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Tax moves to make in February 2013

February 2, 2013

The year's shortest month is here. But there's no shortage of tax moves to make in February.

February_tax_moves_160Since we've only got 28 days, it's important to focus. You don't want to turn into a tax-time Bill Murray in Groundhog Day, doing the same tax tasks over and over. Get your 2012 return right the first time by being prepared. This checklist should help.

If you're not quite ready to file your 1040, a filing system will help you keep all the tax statements that are arriving right about now in good order until you are ready to tackle your taxes.

When you do get around to plugging in your tax data, take note of whether you owed the Internal Revenue Service more money or whether you got a refund. Either way, you might want to think about adjusting your withholding.

And while February is a short month, it's got two big holidays that have tax implications.

Romantic tax geeks know that Valentine's Day is a great time for married couples to examine whether they want to file a joint return. (Special things like that are why the hubby and I have been together for so long!)

Or maybe this is the year that you go your separate ways, at least for tax filing purposes.

If, however, Cupid has indeed left your house, take note of the many divorce-related tax matters you need to consider.

And savvy shoppers know that all those President's Day sales mean that you can pad your deductible state and local sales tax totals.

Those are just a few tax tasks you can take care of this month. Find more the February Tax Moves list over in the ol' blog's left column.

Just scroll down a bit and make this shortest month come up big for you at tax time.

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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. 

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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.)

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