June 16, 2026
Many young people take food service jobs during the summer. It’s a good way to learn about the working world. Regardless of your age, seasonal income also has tax implications.
BLOG POSTS
An executive order mandating Uncle Sam primarily make electronic financial transactions has caused tax refund delays for more than 800,000 taxpayers (so far) this filing season.
IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers (TACs) don’t help with filing, but offer guidance on other federal tax matters. This year, the IRS is again expanding TAC weekday hours and opening some centers on select Saturdays.
Tax filing season is also peak time for tax scams. Be on the lookout for and avoid falling victim to the IRS’ 2026 list of Dirty Dozen tax scams.
Free is always welcome. That’s especially true at tax time, when taxpayers look for no-cost help to prepare and file their returns. Here are some free tax filing options.
Here are some March tax moves that can work for both tax lions aggressively attacking their returns, as well as tax lambs who prefer a more docile approach.
Most taxpayers, at both the federal and state levels, get tax refunds every year. But this filing season, five states have been particularly slow in sending residents’ their refunds.
U.S. financial officials continue to target Mexican timeshare fraud. Treasury’s latest move was against a development allegedly connected to El Mencho’s cartel, just days before the drug kingpin was killed.
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!
If you’re a U.S. citizen, it doesn’t matter where in the world you earn your money. The IRS gets some of it. But it also offers tax breaks, like added housing allowances for expensive overseas locales.
Artificial intelligence advocates say the technology can help the Internal Revenue Service find and collect from tax cheats. But those wary of AI say that will happen only if the agency has enough well-trained personnel to ensure the system is used responsibly.
When you owe taxes but can’t pay your bill in full, the Internal Revenue Service offers a variety of debt settlement options. Now, the agency has a new online Tax Debt Help tool to help you determine which of its payment options works best for you.
You’ve filed your taxes. Now it’s time to take care of your tax records. Here’s a look at what tax documents to keep and for how long.
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.
July 6, 2026
It’s never too early for children to learn solid money lessons. The new Trump Account,…
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.)