Overcoming tax terrors

November 13, 2009

13th_street_avenue_SkepticsDictionary Another Friday the 13th is upon us, the third one this year.

Are you superstitious? That's OK, most of us are.

But for real terror, April 15 is probably the day that frightens most Americans.

Yep, that annual income tax filing deadline can be pretty horrifying. But there are some ways to ease your fear of filing in particular and taxes in general.

Check out 7 tax terrors and how to overcome them. Full disclosure: It's a story I wrote for Bankrate.com. That said, I think it's pretty darn good.

The terrors I identified are:

   1. Afraid I can't do my taxes myself
   2. Afraid I'll overlook a tax break
   3. Afraid I'll make a costly mistake
   4. Afraid my tax adviser is inept or a crook
   5. Afraid I'll get audited
   6. Afraid to e-file because of identity theft
   7. Afraid to file because I can't pay

After you read about these frightening tax situations, come on back to the ol' blog and let me know if they scare you, too.

If you have some fears I missed, I'd love to hear about those and how you overcame them … if you did!

Foreign tax fears: A dread that's not new, but which has gotten a lot of attention this year, is the fear that the IRS is going to catch you if you try to evade taxes by putting your money in a
foreign bank account.

This week, the Swiss private bank Julius Baer Group said that tax fears following an international clampdown on tax evasion had slowed the pace of money flowing in from wealthy clients.

Tax officials in the United States, Germany, France and Italy this year initiated legal actions against financial institutions in Switzerland and other so-called tax haven countries in an effort to get them to be more forthcoming about nonresidents suspected of stashing cash in secretive accounts.

More money fears: In addition to being afraid of taxes (or maybe just the tax collector!), many folks also suffer from broader money phobias.

Divine.ca offers some advice on conquering financial fears.

Frugal Living Advice discusses how to face your financial fears.

And Cheerful Living tackles the same topic in how to overcome financial fears.

So quit cowering! We're all here for you as you fight your financial fears and tax terrors!

Related posts:

13th Street & 13th Avenue intersection
photo courtesy The Skeptic's Dictionary

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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.)

Credits/Deductions
Disasters
Family
Filing and Paying Taxes
Politics/Laws
Refunds
State Taxes
Tax Brackets/Inflation
Tax Tips
Comments
  • Investing 101
    17 years ago

    Your post gave me a few interesting ideas about April 15th! In Friday the 13th (the movie franchise) fashion, but with a totally different perspective. Definitely worth digging, it might be a million dollar idea! 🙂
    Of course the irony would be that Uncle Sam would still get his share 😀

  • Dissertation Introduction
    17 years ago

    Blogs are so informative where we get lots of information on any topic. Nice job keep it up!!

Comments are closed.