October 6, 2026
We all need a helping hand now and then. The volunteer tax help programs VITA and TCE do that each tax season for those who can’t afford to pay a professional preparer.
BLOG POSTS
Sometimes it takes a whistleblower to bring tax evasion to light. These informants, tax and otherwise, will be celebrated on National Whistleblower Day, July 30. If you know of tax evasion, you can join the whistleblower ranks and possibly be rewarded.
Selling your home can net you a nice chunk of non-taxable profit as long as you meet the Internal Revenue Code rules.
Wildfires are among the catastrophes across the United States that have disrupted, or worse, the lives of millions. If you want to help those dealing with a disaster, make sure you give to legitimate organizations and not to scammers looking to cash in on other’s misfortunes.
Fans of Spain’s national team were thrilled with the World Cup final. So were U.S. homeowners whose short-term rentals of their residences during the tournament produced nice and tax-free income.
The quiet-so-far 2026 hurricane season looks to be ramping up a bit. Gulf of Mexico residents need to prepare now for Bertha, which could be strong enough to be named as soon as Monday, July 20.
If you use your vehicle for business, medical, moving, or charitable purposes, you might be able to deduct that driving. And for the last half of 2026, the IRS has hiked the standard tax deduction rates for most of those miles.
The Internal Revenue Service is phasing in a new automatic process to provide penalty relief for taxpayers with a history of filing and paying on time. Eligible taxpayers will no longer need to ask for the relief, meaning potentially millions more filers won’t end up paying extra to Uncle Sam.
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!
As more people own digital assets, crooks are cooking up new tax-themed schemes to steal the holdings and more. The latest is a fake IRS Digital Asset Compliance Portal.
Campers are among consumers who can save some tax dollars during Florida’s 4-month outdoor-themed tax holiday. A Labor Day specific tax holiday offers sales tax breaks to Louisiana gun buyers. And Indiana drivers get one more month of a statewide gasoline tax suspension.
September marks the beginning of the fall season. It’s also a great month to make some chill tax moves that could save you some cold tax cash.
Despite challenges posed by leadership issues, funding cuts, and reductions in staff, the Internal Revenue Service received a record $5.3 trillion in revenue in fiscal year 2025.
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.
October 16, 2026
A multi-agency law enforcement effort has swept up more than 70 alleged tax fraudsters. Federal…
TO WRAP UP 2026
It’s over! With October’s extended filing deadline behind us, it is now time to focus on year-end moves to reduce your 2026 tax bill.
You’ll find ways to do just that on the Tax Tips page (see the More Tax Posts drop-down menu at the top of the blog), as well as the separate tax tip pages for each month, notably October through December. If you’re on the Tax Tips page, you’ll find a monthly list at the end of this column. If you’re on another blog page, you can head straight to the October tips; at the bottom of that tips page you’ll find links to all the other 11 months’ collections of tax advice.
Not to spoil what you’ll find in that tax advice, but it does cover such things as tax deductions for charitable donations, investment moves that could reduce tax due, and ways to max out your tax-favored retirement savings.
Finally, as the year winds down, things get hectic. There are lots of other things to occupy our time, like the much more fun upcoming holidays. But don’t lose sight of taxes, since timing is key. To be of use, most tax moves must be made by the end of the tax year. That’s Thursday, Dec. 31, which also is the last business day of the year.
So that you don’t miss that final tax year deadline, also keep an eye on the countdown clock below. It will keep you on top of just how much time is left to make important, tax-saving moves. (Note: I’m in the Central Time Zone, so adjust accordingly for where you live.)