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* Home * Table of Contents * Tax Tips * Credits * Deductions * Refunds * State Taxes * Politics/Laws * Tax Terms * Archives DON'T MESS WITH TAXES TRANSLATING TAXES INTO MONEY-SAVING ENGLISH Home Table of Contents Tax Tips Credits Deductions Refunds State Taxes Politics/Laws Tax Terms Archives * * * * * * * Make sure you claim your charitable tax deductions, on Form 1040 or Schedule A MAKE SURE YOU CLAIM YOUR CHARITABLE TAX DEDUCTIONS, ON FORM 1040 OR SCHEDULE A MONDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2022 Fotolia As you finish up your 2021 tax year Form 1040, make sure you don't miss your charitable deductions. No, this is not just for itemizers. This filing season, single taxpayers can claim up to $300 in cash donations made to Internal Revenue Service-authorized nonprofits. Married couples filing a joint return get a maximum $600 deduction. And you claim it directly on your Form 1040. New, but temporary, deduction for nonitemizers: Most taxpayers choose to take the standard deduction. Since the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 nearly doubled the standard deduction amounts, IRS data indicate that close to... Read more → -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted on Monday, February 28, 2022 at 05:05 PM in Charity, Coronavirus COVID-19, Deductions, Filing, Politics, Tax planning, Tax Tip, Taxes | Permalink | Comments (0) Tags: CAA, CARES Act, charitable gifts, charity, Consolidated Appropriations Act, coronavirus, Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security Act, COVID-19, donations, philanthropy, tax, tax deduction, taxes | | Is the end near for sports stadium tax breaks? IS THE END NEAR FOR SPORTS STADIUM TAX BREAKS? SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2022 SoFiStadium.com It's a Sunday afternoon, so of course I'm channel surfing watching sports. Not only are the various athletic offerings great entertainment, they produce big bucks for teams and athletes. They also cost us taxpayers, regardless of whether we attend or watch the events, big time, especially when cities and states help build the sporting facilities. Since 2000, subsidies for financing professional sports stadiums have cost taxpayers $4.3 billion, according to three members of Congress. Since the owners of the sports teams that use the sites are raking in billions of dollars every year, the Democratic trio has introduced a... Read more → -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted on Sunday, February 27, 2022 at 04:54 PM in Economy, Finances, Rich Wealthy, Sports, State/Local, Tax avoidance, Tax numbers, Taxes | Permalink | Comments (0) Tags: major league sports, municipal bonds, NFL, ProPublica, sports, stadium financing, tax, tax benefits, tax subsidies, taxes, team owners | | Don't get your hopes up for a federal gas tax holiday DON'T GET YOUR HOPES UP FOR A FEDERAL GAS TAX HOLIDAY SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2022 Even before Russia invaded Ukraine, gasoline prices in the United States were going up due to that Econ 101 basic supply and demand. During the COVID-19 pandemic, more U.S. workers starting doing their jobs remotely. Working from home meant no commuting, so fewer vehicle fill-ups. Oil producers, notably the OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) cartel, responded by cutting production sharply in 2020. Since then, things have returned to, for lack of better words, more normal. Demand for oil and products like gasoline has surged since pandemic lows. But production has not kept up. More people wanting a scarce... Read more → -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted on Saturday, February 26, 2022 at 02:58 PM in Autos, Coronavirus COVID-19, Energy, Finances, Global, Inflation, Politics, Shout Out, State/Local, Taxes, Transportation | Permalink | Comments (0) Tags: coronavirus, COVID-19, energy prices, federal gas tax, gas tax holiday, highways, inflation, infrastructure, Russia, state gas taxes, tax, taxes, transportation, Ukraine | | SCOTUS refuses tax-related passport case, letting the travel document revocation law stand SCOTUS REFUSES TAX-RELATED PASSPORT CASE, LETTING THE TRAVEL DOCUMENT REVOCATION LAW STAND FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2022 Some of my friends are done with COVID-19, and have taken to traveling again, both within the United States and abroad. I'm not quite there yet, but if it works for them and I'm not on their flight or cruise ship, good for them. Also good for those who are taking international trips. I get to see their social media photo travelogues, and I know they are being responsible taxpayers. If they owed a major debt to the Internal Revenue Service, which currently is deemed an unpaid tax bill of $55,000 or more, they likely would have had their passports... Read more → -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted on Friday, February 25, 2022 at 02:28 PM in Coronavirus COVID-19, Global, IRS, Law, Penalties, Tax Tip, Taxes, Transportation, Travel | Permalink | Comments (0) Tags: coronavirus, COVID-19, international travel, IRS, passport, SCOTUS, seriously delinquent tax debt, State Department, Supreme Court, tax, taxes, transportation bill, travel abroad | | 8 tips for first time tax return filers 8 TIPS FOR FIRST TIME TAX RETURN FILERS THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2022 Welcome to your first tax return filing. Yes, it can be frustrating, but these tips should help make your initiation into the taxpaying club a bit easier. (Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels ) Lucky you. You're filing your first tax return in 2022, a tax season that's still dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. Even in more normal tax times, filing your very first Form 1040 can be scary. But it doesn't have to be if you follow these eight steps a novice taxpayer can take to successfully make it through their first filing season. 1. Get organized. This is... Read more → -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted on Thursday, February 24, 2022 at 05:53 PM in Filing, Tax help, Tax Tip, Taxes | Permalink | Comments (0) Tags: first-time taxpayer, new taxpayer, tax, tax filing, tax tip, taxes | | What to do if you're still missing your W-2 WHAT TO DO IF YOU'RE STILL MISSING YOUR W-2 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2022 Pixabay via Pexels We're well into the 2022 tax filing season, meaning most of us have received the documents we need to file our tax returns. The main ones, our W-2 forms from employers and 1099s reporting other types of compensation, were supposed to be sent by the end of January. But sometimes that doesn't happen. Or the tax form you got was wrong. When then? Here are four steps to take now, along with some other missing tax document issues to consider. 1. Check your email: More of our lives go electronic every day. That includes tax-related matters. Lots... Read more → -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted on Wednesday, February 23, 2022 at 02:51 PM in Filing, Forms, IRS, Recordkeeping, Tax Tip, Taxes, Withholding, Work-job-career | Permalink | Comments (0) Tags: 1099s, filing season, forms, income, IRS, missing tax statements, tax, tax filing, tax forms, tax statements, taxes, W-2, W2 | | IRS account facial ID still an option, but no longer required IRS ACCOUNT FACIAL ID STILL AN OPTION, BUT NO LONGER REQUIRED TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2022 Photo by cottonbro from Pexels If you're not comfortable with facial identification being part of the Internal Revenue Service personal taxpayer account creation process, you've now got other options. The tax agency, which earlier this month said it would end the controversial validation system used by contractor ID.me, says you can prove you are you via a live, virtual interview. "No biometric data — including facial recognition — will be required if taxpayers choose to authenticate their identity through a virtual interview," the IRS said in its brief statement announcing the move. Other ID OK options: Or you can wait... Read more → -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted on Tuesday, February 22, 2022 at 12:44 AM in Identity Theft, IRS, Taxes, Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (0) Tags: facial recognition, federal tax account, General Services Administration, GSA, ID.me, Internal Revenue Service, IRS, security, tax, tax identity theft, taxes, taxpayer account, Treasury | | Taxes and today's unofficial all-presidents and sales holiday TAXES AND TODAY'S UNOFFICIAL ALL-PRESIDENTS AND SALES HOLIDAY MONDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2022 Today is the federal holiday celebrating George Washington's birthday. That's it. Just George. Not his Mount Rushmore colleagues Tom or Teddy or Abe. Not any other man who's been Commander in Chief. But most of us refer to this annual February celebration as Presidents Day. The unofficial public renaming actually happened somewhat organically. Evolution from one to all presidents: When Washington's Feb. 22nd birthday became the first federal holiday to honor an American president back in 1879 , it was celebrated on the actual date. But under the 1971 Uniform Monday Holiday Act, it was shifted to the third Monday... Read more → -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted on Monday, February 21, 2022 at 12:32 PM in Politics, Sales tax, State/Local, Tax rates, Taxes, U.S. Holiday | Permalink | Comments (0) Tags: Abraham Lincoln, George Washington's Birthday, presidents, Presidents Day, tax, tax cuts, tax policy, tax rates, taxes | | Improve the IRS by joining the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel IMPROVE THE IRS BY JOINING THE TAXPAYER ADVOCACY PANEL SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2022 Taxpayer Advocacy Panel members provide information on how to improve the IRS at the agency's annual Tax Forums. (Photo courtesy TAP News) That old saying about everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it applies to most things. If you substitute "complains" for "talks," then it definitely applies to taxes. But with taxes, unlike the weather, there is a possibility for change. Really. The Internal Revenue Service is looking for volunteers to serve on the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (TAP). The TAP is a federal advisory committee whose members look for ways the IRS can improve services and... Read more → -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted on Sunday, February 20, 2022 at 05:42 PM in IRS, Tax help, Tax numbers, Taxes, Taxpayer Advocacy | Permalink | Comments (0) Tags: Improve the IRS, IRS, TAP, tax, taxes, Taxpayer Advocacy Panel, Taxpayer Advocate, volunteer | | Yes, tax pros do fire clients. Don't get dumped by yours YES, TAX PROS DO FIRE CLIENTS. DON'T GET DUMPED BY YOURS SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2022 via GIPHY Getting fired is never fun. Most of us have been there or have a family member or close friend who's lost a job. Sometimes people get let go when they're paying for services. It happens every year at accounting and tax preparation offices across the United States. The reasons tax professionals cut some taxpayers loose are many and varied, as I blogged about years ago in my posts Are you a good or bad tax client? and Bad tax clients, revisited. All types of troublesome taxpayers: Sometimes, famous customers get dumped, too. Recent case in point, Donald J.... Read more → -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted on Saturday, February 19, 2022 at 03:30 PM in Filing, Shout Out, Tax help, Tax preparers, Tax Tip, Taxes | Permalink | Comments (0) Tags: bad tax clients, firing tax clients, tax, tax filing, tax preparer, tax professional, taxes | | No tax on latest group of forgiven student loans NO TAX ON LATEST GROUP OF FORGIVEN STUDENT LOANS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2022 The U.S. Department of Education announced this week the cancelation of another $415 million in federal student loan debt. This batch of debt was owed by nearly 16,000 borrowers whose for-profit colleges violated law and educational standards. It brings to around $16 billion the total student debt that has been discharged for more than 680,000 individuals. Uncle Sam's action definitely is good news for those misled students. However, it also raises some questions in connection with another government agency, the Internal Revenue Service. Canceled debt income issues: Normally, any canceled or discharged debt amount counts as income. Officially, it's known... Read more → -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted on Friday, February 18, 2022 at 03:53 PM in Coronavirus COVID-19, Debt, Education, IRS, Politics, Tax Tip, Taxes | Permalink | Comments (0) Tags: American Rescue Plan Act, cancellation of debt income, CODI, college, coronavirus, COVID-19, Department of Education, IRS, loan forgiveness, student debt, student loans, tax, taxes, university | | As Capitol Hill focuses on tax season challenges, IRS decides to keep Texas processing center open AS CAPITOL HILL FOCUSES ON TAX SEASON CHALLENGES, IRS DECIDES TO KEEP TEXAS PROCESSING CENTER OPEN THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2022 Many taxpayers (and tax professionals) have felt frustrated in trying to get help from the IRS over the last few COVID-stricken years. It's not officially Kick the IRS While It's Down Day, but it seems like it. At a Senate Finance Committee hearing today on Internal Revenue Service customer service issues, the consensus, to put it as kindly as possible, is that it's not good. Critics of the IRS and those simply exploring ways to help the agency improve its operations didn't have to look far for problems. "By any measure, the 2022 tax filing season is shaping up to... Read more → -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted on Thursday, February 17, 2022 at 04:45 PM in Coronavirus COVID-19, Filing, IRS, Politics, Tax help, Taxes | Permalink | Comments (0) Tags: Austin, customer service, GAO, Government Accountability Office, Internal Revenue Service, IRS, paper backlog, processing center, Senate Finance Committee, tax, tax help, taxes | | New phishing scam targets tax pros, but everyone needs to be on guard NEW PHISHING SCAM TARGETS TAX PROS, BUT EVERYONE NEEDS TO BE ON GUARD WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2022 New phishing scam targets tax pros, but everyone needs to be on guard The Internal Revenue Service today warned tax professionals about a new spearphishing scam. I'm surprised we made it into February before the latest tax scam appeared. This email scam uses the IRS logo. It also tries to ramp up the already urgent tax season by using a variety of subject lines, such as "Action Required: Your account has now been put on hold." The IRS provided bogus text of this scam below. Your account has now been put on hold ALL preparers are required to apply security... Read more → -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted on Wednesday, February 16, 2022 at 04:23 PM in Coronavirus COVID-19, Identity Theft, IRS, Scams, Tax crimes, Tax fraud, Tax preparers, Tax Tip, Taxes | Permalink | Comments (0) Tags: coronavirus, COVID-19, fake clients, identity theft, IRS, phishing, tax, tax account on hold, tax preparers, tax professionals, tax scam, taxes | | 5 reasons your tax refund this year might be smaller 5 REASONS YOUR TAX REFUND THIS YEAR MIGHT BE SMALLER TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2022 The 2022 tax filing season is off to a strong start. In its first two weeks, from Jan. 24 to Feb. 4, the Internal Revenue Service received almost 16.7 million returns, and processed almost 13 million of them. The most important statistic for these millions of early filers is the refund numbers. Drum roll, please. So far, the IRS distributed more than 4.3 million refunds. The average refund very early this tax season is $2,201. That's the early average. Yours might be more. Or it might be less. In fact, many folks this filing season might find their refunds are... Read more → -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted on Tuesday, February 15, 2022 at 07:20 PM in Coronavirus COVID-19, Credits, Dependents, Estimated taxes, Filing, Investing Capital Gains, Refund, Tax Tip, Taxes, Withholding, Work-job-career | Permalink | Comments (0) Tags: advance child tax credit payments, capital gains, capital gains, Child Tax Credit, cryptocurrency, dependents, gig jobs, investments, investments, refunds, self employment, tax, taxes, unemployment benefits, withholding, work | | IRS sending 1099-INTs to taxpayers who got interest added to tax refunds IRS SENDING 1099-INTS TO TAXPAYERS WHO GOT INTEREST ADDED TO TAX REFUNDS MONDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2022 Every payer of $10 or more in interest earnings, even the Internal Revenue Service, should issue recipients a Form 1099-INT. Some taxpayers who had to wait extra long last year for their 2020 tax year refunds got a bit more than they expected. Where it took the Internal Revenue Service more than 45 days from the return's due date — which was May 17, 2021 — to issue the refund, the agency had to add interest to the amount it eventually delivered. This filing season, however, the IRS is looking to get some of those interest payments back. The agency... Read more → -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted on Monday, February 14, 2022 at 04:50 PM in Coronavirus COVID-19, Forms, IRS, Refund, Tax Tip, Taxes | Permalink | Comments (0) Tags: 1099, 1099-INT, coronavirus, COVID-19, earnings reporting, income, interest, IRS, tax, tax forms, taxes | | Super Olympian Sunday 2022: Medal money, taxes, & NFL SUPER OLYMPIAN SUNDAY 2022: MEDAL MONEY, TAXES, & NFL SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2022 @Beijing2022 As I type, athletes representing the United States at the winter Olympics in Beijing have won 12 medals. Six of the awards are gold, five are silver and one is bronze. In addition to receiving the medals themselves, along with a floral bouquet and a stuffed toy version of Bing Dwen Dwen, the immensely popular panda mascot of the games, the celebrated athletes get some cash. The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee pays $37,500 for each gold medal, $22,500 per silver, and $15,000 per bronze. In case you were wondering about your own tax bill, the Team USA... Read more → -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted on Sunday, February 13, 2022 at 01:47 PM in Games, Global, Politics, Pop Culture, Sports, Taxes | Permalink | Comments (0) Tags: 2022, Beijing, medals, National Football League, NFL, Olympics, Paralympics, Super Bowl, Super Bowl 56, Super Bowl LVI, tax, tax break, tax exclusion, taxes, U.S. Olympic Committee, victory tax | | Super Bowl bumps Olympics for day, with legal wagering an added allure SUPER BOWL BUMPS OLYMPICS FOR DAY, WITH LEGAL WAGERING AN ADDED ALLURE SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2022 The winter Olympics are still going on, and I'm particularly thrilled about the "old" man of 40, Nick Baumgartner, finally winning his first medal after tries in four of the global games. And a gold at that! It was the second gold for his mixed snowboard cross teammate Lindsey Jacobellis, who until Baumgartner's win, was the oldest winter games winner at age 36. Congrats, but sorry, Olympics athletes. Here in the United States, we'll be taking a break this weekend. The Super Bowl is Sunday. And you know what that means. Betting on the National Football League championship game. Prop... Read more → -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted on Saturday, February 12, 2022 at 01:30 PM in Filing, Forms, Gambling, Pop Culture, Shout Out, Sports, Tax planning, Tax Tip, Taxes | Permalink | Comments (0) Tags: Cincinnati Bengals, gambling, Lindsey Jacobellis, Los Angeles Rams, NFL, Nick Baumgartner, Olympics, prop bets, sportsbook, Super Bowl, Super Bowl LVI, Tax, taxes | | IRS suspends issuance of 14 more taxpayer notices IRS SUSPENDS ISSUANCE OF 14 MORE TAXPAYER NOTICES FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2022 Photo by Lamar Belina from Pexels After pressure from members of Congress, the National Taxpayer Advocate, and the Tax Professionals United for Taxpayer Relief Coalition, a group of organizations formed the to help make this third Covid-affected tax season a bit smoother, the Internal Revenue Service has decided to suspend sending of most taxpayer notices. This latest moratorium on taxpayer notices is the second in less than two weeks. It comes on the heels of the major taxpayer problems created by issuance of automated collection notices, or CP-80s. These alerts normally go out when a taxpayer owes tax, and the... Read more → -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted on Friday, February 11, 2022 at 02:21 PM in Coronavirus COVID-19, Filing, Forms, IRS, Penalties, Politics, Tax preparers, Tax Tip, Taxes | Permalink | Comments (0) Tags: Congress, coronavirus, COVID-19, IRS, notices, Tax, tax filing backlog, tax notice relief, Tax Professionals United for Taxpayer Relief Coalition, taxes, Taxpayer Advocate | | All unemployment benefits are again fully taxable ALL UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS ARE AGAIN FULLY TAXABLE THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2022 Despite last year's Great Resignation, the United States work scene seems to getting back on track. Today's Department of Labor weekly jobs report showed fewer first-time unemployment filings, continuing a recent downward trend. The latest national unemployment rate analysis in January showed a 4 percent unemployment rate, indicating the COVID-19 Omicron variant effects are subsiding. That's good news for those with new jobs, the companies hiring them, and the overall economy. But for the 223,000 individuals who most recently applied for unemployment, things are still challenging. Taxable unemployment: On top of learning to live on unemployment benefits, they'll face taxes... Read more → -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted on Thursday, February 10, 2022 at 04:56 PM in Coronavirus COVID-19, Filing, Finances, Forms, Tax Tip, Taxes, Work-job-career | Permalink | Comments (0) Tags: coronavirus, COVID-19, exclusion of unemployment income, IRS, laid-off, tax, taxable income, taxes, unemployment, unemployment benefits, unemployment compensation | | Tracking down 2020 — yes, two-year-old — missing EIPs TRACKING DOWN 2020 — YES, TWO-YEAR-OLD — MISSING EIPS WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 09, 2022 Still trying to find out where your 2020 economic impact payment money is? Yes, from two years ago. The IRS has updated its frequently asked questions on how to trace this long-overdue amount. (Photo by Ann H from Pexels) This filing season is supposed to focus on 2021 tax returns, but some folks still are struggling with Internal Revenue Service issues from years ago. Specifically, some individuals are trying to track down COVID-19 economic impact payments (EIPs) the IRS says it issued two years ago. Yeah, it's been, and still is, that kind of tax crazy in pandemic time. First... Read more → -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted on Wednesday, February 09, 2022 at 05:32 PM in Coronavirus COVID-19, Credits, Dependents, Forms, IRS, Tax planning, Tax Tip, Taxes | Permalink | Comments (0) Tags: coronavirus, COVID-19, economic impact payment, EIP, filing, Form 3911, tax, taxes | | More Posts TODAY'S TAX TIP * * Why your refund is smaller than you expected — Millions of taxpayers rely on refunds every tax-filing season. It's their forced saving account at the Bank of Uncle Sam. However, some folks might find their tax refunds this year are smaller than they expected. Here are 5 reasons why that could happen. (Feb. 22, 2022) * * The 2022 Tax Tips offer ways to file your annual return, along with post-filing advice, important tax news and, of course, ways to cut your current tax year bill. You'll find the monthly assemblages on their own respective pages: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December. Remember, tax tasks and tips don't stop after you file your annual return! COVID-19 & TAXES * Coronavirus has wreaked havoc on the 2020 and 2021 tax seasons. These three Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Taxes pages have details: March-July 2020, August-December 2020, January-December 2021, and January-… 2022 You can find medical coronavirus resource links further down this column. ALL ABOUT KAY * OK, some about Kay Kay Bell — Native Texan (the blog title totally makes sense now, right?). Professional journalist. Tax geek. * MY OTHER ACCOUNTS ADVERTISEMENTS * * ************* TICK ... TICK ... TICK * Tax Season 2022 is here! Happy New Tax Year! Are you ready to file your 2021 tax return? Me neither. With all the delays over the last couple of years due to COVID-19, it seems like we're treading tax water. But the Internal Revenue Service is insistent that we file on time, even if it takes it time in processing and sending out refunds. And this year, at least at the start of it, the agency is looking to get back on a more normal schedule, as least as far as when our annual tax returns are due. April 18 is Tax Day 2022. That's because Friday, April 15, is Emancipation Day. When this Washington, D.C., holiday falls on the day our federal taxes are due, it bumps Tax Day to the next business day. In 2022, that's Monday, April 18. That gives us a couple of more days to finish our forms and, if we find we owe, come up with the money for Uncle Sam. The monthly tips and reminders a little farther down this column should help all of us reach both those goals. Also keep an eye on the countdown clock just below. It will help us keep track of how much time we have until Tax Day on April 18, just in case some of us want to put things off until the final hours. Note: I'm in the Central Time Zone, so adjust accordingly for where you live. * TIME FOR TAX TASKS * * We ❤ February. It's the month of hearts, flowers, candy, and love … but not love for the Internal Revenue Service. Any affection we had for the IRS faded like old Valentine's Day cards as the agency continues to struggle with processing returns and issuing refunds. And now we're in the midst of the 2022 tax filing season cycle. via GIPHY Will the IRS be able to catch up and then keep up with our 2021 returns and issue refunds in a timely manner? We can only hope. The agency won't have much time. Neither will we taxpayers. But we work with what we've got, so here goes, into February 2022 and tax tasks for this shortest month of the year! Feb. 1: The Jan. 31 deadline to issue 1099s and other tax statements needed to file returns has past, so keep an eye out this week for these documents. Don't forget to check your email, as many issuers sent out electronic notices rather than rely on the U.S. Postal Service. Feb. 2: Happy Groundhog Day! The main reason to wait for the correct tax statements is to avoid getting caught in a Bill Murray kind of tax loop, where you have to file an amended tax return because you entered wrong info on your original 1040. Feb. 10: The Delta, and now Omicron and Omicron AB, COVID-19 variants have played havoc with eateries. Restaurants closed, then opened, then closed again. Others started and stuck with take-out and deliveries. Whether you're able dining in or still getting food brought to your house, remember to tip your server or delivery person. If a tip isn't included in your food delivery charge, click the image above to calculate how much to tip the person who brought it to you. As for servers who now are back on the job, remember that your tips are taxable income. If you worked at least some of November at a job where you got gratuities, you need to account for them today if they came to at least $20 last month. Use Form 4070 to report your tips today to your employer. Feb. 12: Black History Month is celebrated every day this month, commemorating the achievements by black Americans and recognizing the role of African Americans in U.S. history. This day is notable, however, because National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the nation's oldest and largest grassroots-based civil rights organization, was founded on Feb. 12, 1909. That was the centennial anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln, who issued the Emancipation Proclamation twice. One of the NAACP's key divisions is its Legal Defense and Educational Fund. If you want to support the Fund's work, you can donate to it and, since it is a 501(c)(3) organization, you can claim it as a charitable tax deduction. If you gave to this nonprofit or any other charity last year, you can claim a deduction even if you don't itemize. A temporary tax law change for 2021 allows for cash deductions of up to $300 for single filers or as much as $600 for married filing jointly couples to be claimed directly on Form 1040. Feb. 13: Super Bowl LVI finally is here, a week late thanks to an added regular National Football League season game. Not only will today's 56th Super Bowl decide America's professional football league champion, it's also the biggest single betting day of the year. It should be even bigger this year, since the NFL has embraced betting. Just remember, if any of your wagers pay off, you owe tax on your winnings. Note, too, that even if your winnings are part of a fantasy sports bet, the associated taxes are very real. Feb. 14: Happy Valentine's Day! Do you and your better half file a joint return? Most married couples do. Remember to look over the 1040 carefully before you sign it. When both spouses sign their jointly filed 1040, each is jointly and severally liable for the entire tax amount due. I don't want to spoil your Heart Day celebration, but this means the IRS can come after either spouse for payment of a tax bill, even the husband or wife who is in more dire financial circumstances. Feb. 15: Today is the day that the Internal Revenue Service finally can issue refunds to filers who claimed the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or additional Child Tax Credit. But, cautions the IRS, its general processing time plus protocols of financial institutions receiving directly deposited refunds means affected filers probably won't get their refunds until early March. Feb. 21: Today is one of the reasons for those refund delays. It's the Washington Birthday federal holiday, officially honoring George Washington, the Father of Our Country. Over the years, however, this federal (three-day, yay!) holiday has come to commemorate the contributions of all our Commanders in Chief, and is popularly known as Presidents' Day. That means we've got to give another shout out to Abraham Lincoln, who essentially was father of our income tax system, signing into law a tax on earnings to help pay Civil War costs. Feb. 24: You're ready to work on your tax return, but you're on a budget. No worries. The IRS and its Free File Alliance partners again offer no-cost online tax preparation and electronic filing at IRS' Free File web page. The fully online tax prep and filing option is available this year for taxpayers whose adjusted gross income is $73,000 or less. That income level applies to all filing statuses. This year, 8 software programs are available to eligible filers. Spoiler: The two biggies, Intuit's TurboTax and H&R Block, are not among the choices. The two leading tax prep programs decided to end their participation in the program. Feb. 28: Wow! I know February is the shortest month, but this last day arrived quickly. That seems to happen every month of every tax season. Time speeds by. So if you tried filing your return yourself, but discovered that your tax situation is much more complicated than you realized and want to hire a professional tax preparer, get on it. Reputable tax pros' calendars are fill up fast. Start searching now for a tax professional who best meets your tax needs. And definitely thoroughly check out the preparer you pick before handing over details of your tax life. Small Business Tax Calendar: Important filing, deposit and record keeping dates throughout the year that your company needs to know. You can get more tax calendar information at the IRS' online calendar page and view the full year's important business and individual tax dates in IRS Pub. 509. * STATE TAX HELP * Don't forget your state taxes! Forty-three states and D.C. collect personal income taxes. But even if you live in of the seven states without an income levy, you still face other state (and local) taxes. State Tax Departments provides links to your state's Web page. The companion page, Tax Tidbits, is the compilation of blurbs about each state's tax laws. And for more state tax news, check out all our state tax bloggings. TAX FORMS * Thanks to our increased use of tax preparers and computer software, many of us don't see our tax forms until we sign and file them. But knowing what's on these documents, either in paper or digital form, and why the IRS wants it is key to understanding our tax system. And knowledge definitely is power, especially when it comes to tax savings. Find this valuable information in the ol' blog's special Talking Tax Forms page. WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? * Looking for something in particular? Start with the Table of Contents. Or check out the Archives, where you can review posts by month and category. Or enter specific keywords in the box below to search Don't Mess With Taxes. SEARCH Submit SUBSCRIBE: E-MAIL, RSS OR BOTH! * Enter your Email Powered by FeedBlitz * RSS PRIVACY POLICY * Wondering what happens to your information once you subscribe? Don't worry. Don't Mess With Taxes respects your wish not to be a mere data source. Check the ol' blog's privacy policy at the Table of Contents page, as well as on the separate Privacy Policy page. SPONSORED PRODUCTS * AFFILIATE BOOKS * The Truth About Paying Fewer Taxes * Are you a tax geek? Got tax geek friends? Do you or they just want to make sure you don't overpay the IRS? Then my book, "The Truth About Paying Fewer Taxes," is for all y'all. Look for it on bookstore shelves or order a copy (or two!) from Amazon or Barnes & Noble. * * Find out more about my book and excerpted chapters at the FT Press Truth About Paying Fewer Taxes Web page. * You can read more of Kay's tax insights in ... * Kay Bell helps you build a solid tax foundation in "Personal Finance: An Encyclopedia of Modern Money Management" Kay Bell breaks down taxes and estate planning for millennials in "Future Millionaires' Guidebook" A collection of Kay Bell stories is included in "The Gambler's Guide to Taxes: How to Keep More of What You Win" * Tax Reading Room You also might enjoy these other tax tips from some of my tax-writing colleagues: * * * * Don't Mess With Taxes is an Amazon Affiliate. If you click on the product links above and/or buy the items, I will be compensated. 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 ... * Taxes are all about the numbers. Check out these (mostly) weekly By the Numbers figures. KUDOS ET CETERA * National Association for Women in Communications Winner, Best Personal Blog 2012, 2014 & 2017 * Plutus Financial Bloggers Awards Celebrating the Best in Personal Finance Winner, Best Tax Blog 2011 and 2013 Lifetime Achievement Nominee 2020 * I GOTTA TELL YA ... * AKA Disclaimer: I am a professional journalist who has been covering tax issues since 1999. I am not a professional tax preparer. The content on Don't Mess With Taxes is my personal opinion based on my study and understanding of tax laws, policies and regulations. It is provided for your private, noncommercial, educational and informational purposes only. It is not a recommendation of any specific tax action(s) you should or should not take. Similarly, mentions of products or services are not endorsements. In other words, my ramblings on the ol' blog are free advice and you know what they say about getting what you pay for. That's why when it comes to filing your taxes, I urge you to get additional, professional, paid-for guidance from an accountant, Enrolled Agent or other qualified tax preparer who is familiar with your individual tax circumstances. ©©©©© & ®®®®® * Don't Mess With Taxes® is a registered trademark of S. Kay Bell. All content on this site is © 2005-2022 S. Kay Bell dba Write Here, a division of SKB Editorial Services, LLC * * And a bit of housekeeping. * Note 1: Some of the links on this site are affiliate links. That means that if you click through from a Don't Mess With Taxes link and then buy the product, I receive a commission. Note 2: Links to outside content might become inactive due to changes at the copy's originating website. If you discover dead links, please e-mail me the details. Thanks. Note 3: The banner art for the ol' blog is courtesy Pictures of Money via Flickr Creative Commons. Blog powered by Typepad Member since 11/2005 COVID-19 RESOURCES * Need help finding a coronavirus vaccine in the United States? Call 1-800-232-0233 or TTY 1-888-720-7489. More information and resources at: CDC Vaccines CDC Booster Shots HHS Combat COVID USA.Gov COVID Info * FEBRUARY 2022 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 TELL IT TO THE HILL * * While it's easy to rail at the IRS, for the most part we can thank — or blame — our tax laws on Congress and the White House. So if you have an issue with tax legislation or want a tax bill passed, you need to let your federal legislators and the White House occupant know of your concerns. You can find out who in Washington, D.C., to contact (and how), as well as get information on your local lawmakers for matters, tax or otherwise, closer to home, at USA Gov. .................................................. * * ................................................................. * * Don't Mess With Taxes • * Powered by Typepad Top