September 2025 Tax Tips

January 1, 2025

September brings two autumnal arrivals, along with plenty of tax tasks.

Summer in the city — and rural areas, too — is over, at least by one measurement. Meteorological Fall, the three months from Sept. 1 through Nov. 30 when days get shorter and cooler, has officially arrived.

I know. It’s still warmer across much of the country than many of us would like, but now we have scientific hope that cooler temperatures are on the way. That’s more likely to happen when the Autumnal Equinox finally arrives on Sept. 22.

We also have the peak of the Atlantic/Gulf of Mexico hurricane season. That another regular September occurrence.

And, of course, tax tasks seem to be on a constant loop. But we can make some moves this September to help ease the pain of paying Uncle Sam.

Taking care of filing and more: The main tax season was January 1 through April 15. But millions of us got filing extensions, making our Form 1040 due date in mid-October.

That means we should at least start thinking about completing that return this month.

Then there’s our 2025 taxes, which have accruing for eight months.

Most taxpayers take care of the bulk of our federal tax bill via payroll withholding. But you need to double check it now, especially if when you did file you got a big refund or owed an unexpected tax bill. Of if your tax circumstances changed. All these things are indicators you might want to adjust your withholding.

Lots of us also must make estimated tax payments. The third one for 2025, covering earnings in June, July, and August that weren’t subject to withholding, is due Sept. 15.

You’ll find some ideas on all these tax considerations, and more, here on this September tax tips page. The seasonal (or, in many cases, year-round) pieces of tax advice will be added as soon as they are highlighted, as is the standard practice, in the upper right corner of the ol’ blog.

So, don’t worry if you miss a tax tip on its featured day. You’ll find them all below.

A Labor Day look at self-employment tax considerations — Working for yourself has advantages. It also means lots more tasks, including tax responsibilities. Here’s a look this Labor Day holiday at some self-employment tax considerations. (Sept. 1, 2025)
Be prepared, for potential natural disasters — Sept. 1 marks the start of the annual National Preparedness Month. This year’s theme is “Preparedness Starts at Home,” a great reminder that we need to protect our family, property, and finances as we head into what is historically the annual peak of the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico hurricane season. If you’re not prepared for a major disaster yet, now is the time to get ready. (Sept. 1, 2025)
September tax moves — Sept. 1 is a big day. This year, it’s Labor Day. It’s also the unofficial end of summer, and the start of meteorological fall. And it is the beginning of a good month to make some tax moves. Here are five to consider this September. (Sept. 1, 2025)
IRS provides leeway on EV tax credit’s Sept. 30 ending date — The electric vehicle (EV) tax credit is slated, per the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) Act, to end on Sept. 30, 2025. New Internal Revenue Service guidance, however, is offering EV buyers some leeway with its interpretation of acquiring a qualifying vehicle. You’re considered to have acquired a qualifying EV for the tax credit’s purposes if you sign a contract and make a down payment on the auto by that date. (Sept. 2, 2025)
Claim these clean energy credits before OBBB ends them — Environmentally friendly tax breaks took a big hit in the one big tax bill that became law this summer. In addition to electric vehicle tax credits that end on Sept. 30, some popular home-related tax credits to maximize residential energy efficiency are ending on Dec. 31. (Sept. 2, 2025)
6 tax and other money tips for the next lottery millionaire — Sure, the odds of winning the lottery are 1 in 292 million. But the Powerball jackpot now is $1.4 billion; that’s $634.3 million if you take the payout as a cash lump sum. So, folks (including me!) who dream of becoming rich via the game’s bouncing ping pong balls are buying tickets. If your numbers come up in tonight’s drawing, these six tips can help you cope with becoming a sudden lottery millionaire. (Sept. 3, 2025)
No tax on some tips for these workers — One of Donald Trump’s campaign trail pledges made it, sort of, into law. The One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) Act includes a tax deduction of up to $25,000 in tip income. But the tax break only applies to certain professions. Here are the professionals which the Treasury Department says qualify for the new no tax on some tips law. (Sept. 4, 2025)
WOTC helps workers and tax situation of business that hire them — Looking for staff for your company? Consider hiring someone who could also let you claim the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC). Not only will you get fill your employee needs, but also save on your business taxes. But act soon. The WOTC is scheduled to expire on Dec. 31. (Sept. 5, 2025)
Bet legally, and pay tax on all your winnings — Fall is football and betting season in the United States. Both the college and professional games attract a sizeable amount of wagering. The Internal Revenue Service urges anyone putting a few (or more) dollars down to do so at a legal betting establishment. It’s safer for bettors, and it helps Uncle Sam get what he’s due since gambling winnings are taxable income. (Sept. 7, 2025)
Joint House/Senate bills would end taxation of Social Security benefits — If you’ve saved for retirement, that money probably will mean that part of your Social Security benefits will be taxed. Donald Trump’s campaign pledge to end such taxation fell short in the One Big Beautiful Bill. But the You Earned It, You Keep It bill introduced in the House and Senate seeks to eliminate taxation of the federal retirement benefits. (Sept. 9, 2025)
Honor 9/11 heroes by volunteering on Patriot Day — On Patriot Day 2025, volunteer efforts honor those who died or were injured during the terrorist attacks in New York City, Pennsylvania, and suburban Washington, D.C., on Sept. 11, 2001. The value of the time you give to a nonprofit, on 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance of any time, is not tax deductible, but some associated expenses might be. (Sept. 10, 2025)
Don’t miss the deadline to pay your third estimated tax amount — It’s estimated tax time again. The third payment for tax year 2025 is due Monday, Sept. 15. If you’ve been making 1040-ES payments this year, this one should be automatic. And if you do make estimated tax payments regularly, you might want to enroll in an online payment method where you can schedule the four payments at the start of the year. Then all you have to do is make sure you have money in the account to be electronically paid to the IRS on time. (Sept. 11, 2025)
Got a business? Get an EIN — Getting an Employer Identification Number, or EIN, is one of the first tax moves to make when you start your new business. You’ll need this special nine-digit business tax identifier to comply with the various tax responsibilities you now face as boss. It’s easy to get an EIN at IRS.gov’s online EIN application page. (Sept. 16, 2025)
State tax departments warn of rash of text and email scams — September apparently is state tax scam month, particularly when it comes to crooks sending smishing tax texts. Stay alert. Don’t fall for these unsolicited texts (or emails or phone calls). And heed the Internal Revenue Service’s reminder that tax crooks work across all jurisdictions year-round. (Sept. 18, 2025)
IRS formally lists jobs eligible for no-tax-on-tips deduction — The no-tax-on-tips temporary deduction is closer to implementation. The IRS has formally issued proposed regulations, which includes lists of which workers can claim on the new One Big Bill benefit. Plus, the IRS also specifically notes which tipped (and other) professions aren’t eligible for the tax break. No surprise: the oldest one didn’t make the list. (Sept. 19, 2025)
End of EV tax credit on 9/30 will hurt drivers in 3 states the most — The federal electric vehicle (EV) tax ends on Sept. 30. The loss of tax savings will be felt most by California drivers who, after that date, still want to purchase environmentally friendly autos. But the next two big EV buying states are staunchly conservative Texas and Florida. Drivers there also will pay for the Trump administration EV tax break elimination. (Sept. 22, 2025)
No more IRS paper refund checks after Sept. 30 — The Internal Revenue Service is going even more digital. In accordance with an executive order to end Uncle Sam’s paper financial transactions, Treasury and the IRS announced today that paper refund checks, for the most part, will not be sent after Sept. 30. Yes. That’s next Tuesday. (Sept. 23, 2025)
Crypto owners, get ready now for Form 1099-DA reporting — Digital asset broker transactions this year will show up on the new Form 1099-DA that will be sent to some taxpayers in early 2026. The Internal Revenue Service is urging these taxpayers, and particularly the tax preparers they use, to start getting ready now for this third-party reporting on digital asset transactions. (Sept. 24, 2025)
Nigerian national gets jail time for role in scamming elderly with fake inheritance ruse — A Nigerian national is headed to federal prison for his role in a years-long transnational scheme targeting elderly Americans. No, it wasn’t the old Nigerian prince email. Rather, he admitted to helping steal more than $6 million from more than 400 elderly victims in a fake inheritance scam. Here’s a look at the scheme, and tips on how to keep yourself and elderly relatives safe from all identity and money-stealing fraud attempts. (Sept. 26, 2025)
Tax laws and deadlines are still in effect even during government shut down — Even if federal government shuts down, and the closure runs for months, tax laws are still in effect. That means taxpayers must meet all Internal Revenue Code deadlines, like the Oct. 15 filing extension due date, even if the Internal Revenue Service doesn’t have a full crew on hand to process the filings. (Sept. 28, 2025)

*****

I can’t tell you how thrilled I am that you want to spend the start of this new season checking out more tax tips. Rest assured, as the fall (and early winter) months arrive, all the pages listed and linked below will be filled with timely tax information.

And yes, you can go ahead and click on the yet-to-come October through December links. Those tax tips pages are live in the sense that like this August page, the links will open instead of going to my 404 page. You just won’t find any tax tips on them. Yet.

Instead, you’ll just find an energetic guy telling you to whoa up. When those future 2025 dates do arrive, the corresponding tips will be added. Until then, feel free to check out the January through August advice, especially if you’re still working on your 2025 tax return.

Again, I appreciate your wanting more tax tips, and your patience on waiting for them to be posted.

January	July
February	August
March	September
April	October
May	November
June	December