September 10, 2026
You can honor the heroes of Sept. 11, 2001, on Friday’s Patriot Day (or any day) by donating to or volunteering with nonprofit groups. Associated tax breaks might even save you enough so that you can give even more to your favorite causes.
BLOG POSTS
Medical costs keep increasing, including insurance. A high-deductible plan, along with a tax-favored health savings account, could be the Rx, especially with the 2027 inflation adjustments.
Trump Accounts were designed to help young people get better returns on savings than the usual child’s piggy bank deposits. The tax-favored investment vehicle also now has its own app for easier access and management.
IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers that are open on some Saturdays won’t have flashy signs like this. But their services will be available to taxpayers who can’t make weekday meetings. The next special weekend open day is May 30.
Emotions have always run high at spelling bees, as this Norman Rockwell painting shows. While this year’s Scripps National Spelling Bee competitors are facing off, it’s good time to brush up on tax terminology.
The $1.776 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund, part of a deal to end Donald Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service, is roiling Capitol Hill. Critics are worried that people convicted of crimes when they stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and since pardoned by Trump would be eligible for payouts.
It’s graduation season. If you’ve got some high school or college graduates in your life and you don’t know what to get them, don’t despair. Here are seven financial gifts, some with tax benefits that the recipients (and in some cases, you, too) will appreciate.
Donald Trump and singer Shakira both got good tax news. In the U.S. case, the president’s pending audit troubles are over. The international pop star was acquitted of Spanish tax evasion charges.
Taxes and You
We all know Benjamin Franklin’s observation that death and taxes are the only two certainties. But what Ben didn’t note was just how much taxes affect us while we’re enjoying our lives. Taxes are a consideration from the day your parents gaze down lovingly at you in your crib, and continue until they converge in Franklin’s famous quote.
Don’t Mess With Taxes, the award-winning blog from tax journalist and author Kay Bell, will help you deal with the many taxes you’ll encounter during that long and happy process, hopefully making taxes less, well, taxing throughout your lifetime.
About Don't Mess With Taxes
Don’t Mess With Taxes is a tax blog written by journalist and author Kay Bell. Although Kay is not a tax professional – she doesn’t prepare taxes for clients for a living – her experience in Washington, D.C., first as a staff member of the tax-writing U.S. House Ways and Means committee and then in the government relations offices for two major Fortune 100 companies, has provided her valuable insight into the tax process. Based on her experiences and continuing tax education, Kay shares her tax observations, tips, and commentary in Don’t Mess With Taxes.
Simplify Your Taxes, Maximize Your Savings
Your Comprehensive Tax Blog
Taxes have been a part of your life since your parents welcomed you into this world. From that beginning as a spanking new tax break for mom and dad, taxes have had an important role in all your major life events, from getting a job, saying “I do,” buying and selling homes, having kids of your own, and even retiring.
Yes, the involvement of the Internal Revenue Service is not welcome when Uncle Sam is collecting your money. But in many ways, the tax code can be your best friend. You just need to know how it applies to your personal circumstances so you can take advantage of it. This comprehensive tax blog, Don’t Mess With Taxes, is here to help you do just that!
The Internal Revenue Service is phasing in a new automatic process to provide penalty relief for taxpayers with a history of filing and paying on time. Eligible taxpayers will no longer need to ask for the relief, meaning potentially millions more filers won’t end up paying extra to Uncle Sam.
This year’s World Cup championship has been hosted by three countries. That’s created tax issues for visiting international athletes (and other team members), especially when the games are in the United States. Federal and state jock taxes could cost some of the participants dearly.
Three Texas tax pros are headed to federal prison for filing false federal returns. Investigators say some clients knew of the scheme, but others did not. The case highlights why it’s important to ensure a tax preparer is reputable. Read on for tips on hiring a trustworthy tax pro.
Backpacks, like these at my local H-E-B grocery store, are a necessity for today’s students. They also are tax-free here in Texas if you buy them during the state’s back-to-school tax holiday.
Blog Posts
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.
September 25, 2026
Being an employee or a contractor has implications for workers and businesses. Here’s how Uncle…
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.)