Get vacation help from the taxman

May 28, 2010

The summer vacation season traditionally begins today with the arrival of the three-day Memorial Day holiday.

While times are still tough for many foks, here's hoping you can take a little time off this year.

One unexpected place to look for vacation help is the IRS. Tax laws can help you combine business and pleasure travel.

Using Uncle Sam as a quasi travel agent isn't always the easiest way to plan for a quick vacation. You do, after all, have to follow the tax rules.

But when a few days off can be paired with legitimate work-related travel, you can take a bit of a break and save a few dollars by claiming all the allowable tax deductions for the business part of your trip.

Details are in my Bankrate story Tax help for business, pleasure trips. I hope it helps you work in a much needed, and less costly, break from the grind.

Thanks to Twitter tax pals @BarbaraWeltman and @iminay for their help.

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Tax Season 2026 Continues!

We made it. Tax Day 2025 is finally over. For most of us. When the filing season started on Jan. 26, millions who were expecting refunds filed immediately. Most of us got our returns to the Internal Revenue Service by April 15. But plenty of taxpayers also got extensions. They are looking at an Oct. 15 filing deadline.

Those procrastinating filers aren’t a problem. In fact, the IRS appreciates taxpayers who take time to fill out their 1040 forms correctly. It also is grateful that tax submissions are spread out a bit, especially now that the IRS is a leaner agency. Processing returns is easier when they arrive throughout the year instead of in massive bunches.

But enough about Uncle Sam’s tax collection issues. The focus now is on all y’all who filed for extensions, giving you another six months to complete your return. Since your new mid-October due date will be here before you know it, let’s get started now on meeting it.

The ol’ blog is here to help you finish up your extended Form 1040. You can start with January’s tax tips page, which has links to the rest of the year’s tips by-month collections. You also can peruse various tax categories for more tailored advice by clicking on the More Tax Posts drop-down menu at the top of this (and every) page.

And to make sure you don’t miss your new filing deadline, the count-down clock below will let you know just how much time you to file by Oct. 15. At the latest.e. (Note: I’m in the Central Time Zone, so adjust accordingly for where you live.)

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