginia.…

The IRS' tax relief for tornado-stricken Tennessee residents and business owners is welcome. But that's just one part of picking up the pieces after a major disaster. Keep reading after the Volunteer State tax specifics for tips that all of us can use to recover, financially and physically, if we ever must cope with a catastrophe. Damage caused by an EF3 tornado that touched down southwest of Covington, Tennessee. Covington is the county seat of Tipton County, one of 10 counties in the Volunteer State that the Internal Revenue Service granted tax relief following the March 31-April 1 tornado and…

April's flowers are a delight, and you can enjoy them as soon as you finish up the month's tax tasks. (Photo by Eilis Garvey on Unsplash) Welcome to the first full week of April, the month that tends to bring out conflicted feelings in most of us. While most of us are delighted that we can put away our winter coats and enjoy the arrival of spring flowers, April's arrival also means that millions of us still must confront our annual tax filing tasks. If you've yet to file your 2022 return, here are six tax tasks to consider as…

Doing taxes isn't nearly as much fun as riding a carousel, but a round of tax credits can help families save some tax dollars. (Photo by Brett Sayles) Tax deductions get a lot of attention, mainly because the Internal Revenue Service makes us choose between taking the standard deduction or itemizing. We make this decision every year, based on which method gives us the better write-off amount. Standard has always won, and since the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 became law and nearly doubled the standard, adjusted annually for inflation amounts, the margin of victory has grown. But…

The IRS’ tax relief for tornado-stricken Mississippians is welcome. But devastated residents could use more help. If you want to provide some support, read on for groups that are conducting a variety of recovery efforts in the storm-stricken areas and could use donations to continue their work. The devastation from the March 24-25 tornadoes that plowed through the lower Mississippi River Valley is horrific. A massive EF4 twister that cut a 59-mile path of destruction left 26 people dead. Hundreds of residents and businesses were displaced by the severe storms. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the White House…

via Giphy The Internal Revenue Service is exploring how it can offer free tax filing on its own, no help from outside private tax software companies as is now the case. But the agency already offers a sort-of tax prep service. I, and the IRS, emphasize sort of. You still have to fill in some (possibly a lot of) paper forms. And you have to send them by U.S. Postal Service mail by Tax Day, which is April 18 this year. Plus, there are lots of limitations — income levels, forms that don't apply, deduction methods, and more — on…

In 1896, the first college basketball game was played. Now, 127 years later, the hoopla known as March Madness is big business and big betting. The annual NCAA Division 1 college basketball tournaments, both men's and women's matches, dominate the airwaves, with networks paying millions for the broadcast rights. Fans follow on their in-home televisions, as well as on their mobile devices via the internet. Seeding, schmeeding: The wins aren't just important to the teams, the university cities, or the colleges' alums. Bettors have placed millions on the games, and lots of them have already lost big. Upsets busted brackets early…

Photo by Zac Durant on Unsplash The damage Mother Nature can do is long-lasting. So, in the case of many storms, is the clean-up process. The Internal Revenue Service realizes this. Earlier this year, the agency extended original tax relief, including filing deadlines, it provided individuals and businesses in Alabama, California, and Georgia that were hit by major natural disasters. New York storm victims now have joined this group. A deadly winter snowstorm hit parts of the Empire State around last Christmas. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the IRS followed up quickly with, respectively, disaster declarations and tax…

Through March 10, the Internal Revenue Service had issued more than 49 million refunds, which came to a total of $146.2 billion. If you're still waiting on your part of that, you're probably getting a bit frustrated. I get it. You want your cash. At the very least, you want answers as to why it's taking so long for your tax refund to show up in your mailbox or bank account. That frustration is why lots of folks every filing season fall for myths, misconceptions, and just plain wrong information they think will help speed up the delivery of their…

Photo by Elisa Ventur on Unsplash When you make a mistake on your Form 1040, the best thing that could happen is the Internal Revenue Service will catch your relatively insignificant error, fix it, and send you a notice about the change. A worse outcome is the IRS changes reduce and/or delay the refund you’re expecting. And the absolute worst tax error outcome is that your mistake isn’t a minor one, and the IRS decides to take a longer, closer look at your filing. The only way to avoid these situations is to double check your return to ensure it’s…

Blinders may work for horses, but they're terrible for taxpayers who might miss out on some tax savings. (Photo by Graham Ruttan on Unsplash) The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act's expansion of the standard deduction amounts means even more taxpayers are using that filing method. Most think that since they don't itemize, they don't need to worry about tax breaks. They're wrong. There are the above-the-line deductions, officially known as adjustments to income, that anyone can take (if they qualify), regardless of whether they take the standard deduction or use Schedule A. Then there are some tax credits, again available…

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash Unless we're getting a big refund, most of us put off dealing with our taxes. That's happening again this filing season. The Internal Revenue Service reports that through March 10, it had received 63.4 million returns. That's about the same number of returns it received at the same point last year. If 2023 filings continue to follow the 2022 pattern, then the IRS is still waiting for more than 100 million returns. Some people have good reasons for the delay. Their tax situations are complicated, taking time to sort through. Others are missing necessary…

Photo by Emanuel-Kluge via Flickr When U.S. residents make international moves for work, there's one part of the country that goes with them. They remain U.S. taxpayers, filing federal tax returns on the on their overseas earnings. Uncle Sam, however, does provide some tax breaks to his citizens living and working abroad. Their filing deadline is June 15. Thanks to tax treaties, globally peripatetic taxpayers also get certain foreign earned income exclusions and/or foreign income tax credits. These exclusion amounts also are affected by the cost of living, as noted in Part 8 of the ol' blog's 2023 annual inflation and taxes…

… and some special instructions for those who owe $1 or less or $1 million or more. While bank checks may seem antiquated to most people today, some people still like to pay that way. That includes writing a check to cover their tax bill. (Photo by Steve Shook via Flickr CC) Since most of us e-file our taxes, it's only natural that when we owe, we pay Uncle Sam electronically, too. But most is not all. Some folks still file paper returns. And some taxpayers who do e-file still prefer to pay with an old fashioned, handwritten paper check…

Updated version at Ways to electronically pay your tax bill (Feb. 10, 2025). Credit cards are a popular way to pay taxes, but there are several other ways to e-pay what you owe the IRS. (Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash) Mark this day. Tax Day is more than a month away, but I finished up the ol' 1040 today. Really! As expected, and as usual, my tax calculations revealed that we owe Uncle Sam a couple hundred bucks. So I went to my Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS) account and scheduled payment of our 2022 tax amount for April…

Image via CFI Even before film makers began sticking extra scenes at the end of credits, I sat in the darkened theater until the last credit rolled. I do the same when I screen movies and television shows at home … when I can. As I tweeted today, I'd love it if streamers used an artificial intelligence (AI) program to note that I like to watch full show openings. And recaps. And all the closing credits. OK, not so much the information about who's dubbing the actors when the shows are streamed in other countries, but I do use that time…

In addition to their duties as members of the armed forces, U.S. service members also have to answer to the Internal Revenue Service. But in some cases, military personnel get some special tax considerations.

Photo by Liza Summer The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act's substantial increase in standard deduction amounts accomplished one of its supporters' major goals. More taxpayers have an easier time filing now because they claim the standard deduction. But the 2017 tax reform law had a less-welcome side effect. Charitable giving, which must be claimed as an itemized deduction, has dropped. Even for wealthier taxpayers, who are the most likely to still itemize and who under the law change can claim an even larger percentage of their charitable gifts, deductible donations have plummeted. Some federal lawmakers, however, are hoping to change…

Photo by Kris Gonzalez via Flickr CC Parenting presents many challenges. One of them is finding quality child care. The tax code can help a bit here if you, and your spouse if you're married, both work. The Child and Dependent Care Credit offsets some child care expenses. Since it's a tax credit, it does that by reducing your tax liability dollar-for-dollar. But if you're a working mom or dad who enjoyed the pandemic-prompted enhancements to the child care credit last year, get ready to be disappointed when you file your 2022 return. The tax break afforded by the Child…

Photo by Leeloo Thefirst Tax statements are crucial not only to taxpayers, but also tax collectors who rely on the forms' information to verify what people put on their returns. Some crooks, however, are trying to slip false filing data by the Internal Revenue Service, and are entrapping taxpayers in the process. The IRS today issued a warning about a new scam involving fake W-2 forms, the document used by taxpayers and tax departments to verify a taxpayer's earnings. The W-2 info is the main earnings data entered on annual tax returns by millions of filers. Con artists, in many…

Photo by Pixabay We haven’t filed our 2022 tax return because we’re missing one 1099 form. OK, that’s just one reason we (and by we, I mean I) haven’t yet filed. But it’s one of them, and we’re not alone. Lots of taxpayers every filing season must wait for tax documents so they can correctly complete their returns. We did, however, get a letter today explaining why this tax statement was late. It also promised the form’s arrival soon, and definitely in time to meet the April filing deadline. We shall see. Fingers 🤞 crossed. The wait has been annoying,…

You need to file your taxes, but you need help. You’re on a tight budget, so you gave Free File a look. But you quickly discovered that you want more help than a tax software program provides. Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) or Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) could be your answer. VITA and TCE sites are nationwide, usually at locations that are convenient for community residents to find and get to. They are staffed by Internal Revenue Service-trained volunteers. In many locations, the tax preparers are able to help taxpayers whose first language isn’t English. And they are…

UPDATE, Aug. 15, 2023: Mississippi residents now join the Oct. 16 deadline club. The IRS announced this new due date, as well as other tax relief for individuals and business owners in parts of the Magnolia State that were hit June 14-19 by severe storms, straight-line winds, and tornadoes. Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash Enough already, Mother Nature! We're not even through two full months of 2023, and you have been in a particularly foul mood too much of this time.  The latest disastrous outbursts are leaving thousands across the country dealing with blizzards, high winds, and tornadoes. And…

via GIPHY Where's your tax refund? Use the IRS' online tracker to find out The first look at 2023 tax filing data revealed that while returns were coming in at a brisker pace than last year, the average tax refund amount was smaller. That's still true, three weeks into the season. The average refund amount issued for the week ending Feb. 17 is less than at the same period in 2022. Again. However, that comparatively smaller refund so far this year actually is a decent amount, specifically $3,140. I haven't filed yet, so I don't know what my refund will…

The IRS has been given millions of dollars to look into how to transform Free File from a partnership with private sector software companies into a system solely under the tax agency's control. Last year, the Internal Revenue Service received more than 152 million electronically filed tax returns. Nearly 67 million of those digital 1040s came directly from individual taxpayers. The 2023 filing season data so far seem to be a repeat of prior seasons. The IRS' weekly filing statistics, however, don't dive deeper into just how the individually sent e-filings were delivered. So we don't know how many of…

One thing that's missing in Texas is a personal income tax. But residents in most of the rest of the country have to file a state return at the same time their federal paperwork is due. We're roughly at about the midpoint of the official tax filing season, based on the Jan. 23 date when the Internal Revenue Service began processing individual tax returns. For many, this means they need to get serious about filing their taxes, which are due this year on April 18. The filing focus is especially true for folks who also must submit returns to their state tax…

Most U.S. workers get a salary or wages. Those amounts are reported to them early every year on Form W-2, which they use to file their annual tax return. But a lot of those folks also get other money throughout the year, and the Internal Revenue Service wants to know about that, too. These amounts, basically any income not reported on a W-2, go in Part I of Form 1040's Schedule 1, appropriately titled Additional Income. In many, but not all, cases the additional earnings are reported on one of the many types of 1099 forms. As with W-2s, 1099s…

When it comes to paycheck tax withholding, you want to get it just right to avoid a bear of a tax problem. Here’s how to make the appropriate changes.

The IRS has implemented a document upload process to deal with certain tax notices that looks so easy, you shouldn't need your cat's, or any other, help to use it. (Photo by Ruca Souza) I've spent the last few days online, downloading documents we need to file our tax return, which I'll eventually do electronically. I am not alone. More of us handle most of our lives' issues online. In addition to taxes, we shop, bank, watch entertainment programs, and communicate with friends and family digitally. Now the Internal Revenue Service has expanded our electronic tax interaction options to help…

The tax reform law enacted back in 2017 did fulfill one of its promises. It made filing easier for millions, mainly folks who no longer itemize deductions because the standard claim amounts are so much larger. But some of the associated tax return mechanics also could mean some taxpayers might miss some tax breaks. Tax law and form changes: When the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act became law, the Internal Revenue Service also revised tax return forms. Most notably, it dramatically shrank Form 1040, beginning with the 2018 version. It wasn't quite the postcard-sized tax return long touted by Republicans…

That’s all?!? (Photo by Karolina Grabowska) As we hit mid-February, more tax refunds will start going out. The Internal Revenue Service has been waiting, per 2015’s Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes, or PATH, Act, to issue refunds on returns where filers claim the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or the Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC). The mandated delay was designed to give the IRS more time to catch fraudulent refunds based on these two popular tax credits. The IRS expects most EITC and/or ACTC related refunds to be available in taxpayer bank accounts or on debit cards by Feb. 28…

Casino sportsbooks like this one in Las Vegas still take plenty of sports bets, but thanks to the Supreme Court’s 2018 ruling allowing states to open up sports gambling within their borders, this year’s Super Bowl wagering broke betting records.

Image via California Franchise Tax Board Individuals who got special tax or inflation relief payments from their states last year won't have to worry about handing over a portion to the U.S. Treasury. The Internal Revenue Service announced late Friday, Feb. 10, afternoon, that, "in the interest of sound tax administration and other factors," recipients of the payments won't have to report the amounts on their 2022 tax returns that are now being filed. Disaster and general welfare exemptions: The IRS said that it will not challenge the taxability of payments related to general welfare and disaster relief. This means…

It's never fun having to re-do your taxes. But if it means you'll get a refund, or a larger amount than with your original filing, it's worth it. And now amended filers can have that refund amount sent straight to a financial account. The Internal Revenue Service announced today that people who e-file a Form 1040-X, Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, now will be able to select direct deposit as the money's delivery method. More X filing going electronic: The IRS began accepting e-filed 1040-X forms in 2020. Most tax software programs have added the amended filing option to…

Free File 2023 has been open for almost a month. Have you tried it out yet? This partnership between Uncle Sam and the private tax software industry has been around since 2003. Free File's original mandate was to make electronic tax help available to taxpayers who might not be able to pay a tax professional or even afford tax software. However, the program hasn't really caught on as much as the Internal Revenue Service had hoped. Some of the lack of Free File enthusiasm might be attributed to roadblocks the program has encountered in recent years. Free File problems: Some…

UPDATE, February 10, 2023: There's good federal tax news for residents in 21 states who last year got some financial relief from their states. The Internal Revenue Service has determined that the stimulus/tax refund payment amounts are not subject to federal tax.  Remember back in January when I listed 6 reasons why you should wait to file your federal tax return? The Internal Revenue Service has come up with a new one for taxpayers in several states. Specifically, the IRS is telling individuals who last year received special state-issued payments to help offset higher inflation costs to wait before submitting…

Hello, February! Yeah, I know my regular monthly tax moves post is late. But February started off here in Central Texas with a nasty ice storm that knocked out our power for four days, and I'm still catching up on delayed blog (and real life) tasks. I appreciate your patience and understanding. So, since we're already on this shortest month's fifth day, and nobody wants to hear my continued whining about the storm and our local electric company, let's get right to some fun stuff. Like February Tax Moves! Here are three to consider this month. 1. Collect your tax…

Photo by Kay Bell All things considered, we got through last week's Central Texas ice storm pretty well. Yes, I whined about no power, hence no heat for 3½ days, but we piled on enough clothes to mimic the Michelin Man, and used our grill to cook previously frozen food before it spoiled. As for our property, our oldest and biggest tree, a live oak, lost just three limbs. Two, shown above, fell in our backyard; the other snapped on the other side of the fence and fell into our neighbor's yard. The neighbor had a clean-up crew over at…

Reviewed and updated Friday, Feb. 2, 2024 The Internal Revenue Service has its own Groundhog Day, but it's not limited to just one specific 24-hour period. Most often, this re-do of a tax return is when you find you made a mistake on your original Form 1040. The do-over is accomplished by filing Form 1040-X, an excerpt of which is shown below. See more tax forms and more about them at Tax Forms 2024.   Fix errors: Nobody's perfect, and the annual filing season underscores that for many of us. When we do make a mistake on our taxes, filing…

Photo by Nataliya Vaitkevich You tried doing your own taxes last week when the 2023 filing season officially opened, with tried being the operative word. It didn't take long to realize that you need more help. You didn't feel quite comfortable with the tax software you tried. And your tax circumstances are a bit more complex than those typically handled by the various tax preparation chains. So now you're looking for more professional, personal tax assistance. Be ready to wait: Good for you for admitting that your taxes are too important and confusing for you to deal with on your…

The Earned Income Tax Credit, or EITC, is one of the most beneficial tax breaks for lower- and moderate-income workers. It’s also one of the most under-claimed.

If you dabbled, or more, in innovative financial assets like crypto in 2022, then one of the most important lines on your 2022 tax return shows up early. The section just below where you enter your (and, if married filing jointly, your spouse's) name, the Internal Revenue Service asks: At any time during 2022, did you: (a) receive (as a reward, award, or payment for property or services); or (b) sell, exchange, gift, or otherwise dispose of a digital asset (or a financial interest in a digital asset)? (See instructions.) See more tax forms and more about them at 2022's…

The first week of the 2023 tax filing season is in the books. But there are lots of other tax dates to look forward to, or at least be aware of, this year. As happens every year, there are the normal conflicts that delay some of them a bit. They are the traditional deadline shift the Internal Revenue Service institutes when tax due dates fall on weekends or federal holidays. The original date gets bumped to the next business day. The legal holidays in 2023 that could affect tax deadlines are — January 2, New Year's Day (observed) January 16,…

The companies that are supposed to issue my 1099 forms are being particularly slow this filing season. I've only received five. I'm still waiting for about double that to show up in my snail mail box (yeah, that's still happening) or as an email notice that they're available for download. The Internal Revenue Service realizes that millions of taxpayers eagerly await these documents. The agency also is aware of the burden their issuance places on companies, particularly smaller firms. Businesses must get the documents, notably Form W-2 wage statements and myriad 1099 forms that go to freelance, contract, and third-party…

Photo by Dewang Gupta on Unsplash In 2019, the Internal Revenue Service received nearly 156 million tax returns. Then came the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, the number of 1040s filed hit 169.7 million. The increase continued in 2021 with the IRS receiving 169.1 million returns, and into 2022, when 164.3 returns were sent to the tax agency. The main reason for the 2020-2022 filing spikes was the coronavirus-related financial help — economic impact payments and increased advance Child Tax Credit amounts — that the IRS was tasked with delivering. Many, OK most, of those millions who hadn't filed before 2020…

Photo by Michael Burrows Millions of Americans send tax return to the Internal Revenue Service every year. It's a good bet that a lot of them are first-time filers. Dealing with the IRS, even in a routine manner like sending in a completed Form 1040, can be intimidating, even for veteran taxpayers. For newbies, the task also can be overwhelming. But it doesn't have to be. These eight steps can help a novice taxpayer successfully make it through their first filing season, and maybe even get a bit of money back. 1. Get organized. This is a habit that will…

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash Yes, it’s that day that millions of refund ready taxpayers have been anxiously awaiting. The Internal Revenue Service today begins processing 2022 tax year returns. I don’t want to interrupt your calculating, but I ran across the Elaine May and Mike Nichols video below where the improv duo discusses filing taxes. The vignettes were public service announcement commissioned by The National and State Organizations of Certified Public Accountants, and now are part of the Academy Film Archive. Being a fan of the legendary comedy couple (and their later, separate film work), I had to…

UPDATE, Feb. 27, 2023: Since damages are so severe, and additional areas subsequently were designated by FEMA, the IRS has decided to further extend the tax deadline for victims of Alabama's and Georgia's major disasters first declared in January. Affected Yellowhammer and Peach state taxpayers now have until Oct. 16 to take care of multiple tax responsibilities. Details in this post. National Weather Service radar of a quasi-linear convective system (QLCS) and supercells, along with severe warnings in the southeastern United States during the afternoon of Jan. 12, 2023. The Autauga County, Alabama, EF3 tornado was on the ground at…

Photo by Polina Zimmerman While millions are debating when to file their tax return, others are asking a more elemental question. Do I have to file a 1040 at all? It's a good question. The short answer is probably. But there are some situations where the Internal Revenue Service doesn't demand individuals file. Here's a look at just who is off the tax filing hook. Filing requirements for most of us: Generally, if you are a U.S. citizen or resident you must consider three things when determining whether you have to file a tax return: your age, your filing status,…

Being a bit pokey can sometimes pay off at tax filing time. (Photo by Kay Bell) My husband and I have a lot in common. We also are a lot different. I tend to obsessiveness, wanting to take care of things as soon as I can. The hubby, on the other hand, is more deliberative. Unless it absolutely has to be done immediately, he’s OK with waiting. And waiting and waiting. We’ve managed to make out differing approaches work. And I must admit that sometimes, he’s right to put off projects. Not always, but sometimes. Situations change, making moot what…

Photo by Kay Bell The Internal Revenue Service won’t start processing 2022 tax year returns until Jan. 23, but you can file before then. A lot of folks are doing just that. The most common and obvious motive for filing early is to get the refund you’re expecting. But there are some other reasons you might want to get your return to the IRS as soon as possible. 1. To beat tax ID thieves to the punch.The IRS and its Security Summit partners have made good progress in recent years in reducing tax identity theft and refund fraud. One major…

Every filing season, eager taxpayers, most of them expecting a refund, send their returns to the Internal Revenue Service as soon as they can. For most it works out OK. Others, however, discover on their own, or learn from the IRS, something just not quite right, and costly, on their Form 1040. It works the other way, too. In some instances, folks submit a return without claiming a tax break that would have saved them dollars. The IRS isn’t going to tell you about that! The best way to make sure you enter all the data that the IRS wants,…

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King in Washington, D.C., in 1963 where he delivered his “I Have A Dream” speech. (Photo via Wikimedia) …On this Martin Luther King, Jr. Day federal holiday, the focus once again is on public service. It’s a way to honor The Rev. Dr. King’s commitment to helping those who need it the most. It’s also a time when we rightfully recall the civil rights leader’s most famous speech, his delivery of his “I have a dream” vision of equality in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 28, 1963. But King also knew that hard, practical work was…

Unemployment benefits can be a godsend when you lose your job. They also can be a god-awful problem at tax time. That money you get to help tide you over until you find another job is taxable income. In certain situations, however, lawmakers have provided unemployment compensation, or UC (and yes, that’s its official name, so the compensation moniker explains the taxing), have exempted some of the government money from federal tax. COVID UC exemption: That was the case during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The extraordinary circumstances of so many people losing their jobs at the same time…

One of the forms in the long list of tax documents you need to file your 2022 return is the 1099-K. This form has been used for years for third-party payment processors — for example, PayPal, Amazon, eBay, Facebook Marketplace, rideshare companies, and many more — to report to fund recipients the money they got during the year. The Internal Revenue Service also gets a copy so it can check the amounts that the earners report on their tax returns. Taxpayers have been getting 1099-K forms since 2012, with this initial reporting coving third-party amounts in 2011. The factors that…