You only owe what the law requires
Taxes are not optional, and nobody here is suggesting otherwise. But the tax code also gives you choices, and many of them run on a calendar. You earned the money. Looking at your options before the year ends is a reasonable way to make sure you pay what the law requires and make informed decisions about the rest.
Kiplinger recently published a checklist titled "10 Moves to Make Before December 31," aimed at retirement tax planning. You can read the full piece at Kiplinger. This article is not a summary of that list. It is a guide to getting the most out of any year-end checklist, including that one.