October 20, 2026
Tax and financial documents are needed to file claims after major disasters. If they are damaged in the catastrophe, you’ll have to recreate them. Here are some ways to do that.
BLOG POSTS
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.
This year’s World Cup championship has been hosted by three countries. That’s created tax issues for visiting international athletes (and other team members), especially when the games are in the United States. Federal and state jock taxes could cost some of the participants dearly.
Three Texas tax pros are headed to federal prison for filing false federal returns. Investigators say some clients knew of the scheme, but others did not. The case highlights why it’s important to ensure a tax preparer is reputable. Read on for tips on hiring a trustworthy tax pro.
Backpacks, like these at my local H-E-B grocery store, are a necessity for today’s students. They also are tax-free here in Texas if you buy them during the state’s back-to-school tax holiday.
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!
You can honor the heroes of Sept. 11, 2001, on Friday’s Patriot Day (or any day) by donating to or volunteering with nonprofit groups. Associated tax breaks might even save you enough so that you can give even more to your favorite causes.
Retirees, and members of Congress, are growing more concerned about Social Security’s financial viability. Some GOP members are even considering wage base changes, a tax hike they previously resisted.
Movies are great escapes. But some of the best focus on a place we’re often eager to leave, our jobs. Here are some worthy workplace flicks. Some even have tax connections.
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.
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.
November 6, 2026
You don’t need to take a hot-air balloon ride to see that that inflation also…
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.)