May 5, 2026
May’s merriment may not seem synonymous with taxes, but this month is a great time to make some IRS-inspired moves. These three could get your 2026 tax situation on a money-saving track.
BLOG POSTS
Medical costs seem to go up every year (or more often!). But the IRS’ annual inflation adjustments to tax-related health care provisions might be able to help you feel better at filing time.
One easy way to cut your tax bill is to claim tax deductions and tax credits. There is a wide variety of these tax breaks, and the amounts generally get annual inflation bumps. Here are 2026’s.
The IRS’ annual inflation increase in the standard deduction amounts makes that deduction option even more appealing. But don’t automatically claim it. Some tax years, it’s worth itemizing.
Let’s get the 2026 tax party started with the tax brackets that will apply to the new year’s income. While the deadline to make most moves affecting 2025 taxes was Dec. 31, it’s still helpful to compare the 2025 and 2026 income tax brackets as we file our 2025 return and implement strategies to cut this year’s taxes.
Every tax filing season, people need help but can’t afford to pay a tax pro. You can provide that help as a volunteer at no-cost Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and Tax Counseling for the Elderly locations.
The WOTC, administered in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Labor, provides a tax break to employers who hire individuals from certain groups who tend to consistently have trouble getting jobs.
The tax provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) Act also accelerate the termination dates for a variety of other energy-related tax credits. Many home-related ones end Dec. 31, 2025.
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!
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.
The IRS continues, and expands, its tax fraud fighting efforts with a new, consolidated page where people can report scams, fraud, and other illegal tax activities.
Saving now can make for a better retirement later. The Trump administration is proposing a new retirement vehicle. But the existing Saver’s Credit could help you this tax filing season.
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.
June 16, 2026
Many young people take food service jobs during the summer. It’s a good way to…
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.)