taxgirl
@taxgirl.bsky.social
I help people get out—and stay out—of tax trouble. Tax lawyer, writer, speaker & podcaster. Plant lover, sports fan, mom. Fueled by coffee ☕ NC → Philly for school, stayed for the pretzels and the snow.
This week's newsletter covers a little of everything: • The Tax Court's Bowen order and whether it means anything for Kwong • SSA and IRS customer-service questions • FIFA's World Cup proposal • A new IRS crypto scam www.forbes.com/sites/tax-br...
Tax Breaks: The No Covid-Era IRS Penalty Relief Answers (Yet) Edition
Plus: FIFA’s World Cup sales pitch, Social Security field offices, best places to retire abroad, capital gains, stock compensation, selling your home, tax trivia & more.
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FIFA wants to sell a stake in the World Cup commercial operations to outside investors, but UEFA says the tourney is “not for sale” and threatening a boycott. Can FIFA justify nonprofit treatment and host-country tax breaks once private investors share in the profits? www.forbes.com/sites/kellyp...
FIFA’s $20 Billion Question: Can The World Cup Have Private Owners?
A proposal to sell a stake in FIFA to manage operations of its main events, including the men’s and women’s World Cups, has the potential to raise tricky tax questions.
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Senators want answers from Bisignano after reports of temporary disruptions to in-person service. SSA says those are caused by renovations and maintenance, not staffing. Still, the question remains: Can one executive effectively help run both SSA and IRS? www.forbes.com/sites/kellyp...
Senators Demand Answers On Social Security Office Closures
The inquiry into reported office closures puts renewed focus on Frank Bisignano’s management of Social Security and whether one executive can effectively run both the SSA and the IRS.
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This week's newsletter starts with a personal note about my mom—and ends with the tax consequences of LeBron coming to Philly. In between: caregiving, IRS funding, California's wealth tax, and HOH rules. The best tax stories are really stories about people. www.forbes.com/sites/tax-br...
Tax Breaks: The Trust The Tax Process Edition
Plus: Caring for parents, taxing billionaires, buy-sell planning for business owners, LeBron’s move to Philly, tax trivia, and more.
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Ken Kies, Treasury’s top tax policy official and acting IRS chief counsel, is expected to leave government. Neither Senate-confirmed senior IRS leadership role—commissioner or chief counsel—is currently filled by a confirmed official. www.forbes.com/sites/kellyp...
Top Treasury Tax Official’s Departure Deepens Leadership Crisis At IRS
Ken Kies’s expected departure would deepen the leadership gap at the IRS, leaving both Senate-confirmed posts—commissioner and chief counsel—without confirmed officials.
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This week’s free Tax Breaks newsletter is out. Inside: Forever stamp increase, Kwong claims, IRS automatic penalty relief, Balogun’s red-card fine, Chiefs tax angles, clothing deductions, Trump account gift tax guidance, zappers, and Bobby Bonilla Day. www.forbes.com/sites/tax-br...
Tax Breaks: The Penalties, Postage And Paperwork Edition
Plus: Red cards and tax deductions, busting a TikTok tax myth, gift tax returns and Trump accounts, deferred compensation, sales tax zappers, tax trivia and more.
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The IRS is increasing standard mileage rates midyear to reflect the rise in fuel prices. Beginning July 1, 2026: Business: 76¢/mile Medical: 23.5¢/mile Moving: 23.5¢/mile Charitable: 14¢/mile More: www.forbes.com/sites/kellyp...
IRS Announces Increase In Standard Mileage Rates For The Second Half Of 2026
Higher fuel prices prompted the IRS to raise the business, medical, and qualified moving rates for mileage on or after July 1, 2026.
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IRS is moving from First Time Abate to Automatic Exemption from Penalty. For eligible taxpayers with a strong filing/payment history, certain penalties may be waived automatically during processing—no call or letter required. www.forbes.com/sites/kellyp...
IRS Announces Automatic Penalty Relief For Eligible Taxpayers
The new process will replace First Time Abate and allow the IRS to provide certain penalty relief during return processing without requiring taxpayers to ask for it.
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IRS has added an online Form 843 option for some Kwong-related protective refund claims. It’s limited to individuals with fully paid penalties/interest and requires an IRS Online Account. For many taxpayers, the deadline is July 10, 2026. More: www.forbes.com/sites/kellyp...
IRS Opens Online Portal For Kwong Refund Claims Ahead Of Friday Deadline
The IRS has added an online filing option for some taxpayers seeking refunds tied to the recent Kwong court decision, but the window to act is short.
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USMNT striker Folarin Balogun’s red card has raised questions. But here’s a tax one: if a player is fined for on-field conduct, is the fine deductible? The answer: maybe. More here: www.forbes.com/sites/kellyp...
Can A World Cup Red Card Cost A Player More Than A Match?
US Men’s Team player Folarin Balogun avoided a suspension, but red cards can sometimes lead to fines or other consequences. Here’s where soccer meets the tax code.
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There’s no Tax Break newsletter today. We’ll be back at it next week. Enjoy your 4th!
Happy Independence Day! This is a good time to remind you that July 4 is also a tax story. www.forbes.com/sites/kellyp...
America At 250: The Tax Fight That Helped Launch A Nation
The Declaration of Independence is remembered as a statement of liberty, but it was also a complaint about power, representation, and taxes imposed without consent.
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Happy Bobby Bonilla Day. Every July 1, Bonilla gets $1,193,248.20 from the Mets. For fans, it’s a punchline. For tax folks, it’s a timing lesson. Deferred comp doesn’t usually eliminate tax—it changes when tax is due. Done right, that can matter. www.forbes.com/sites/kellyp...
What Bobby Bonilla Day Can Teach Us About Deferred Compensation
Bonilla’s annual Mets payday is a reminder that details matter. Deferred payments do not make tax disappear, but they can change when income is taxed.
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This week’s Tax Breaks is out: 🪩 Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce & prenups 🪩 AI chats and attorney-client privilege 🪩 Trump Accounts rollout warnings 🪩 Why moving expenses are still mostly nondeductible 🪩 OECD Pillars 1 & 2 🪩 Unearned income 🪩 And tax trivia More: www.forbes.com/sites/tax-br...
Tax Breaks: The Tortured Taxpayer Department Edition
Plus: Estate planning abroad, AI isn’t your lawyer, Trump Accounts launches an app, OECD updates, new jobs and moving expenses, Taxes from A to Z, tax trivia and more.
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The latest Tax Breaks newsletter is out! Here's what's in it: • the tax issues families face after a death • foreign gift reporting traps • what Tax Court actually does • and Shakira’s big residency tax win (It's free, no paywall.) Read: www.forbes.com/sites/tax-br...
Tax Breaks: The Death And Taxes Edition
Plus: Not reporting foreign gifts can cost you, U.S. Tax Court, the new car loan interest deduction, and Shakira’s latest residency tax win in Spain.
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Per TIGTA: Because of staff reductions and the government shutdown, IRS inventory in key tax processing programs increased from 1.5 million to 2 million (33 percent) from December 2024 through December 2025.
New Tax Breaks is out, and it starts with golf—which is not where I expected tax writing to take me. Also inside: gas taxes, gas pump skimmers, Social Security, missed senior deductions, safe harbors, and a baby-name rabbit hole courtesy of SSA. As always, it’s free: www.forbes.com/sites/tax-br...
Tax Breaks: The Taxes And Playing The Long Game Edition
Plus: Baby names, Social Security, gas prices, card skimmer fraud, safe harbors, tax trivia and more.
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PGA fan? The tax side of pro golf is almost as interesting as the leaderboard. Tourney winnings, endorsements, caddie payments, travel deductions, multistate taxes—it’s a surprisingly complicated business. Also: there’s a reason so many golfers live in Florida. www.forbes.com/sites/kellyp...
The PGA Championship Payday Is Big, But So Are The Taxes And Expenses
Professional golfers lead complicated financial lives, with prize money, endorsements, taxes owed to multiple states, and expenses ranging from travel to caddies.
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Considering a road trip? Look out for gas pump card skimmers. Skimmers can be hidden inside pumps or attached to readers, and they can steal enough data to clone your card. Tap-to-pay is safer than swiping, and credit cards are usually better than debit cards. More: www.forbes.com/sites/kellyp...
Card Skimming Fraud Costs More Than $1 Billion At The Gas Pump Each Year
Thieves use card skimmers to steal debit and credit card information at gas pumps. Here’s what to look for and how to protect yourself from becoming a victim.
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According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), overall fraud losses reached $15.9 billion in 2025. As expected, imposter scams were the #1 scam for the ninth year in a row, but investment scams caused the steepest financial damage. Here’s what you need to know: www.forbes.com/sites/kellyp...
Scams Are Booming. The Latest Numbers, And How To Protect Yourself
According to the FTC, fraud losses hit $15.9 billion in 2025. Imposter scams led in sheer number of reports, but investment scams caused the steepest financial damage.
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May 15 is almost here! For calendar-year nonprofits, that’s generally the deadline to file Form 990, 990-EZ, or 990-PF—or request an extension if eligible. Don’t let the deadline sneak up on your organization. Gather your records, check your filing requirements, and file on time.
Supreme Court ruling on donor privacy 👀 A nonprofit doesn’t have to wait until it’s forced to hand over donor info to challenge the government. SCOTUS says the harm can happen as soon as the request is made bc it can scare off donors and chill speech. (1/2)
A federal court ruled that COVID-era tax deadlines should have been paused for the entire pandemic (+60 days). That could mean refunds for penalties/interest during that time. 🗓️ Deadline: July 10, 2026 ⚖️ An appeal is likely, so consider a protective claim More here: www.forbes.com/sites/kellyp...
Surprise: You May Be Owed An IRS Refund For Payments Made During The Pandemic
A federal court ruling could reopen the window to recover or abate penalties and interest accrued during the COVID-19 disaster. Act fast—the deadline for claims is July 10, 2026.
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Filed your taxes but can’t pay? You’ve got options. ➡️IRS Direct Pay (free) ➡️Payment plans ➡️Offer in Compromise (sometimes) Not sure what fits? Try the IRS Tax Debt Help tool—it walks you through your options. No login. No personal info required. More: www.forbes.com/sites/kellyp...
Owe The IRS? Here Are Some Options For Paying Your Taxes—Now, Or Over Time
From paying online with a credit card to installment methods, the IRS offers many ways to pay your tax bill, even if you can’t pay your bill all at once. Here’s what you need to know.
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The IRS budget is shrinking—and it could change how enforcement works. The latest proposal cuts funding and staffing again, with the biggest reductions hitting enforcement (the part of the IRS that audits and collects unpaid taxes). (1/3)
Tax season is over—but the story isn’t. This week’s newsletter: -> Refunds are up (just not as much as promised) -> Filing numbers are slightly down -> And taxes… accidentally gave us cocktails 🍸 Plus practical tips if you still owe. Free to read: www.forbes.com/sites/tax-br...
Tax Breaks: The Post Tax Season Hangover Edition
Plus: Nobody likes a tax collector, how to pay your tax bill, tax refunds, filing statistics, remittance taxes, Taxes From A to Z, filing deadlines, tax trivia and more.
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Missed the filing deadline? Still file. The penalty for not filing is usually much higher than the penalty for not paying. Even if you can’t pay yet, filing today can make a real difference.
Taxes didn’t just fund the government. They quietly rewired American drinking culture. Income tax made Prohibition possible. Prohibition made bad booze common. Bad booze made cocktails necessary. So yes… your drink has a policy backstory. 🍸 History loves a plot twist. www.forbes.com/sites/kellyp...
The Fascinating History Of How Income Taxes Got Americans Hooked On Cocktails
The new tax revenue enabled Prohibition, which led to bad booze. Cocktails were used to mask rough spirits. Here’s the story, plus a few recipes to try.
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