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Next historic tax date: Oct. 3, 1913

August 5, 2009

In my post on today's U.S. income tax birthday, I mentioned that our current tax system has been in place since 1913.

1913_income_tax_form That year everyone's (OK, nobody's) favorite tax form, the 1040, was born. That's the 96-year-old version there to the right, or you can click here to take a closer look. You also can learn a bit more about the granddaddy of personal tax returns in my 2007 post Back in the tax day.

But the exact day to mark on my calendar for our next big tax celebration had slipped my mind.

Well, Bruce the taxguy provided a refresher, dropping a note to say that the 1913 income tax day of note is Oct. 3.That's when Congress gave its approval to the process by which we very responsible U.S. taxpayers report our income to Uncle Sam.

So get ready for the next tax par-tay on Oct. 3. I'll bake the cake if y'all will bring the ice cream.

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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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