When you're a parent, you worry all the time about how much you get wrong. But this week, my daughter, who has her first "real" job (!), asked me how she could donate to an org that feeds families. The kids are alright.

Happy National First-Generation Day! As a first-gen college grad (and, of course, first-gen lawyer), I am so thankful for everyone who offered me a kind word or a thumbs up along my journey. For all the first-gens out there now, you got this! I am so proud of you!

Tax attorney Isaac Stein is furloughed from the IRS Chief Counsel’s office, but he’s still working, spending his days manning Shyster’s Dogs, a D.C.-based hot dog cart. www.forbes.com/sites/kellyp...

While the IRS hasn’t officially confirmed that the program is dead, the website indicates that the program is closed—and states have been notified that it will not be in place for 2026. www.forbes.com/sites/kellyp...

The new “no tax on tips” and “no tax on overtime” deductions require additional reporting by employers and payers. To help, the IRS is offering penalty relief in 2025. www.forbes.com/sites/kellyp...

I know and love this soundtrack (not kidding). I can't tell you how many times I have sung, "There are no cats in America and the streets are paved with chee--eese!" in my lifetime.

The latest edition of our free @forbes.com tax newsletter is out! This week: The government shutdown rolls on. Plus: What’s open at IRS, the fight over premium tax credits, guidance on OBBBA, Social Security increases, digital taxes, Section 179, and more. www.forbes.com/sites/tax-br...

If you are an IRS employee or DOJ Tax employee and have picked up a side hustle during the shutdown that you'd like to share, please reach out. I'd love to hear about it!

This is from a couple of years ago, but it is still true today. A "Halloween tax" makes for a funny post or meme, but it doesn't teach kids anything about how our tax system really works. www.forbes.com/sites/kellyp...

Expect some surprises when Open Enrollment for health care coverage through the ACA Marketplaces begins. Premiums are going up and the enhanced premium tax credits that help Americans afford health care coverage are scheduled to expire. www.forbes.com/sites/kellyp...

No newsletter today. If you know me, you know that was a tough decision. My dad's unexpected death this week has thrown me for a loop. I appreciate your collective understanding.

Form 1099-K is used to report payments received for goods or services processed through payment apps, online marketplaces, and credit cards. The IRS has issued FAQs to explain when you might get one (OBBBA has modified the thresholds) and what to do with it. www.forbes.com/sites/kellyp...

Taxpayers who buy a new car assembled in the U.S. may be able to deduct up to $10,000 beginning in 2025. To help sort out the details, the IRS is rolling out guidance. www.forbes.com/sites/kellyp...

Listening to folks talk about how they are making lots more money by raising their prices to the same level as their foreign competitors (since customers don't know the difference) tells you a lot about how tariffs do (or do not) work.

Due to the government shutdown, IRS operations are limited. Some operations, like Criminal Investigation, are open, while others, like the Taxpayer Advocate, are closed. Here’s what you need to know. www.forbes.com/sites/kellyp...

It's possible that an IRS representative is enjoying a beef stir-fry this afternoon. I'm not saying I had anything to do with it, but the recipe I printed out for dinner went missing around the time I had to fax something over.

My dog is very judgy. I was explaining to her that it is *not* yet time for dinner as she pranced in front of her dish, and I swear she muttered, "then explain that pretzel you're holding in your hand," as I walked by.

With the 2025 tax filing season behind us, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) issued a report finding that the IRS performed pretty well, but staffing cuts may change that result in 2026. www.forbes.com/sites/kellyp...

While the gold and platinum card programs share a common objective—to attract global capital into the U.S.—they differ in terms of cost and tax implications. www.forbes.com/sites/kellyp...

The latest edition of our free @forbes.com tax newsletter is out! This week: How the feds got Capone. Plus: Hobby expenses, international tax updates, a government watchdog looks at IRS, gold & platinum visas, a tossed ERC lawsuit, tax trivia and more. www.forbes.com/sites/tax-br...

If it's Saturday and most of my family is missing, @fcbayernmunich.bsky.social must be playing.

A recent court decision in Utah suggests that businesses are willing to file lawsuits against Employee Retention Credit (ERC) advisors for potentially problematic advice, but the result also illustrates that a win isn’t guaranteed. www.forbes.com/sites/kellyp...

Happy last day of the real end to tax season! (Okay, I get that t/e returns are still on extension, so mostly last day of the real end to tax season?)

Reminder: Treasury is accepting public comments on the “no tax on tips” provision. Deadline is Oct. 23. More details on the proposed regs and the comment procedure here: www.forbes.com/sites/kellyp...

My daughter learned a tax lesson about living in one state and working in another today. She was not pleased.

Home stretch! Reminder to taxpayers that the October 15 filing deadline remains in place even though the IRS is largely shut down.

The latest edition of our free @forbes.com tax newsletter is out! This week, the IRS (mostly) shuts down. Plus: 2026 tax numbers (and some revised 2025 tax numbers), per diem rates, Roth IRAs for kids, the tax gap, a new IRS CEO, Medicare fraud, tax trivia & more. www.forbes.com/sites/tax-br...

In case you missed my trivia question from the newsletter, I’ll repost it later today. In related news, I’m curious: what song would you play as a soundtrack for the current government shutdown?

All those tax returns filed in 2020 (and 2021) to take advantage of Covid money? If my inbox is any indication, it appears that the IRS is finally noticing that many of those taxpayers were previously non-filers. (Related: I predict the same result for 2025 thanks to OBBBA.)

The IRS has announced the annual inflation adjustments for 2026, including tax rate schedules, tax tables, and cost-of-living adjustments. Here’s what you need to know, including new and increased deductions created by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. www.forbes.com/sites/kellyp...

As the government shutdown drags on, tax filings and payments are still due and Criminal Investigation will stay on the job. But processing of refunds and amended returns will likely be delayed. www.forbes.com/sites/kellyp...

Every year, I decorate for Halloween. And every year, I am still startled to walk into a room in my own house and see Halloween decorations. "A skeleton! How did that get there?"

"Why are grapes $6.50? What has society come to?" Actual text from my child in college, who, while grocery shopping, is realizing that it's expensive to eat.

U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and Acting Commissioner of the IRS Scott Bessent announced that Commissioner of the Social Security Administration Frank Bisignano will serve as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the IRS. www.forbes.com/sites/kellyp...

The latest edition of our free @forbes.com tax newsletter is out! This week, it’s the life of a taxpayer edition. Plus: IRS will stay open during the shutdown (for a little while), installment agreements, retirement, Medicare & Medicaid, tax trivia, and more. www.forbes.com/sites/tax-br...

Pumpkin waffles for the win this morning! How is your day going so far?

Gorgeous day in SEPA! I hope you can enjoy some sunshine in your part of the world today!

As the government shutdown continues, Congress can’t come to terms on spending, including on healthcare. As the stalemate continues, there's been considerable confusion between Medicare and Medicaid. It’s easy to confuse the two, but there are several key differences. www.forbes.com/sites/kellyp...

ICYMI, IRS says there will be no changes to its operations for the first five days of the shutdown, thanks to a reallocation of money from the Inflation Reduction Act. That means that IRS will stay open through midnight on Tuesday, October 7. Here’s what we know. www.forbes.com/sites/kellyp...

October is Pro Bono Month, and the IRS is seeking volunteers to support the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) programs. Here’s what you need to know. www.forbes.com/sites/kellyp...

Happy Mean Girls Day!

The government may be shut down, but IRS remains open. The IRS says there will be no changes to its operations for the first five days of a government shutdown, thanks to a reallocation of funds from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Here’s what we know. www.forbes.com/sites/kellyp...

The latest edition of our free @forbes.com tax newsletter is out! This week: The IRS says no to more paper tax refund checks.

Plus: Disappearing 401(k) matches, capital gains & housing, a possible government shutdown, an FBAR shakeup, tax trivia and more. www.forbes.com/sites/tax-br...

Earlier this month, citing the economic slowdown and tariffs, Sherwin-Williams announced that it would suspend 401(k) matches for employees. While employees might be unhappy, it’s not illegal. Companies can make changes to 401(k) plans. Here’s what you need to know. www.forbes.com/sites/kellyp...

On Sep. 30 at midnight, the government will run out of money for the next fiscal year. For some perspective on how a shutdown might impact the IRS this time around, I turned to someone who is very familiar with the workings of the agency: Terry Lemons. www.forbes.com/sites/kellyp...

Happy National Coffee Day!
The cost of coffee is on the rise, thanks to tariffs. Congress has introduced a bill to scrap the tax—a move that could be popular as more Americans reach for a cup. www.forbes.com/sites/kellyp...

The Department of Education’s failure to process income-driven repayment plan applications could result in harm for millions of student loan borrowers, with some facing extra taxes, suit alleges. www.forbes.com/sites/kellyp...

“Tax strategy isn’t a cost, it’s a wealth vehicle,” says Ashia Thompson, founder of Top Tier Accounting in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Ashia is the latest tax professional to be featured in our "Getting To Know You" series. Learn more here: www.forbes.com/sites/kellyp...

There are very few things that can't be made better—at least temporarily—by a bowl of cheesy grits.

The IRS has officially announced that paper tax refund checks for individual taxpayers will be phased out beginning on September 30, 2025. Payments are next in line—but there is some breathing room. www.forbes.com/sites/kellyp...