One of the biggest headaches that those of us who design and maintain websites have are spammers. Those nefarious people who try to invade your website and use your servers to send out their junk to the masses. Since I maintain my own virtual private server (VPS), one of the biggest problems was spending the time to go in and delete the bogus accounts that were created or checking the logs to see if someone had found a way to insert malicious code into the site.

I say 'was' because a couple of years ago I found a company called CleanTalk. After installing their service, my spam attacks dropped 99%. Seriously. The most I ever see anymore is a little comment spam or people trying to access a page that doesn't exist. I have been really amazed at how well their software works and how much time it has saved me.

The IRS will soon implement a new process that automatically provides penalty relief for taxpayers with a history of filing returns and paying tax dues on time. This new relief system is expected to be phased in this summer.

The new Automatic Exemption from Penalty will replace the long-standing First Time Abate administrative relief and is designed to simplify the process and reduce burden for those with a timely compliance history.

“Automatic Exemption from Penalty reflects the IRS’ commitment to making the payment of taxes owed simpler and more consistent,” said IRS Chief Executive Officer Frank J. Bisignano. “By automatically applying penalty relief, the IRS recognizes that taxpayers who historically pay on time should not have to make a formal request for relief that is routinely granted.”

[In his farewell address, Washington warns against the rise of political parties and foreign entanglements.]

United States, September 19, 1796.

Friends, and Fellow-Citizens: The period for a new election of a Citizen, to Administer the Executive government of the United States, being not far distant, and the time actually arrived, when your thoughts must be employed in designating the person, who is to be clothed with that important trust, it appears to me proper, especially as it may conduce to a more distinct expression of the public voice, that I should now apprise you of the resolution I have formed, to decline being considered among the number of those, out of whom a choice is to be made.

President Donald Trump ordered the end of circulating penny production late last year to save taxpayers an estimated $56 million annually.  However, a special "dual-date" penny has returned exclusively for America’s 250th anniversary.   You won't find these in everyday cash transactions. These are a  one-year-only design upgrade.  (The only other time the U.S. has done this on such a widespread scale was during the 1976 bicentennial.) 

The Mint's new redesigns feature a 1776 to 2026 "dual date," and many of the coins are already in circulation, including:

One of the common problems I face helping people with there taxes is helping them get their withholding correct so they don't end up owning the IRS at the end of the year.  So how can you fine-tune your withholding and estimated tax payments for 2026?

The IRS now has a withholding estimator on its website to help you figure out whether you are having the right amount of federal income tax withheld from wages, pensions, IRS distributions, etc. This tool asks about various sources of income, gives tips on credits and deductions, and estimates how much withholding to request.

One of the most often questions I get from clients is how long to keep their tax returns and records.  Most people think the proper answer is seven years.  But, it is a little more complicated than that.  That is because those forms, receipts, canceled checks, and other documents could be needed later. The IRS generally has three years after the due date of your return (or the date you file it, if later) to initiate an audit — that hasn't changed.

In addition, some documents may be kept even longer. For instance, it might be wise to save W-2 forms until you start receiving Social Security benefits so you can verify your income if there's a problem - unless you go to the ssa.gov site and verify that they have the correct information recorded for you.

Here is some general information on how long you should keep various types of information:

One of the questions I tend to get every year is, 'How much tax will I have to pay if someone gives me a lot of money as a gift'.   The answer is nothing.  The facts are that the person giving you the money is the one that may be subject to something called the gift tax.  And while there are a lot of exclusions to the tax, filing the paperwork to exclude yourself is really a pain in the....

That said, there is some good news: most people will never come close to exceeding the lifetime estate and gift tax exemption, which, due to the new 2025 Trump/GOP tax law, will remain extraordinarily high for the average household.

The business meal deduction has been around for a long time.  However, businesses should be aware of significant changes that are scheduled to take effect after December 31, 2025, which affects the deductibility of certain meals.  These include: