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Happy 79th birthday, Alcatraz prison

August 11, 2013

Apparently it's criminal Sunday.


Alcatraz with San Francisco in background courtesy masterok-LiveJournal_croppedThe ol' blog started out today with a report on a cop turned tax fraudster. Then I learned, thanks to The Writer's Almanac, that the first civilian prisoners began arriving at Alcatraz on this date, Aug. 11, in 1934.

The website traces the history of the foreboding island in San Francisco Bay, including, of course, its years as a federal penitentiary that was home to some of the United States' worst criminals.

And as all tax geeks know, Alcatraz was where one of the most famous U.S. tax evaders of all time, Al Capone, was incarcerated for more than four years.

So in honor of Alcatraz's 79th birthday as a jail, I beg your indulgence to my referral to my March 21, 2012, post commemorating the day that the prison slammed its doors for good.

Check it out to see who in addition to Scarface spent time on The Rock.

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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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