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Trading Tweets with the tax man

September 13, 2009

The IRS is continuing to move into social media.

A couple of weeks ago, I blogged about the agency's YouTube video page.

Last week at the IRS Nationwide Tax Forum in Dallas, the IRS was continually touting its Twitter presence, @InternalRevenue.

Irs twitter screen

Will the IRS get personal and chatty as is the Web 2.0 way? Nah. But that's understandable.

While
the agency and its employees would definitely like folks to think more
positively about them (who doesn't?), that's not the IRS and IRS
employee goal.

They've
got to focus on getting out correct and timely information to the
public. Twitter and YouTube and probably an eventual Facebook page are
just more ways to do that. A good example was during a recent hearing on the soon-to-be-proposed tax preparer regulations, during which @InternalRevenue live Tweeted the session.

If you're a little skeptical about IRS proclamations, the agency's
social media outlets probably won't change your mind. And with the 140
character limit and typically short video formats, you're only going to
get a taste of tax news.

But
you've got to give the IRS credit for taking this step. These new media
options can serve as alerts and then I and my personal
finance/tax blogging colleagues will do our best to put the info into
context and readable language!

And don't forget to follow me, @taxtweet, on Twitter, too!

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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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TAX-SAVVY WAYS 
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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