Loads of tax tips to read while you put off doing taxes

If there's anything worse than death, it's probably taxes (and if you think about it, one bright spot of being dead is you never have to file again).

If you've been putting off filing until the last minute, there are still a number of minutes left. No sense rushing into things — you may as well take a few minutes to brush up on your tax knowledge. 

Stop being so happy about that refund 

You're not supposed to have fun while doing taxes. An exception for many people is the joy they get from a hefty refund. Well, allow us to dampen that joy for you with

The gig economy is great until tax time

Whether you're driving for Lyft or using one of the many other apps to find freelance work, you get to be your own boss and set your own hours. You also get new tax rules.  

How your dog can get you a deduction

You know about deductions for office equipment or child care. But are you aware of these unusual itemizations? 

You'd never do this, but ... 

Here are common mistakes people make when they're filing their taxes, according to the IRS (this will let you find out what other people are doing wrong): 

So you're settling down

Should you always file jointly if you're married? What about the child tax credit? How will buying a home affect your taxes? 

Refund party? Not so fast

If that last piece about refunds didn't get you down, maybe this will: 

And finally, worst tax excuses

If you're trying to figure out a way to get out of paying taxes altogether, you'll have to do better than this: