Take Albert Einstein’s tax advice: Get filing help

February 13, 2016

Everyone was reminded last week of Albert Einstein's brilliance. Almost exactly 100 years after the wild-haired physicist posited the existence of gravitational waves, scientists confirmed their existence.

Tax folks, however, always acknowledged Einstein's genius. He did, after all, note that even he was baffled by the U.S. tax code.

Albert Einstin_tax quote

That's one of the biggest problems with taxes. They often make even the smartest among us feel like idiots.

Tax software helps. The computer or online programs walk you through the filing process, tying your real-life experiences to the tax breaks that could save you some money.

If you feel more comfortable talking person-to-person about your taxes, you can hire a tax pro. That's what Einstein did.

And then there's always the ol' blog's Daily Tax Tip , running each week day throughout the filing season.

The five tax tips that were posted last week are: 

  1. Reporting gambling winnings (Monday, Feb. 8,  2016)
  2. 10 tax terms  (Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2016)
  3. Retirement plan contribution limits — (Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2016)
  4. All about Obamacare tax forms (Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016)
  5. Filing choices for married couples — (Friday, Feb. 12, 2016)

You can catch up with the rest of the February tax tips at this month's special blog page. The ones that kicked off the 2016 tax filing season are collected in the January tax tips list.

And when you're ready for something a little less taxing, you can relax and check out the computer visualization below of the warping of space-time generated by the collision of two black holes more than a billion light-years from Earth.

Want more? Umberto Cannella, Daniel Whiteson and Jorge Cham, creators of Piled Higher and Deeper (PHD) Comics, made the video below. It uses simple animations and analogies to accurately explain just what gravitational waves are, and why they're so important.

Einstein would definitely approve of both the tax help and the scientific diversion.

Share:

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
6 tax moves to consider this June

June 3, 2026

Definitely take a break this June. But taxes don’t take vacations. So, you also should…

Read More
Tax Season 2026 Continues!

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.)

Credits/Deductions
Disasters
Family
Filing and Paying Taxes
Politics/Laws
Refunds
State Taxes
Tax Brackets/Inflation
Tax Tips
Comments
  • Kay
    10 years ago

    Samina, plenty of taxpayers agree with you and Al! Millions of filers get some professional to complete their taxes. Kay

  • Samina
    10 years ago

    It’s funny that in stark contrast to your post, Turbo Tax is running commercials implying that it doesn’t take a genius to do your taxes. Maybe not, but they’re pretty easy to screw up. I’ve seen many self-prepared returns that were an absolute debacle over the years, so I’d have to agree with Einstein – maybe it’s worth having professional help in some situations.

Comments are closed.