August 11, 2026
Teachers regularly spend their own money to make sure that their students have a positive educational experience. Many of these educators qualify for the educator expenses tax deduction, which has been expanded for the 2026 tax year.
BLOG POSTS
If your retirement goal is the same as mine – do so as soon as possible! – then you need to add as much to your tax-favored retirement plans now. There’s a Dec. 31 deadline for some contributions.
Holiday shopping online is easy, for shoppers and scammers. Be careful in your online deal searches, as crooks can use the personal info they steal now to file false tax returns claiming fraudulent tax refunds.
If you have enough retirement savings to enjoy the lifestyle you want, consider donating some of it. It could be a good tax move for you, as well as help your favorite charity.
Changes are coming in 2026 to charitable tax deductions that could affect your 2025 donation decisions. Check them out to find ways to make charitable gifts pay off now and next year.
Being sick sucks. Having to pay a lot of out-of-pocket medical expenses can make you feel even worse. But if you have a lot of medical and dental costs, you might be able to put them to itemized tax deduction use.
If you don’t file or pay your taxes on time, you could end up owing the IRS more due to penalties. Some tax penalties are set; others changes every year due to inflation. Here’s a look at the 2026 amounts.
Retiring the way you want is easier when you save well before your golden years. Here’s how much you can put this, and next, year in tax-favored retirement plans.
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 annual April 15 federal tax return filing deadline doesn’t apply to all U.S. taxpayers. Tax Day is June 15 for taxpayers living and working abroad, including military personnel posted outside the United States or Puerto Rico. Residents of major natural disaster areas also get more time to file, and in some cases pay what they owe.
It’s crunch day for millions of taxpayers. In addition to finishing their current tax return, many have other April 15 tax tasks to complete. It all adds up in dollars and time.
If you’ve put off your tax filing until the very last minute, don’t panic. You still have (a little) time to finish. But get to work on that return or filing extension request. Now!
If you owe taxes, paying Uncle Sam electronically is a fast and easy way to go. Most who e-pay the Internal Revenue Service do so via credit or debit card. But there are other electronic ways to pay your tax bill. Here are six options.
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.)