August 2, 2026
August brings us the sunsetting of summer. But amid the season’s waning days, taking care of some tax tasks can be beneficial. Here are five tax moves to consider this August.
BLOG POSTS
Getting your paycheck tax withholding amount just right pays off at tax-filing time and throughout the year with your pre-filing cash flow. The IRS’ newly updated tax withholding estimator can help.
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.
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!
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.
A key IRS job is ensuring taxpayers comply with the law. A new tax watchdog report says the agency needs to pay more attention to its federal colleagues. More than 571,000 current federal and retired employees owed approximately $6.3 billion in delinquent taxes over fiscal years 2021 through 2024.
You and your local property appraiser probably have different views of your home. You can appeal a real estate appraisal you believe is incorrect. Doing so could help lower your final property tax bill.
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 6, 2026
As more people own digital assets, crooks are cooking up new tax-themed schemes to steal…
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.)