July 7, 2026
U.S. consumers complain about higher prices, but they still are paying them, largely through increased use of credit cards. Sales taxes add to most products’ final retail costs. Here’s a look at where state and local sales taxes stand in mid-2026.
BLOG POSTS
Filing taxes takes a lot of reading. But now with Tax Day behind us, we can read about taxes and money for fun. Here are some suggestions.
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.
As Tax Day nears, scammers are in high gear. Crooks are using fake tax-related email, texts, and phone calls to try to steal your tax and financial data. Don’t fall for any of it!
Owe the IRS, but don’t have the money? A payment plan could be the answer. The Internal Revenue Service offers a variety of ways to pay your tax bill over time.
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!
Medical costs keep increasing, including insurance. A high-deductible plan, along with a tax-favored health savings account, could be the Rx, especially with the 2027 inflation adjustments.
Trump Accounts were designed to help young people get better returns on savings than the usual child’s piggy bank deposits. The tax-favored investment vehicle also now has its own app for easier access and management.
IRS Taxpayer Assistance Centers that are open on some Saturdays won’t have flashy signs like this. But their services will be available to taxpayers who can’t make weekday meetings. The next special weekend open day is May 30.
Emotions have always run high at spelling bees, as this Norman Rockwell painting shows. While this year’s Scripps National Spelling Bee competitors are facing off, it’s good time to brush up on tax terminology.
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.
July 26, 2026
Selling your home can net you a nice chunk of non-taxable profit as long as…
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.)