Don't Mess With Taxes
Translating taxes into money-saving English
4 tax moves to consider this March

March 2, 2026

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.

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February 5, 2026

Bettors are expected to place a record $1.76 billion in legal wagers on Sunday’s NFL championship game. Any of those Super Bowl bets that pay off are taxable income.

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February 3, 2026

Sure, February is home to Valentine’s Day, but millions of Americans’ thoughts turn not to love, but taxes. This shortest month is a big one for taxpayers. Here are 3 tax moves to help with your return filing and tax refund.

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February 2, 2026

The IRS has its own version of Groundhog Day for taxpayers who must correct prior erroneous filings. It’s called filing an amended tax return using Form 1040-X.

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January 30, 2026

Larger families do get more from the Earned Income Tax Credit. But this valuable tax break also is available to eligible single taxpayers. If you qualify, claim the EITC!

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January 29, 2026

Nobody likes filing a tax return, so why should someone who isn’t legally required to file go ahead and send the IRS a Form 1040? The #1 reason is because it might get you a tax refund. Check it and five other situations where filing, even if you don’t have to, can pay off.

Featured Posts
January 26, 2026

Do you have to file a tax return? Probably. Not much is out of IRS’ reach. But in some cases, Uncle Sam lets folks off the tax-filing hook. Here’s a look at what determines whether you must file a Form 1040.

Featured Posts
January 23, 2026

What do you get when you mix crypto currency, a criminal tax investigation, and political access? Apparently, the end of the tax evasion case against Roger Ver, aka Bitcoin Jesus.

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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 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.

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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!

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It’s always disconcerting to find a letter from the Internal Revenue Service in your snail mailbox. But don’t panic. That’s just one of the 10 steps to successfully handle any IRS notices you might get.

Taxes are confusing. But what if you can’t afford a tax professional to help you file? The people who staff VITA and TCE sites across the United States could be your low- or no-cost tax preparation answer.

The only thing worse than waiting for telephone help is waiting for IRS tax help. Avoid the delay and hold music by using the IRS.gov assistance options, including those available with an individual taxpayer online account.

Married couples share almost everything, including taxes. For most, sharing taxes by filing a joint return is the best tax strategy. Here are six ways married filing jointly can pay off for wedded pairs.

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. 

Latest Posts
The latest Dirty Dozen tax scam list is familiar because too many are still falling for the schemes

March 5, 2026

Tax filing season is also peak time for tax scams. Be on the lookout for…

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Hello Tax Season 2026

Happy New Tax Year! Are you ready to file your 2025 tax return? I know, too early to ask. But Tax Day 2026 will be here before we realize it. The Internal Revenue Service deadline to file and pay any tax we owe is the regular April 15 date this year. It’s also Tax Day for most of the states that collect income taxes from their residents, which is most of the states! If that seems too far away right now, don’t worry. As is the case every tax season, the ol’ blog’s tips and other tax reminders should help all of us meet our state and federal responsibilities. Procrastinators also will want to keep an eye on the countdown clock just below. It tracks how much time we have until April’s Tax Day, just in case we put off our annual tax task until the absolutely final hours and decide we need to instead get an extension request into the IRS by that date. (Note: I’m in the Central Time Zone, so adjust accordingly for where you live.)