This is such a common issue for married couples with similar incomes! I went through the exact same frustration for years before figuring out the solution. The key thing to understand is that when you select "married filing jointly" on your W4, your employer's payroll system assumes they're withholding for your entire household's tax liability based only on your individual income. But when both spouses do this, you end up with significant underwithholding because neither employer accounts for the combined household income pushing you into higher tax brackets. For practical numbers: if you're making around $75-85k and your husband makes similar, switching to "single" on your W4 will typically increase your withholding by $150-200 per paycheck. This is because the single withholding tables assume smaller standard deductions and tighter tax brackets. I'd recommend using the IRS Withholding Estimator first to see exactly how much the change would affect your specific situation. But yes, you can absolutely select "single" for withholding purposes while still filing jointly - they're completely separate decisions. Your actual tax return filing status is what matters for your tax liability, not what you put on your W4. The peace of mind of not owing thousands at tax time is totally worth having slightly smaller paychecks throughout the year!

This is such a helpful thread! I've been dealing with the same underwithholding problem for the past two years. My spouse and I both make around $70k each, and we've been getting hit with $3,000+ tax bills despite both selecting "married filing jointly" on our W4s. What really clicked for me reading through these responses is understanding that each employer is essentially calculating withholding as if we're the only income earner in the household. No wonder we keep coming up short! I'm leaning toward just switching to "single" on my W4 since it seems simpler than trying to calculate exact additional withholding amounts. Based on the numbers people have shared here, it sounds like I should expect roughly $140-180 more withheld per paycheck at my income level. One question though - if I make this change mid-year, should I also add some extra withholding on Line 4(c) to catch up for the underwithholding from earlier this year? Or will the increased withholding on future paychecks be enough to balance things out by December?

Does anyone know if this is still an issue with Sprintax for the 2024 tax season? Their website seems to imply they can e-file everything now, but I'm skeptical after reading this thread.

This is exactly why I ended up switching to a different approach this year! After getting burned by Sprintax's misleading marketing last season, I did some research and found that most states simply don't have the infrastructure to accept e-filed returns from non-resident aliens - it's not just a Sprintax limitation. What worked for me was using the IRS Free File program for my federal return (since I qualified income-wise) and then going directly to my state's tax website to see if they had any online filing options for non-residents. Some states like New York actually do have basic online forms you can fill out and submit electronically, even as a non-resident. The key is to check your specific state's department of revenue website first before paying for any third-party service. You might be able to do everything yourself for free and avoid the paper mailing hassle entirely. Wish I had known this before spending money on services that can't actually deliver what they promise!

Somewhat unrelated but if you do decide to claim those miles, make sure you're using the correct mileage rate! For 2024 tax year it's 67 cents per mile which is higher than previous years. Also, use a dedicated mileage tracking app that logs your location. The IRS has been getting stricter about documentation for mileage claims, especially for gig workers. I learned this the hard way when I got audited for my Uber driving miles last year.

I've been in a similar situation with my rideshare driving and learned a lot about this from experience. The key thing the IRS looks at is whether your trip would have happened anyway without the business purpose. Since you're visiting friends monthly regardless, those 150 miles each way are personal travel. However, you're absolutely right to track all the miles you drive while actually working in that city - those are 100% deductible business miles. Don't shortchange yourself there! One thing to consider: if you can show that you're strategically choosing to visit during peak earning times (like weekends or events) and you're making substantial income there, you might have a stronger case. But honestly, given that visiting friends is your primary reason, I'd stick with your conservative approach. The IRS has been cracking down on gig worker deductions lately, so it's better to be safe than sorry. Focus on maximizing your legitimate deductions (the actual delivery miles, phone bills, car maintenance) rather than pushing the envelope on questionable ones.

Has anyone tried printing the PDF from FreeTaxUSA and mailing it? I'm in the same boat for 2022 taxes and wondering how long the refund actually took to arrive.

I was in this exact situation last year with my 2021 return! The e-file cutoff is definitely frustrating when you've already done all the work. I ended up paper filing and it took about 6 weeks to get my refund, which wasn't too bad considering. One thing I learned - make absolutely sure you include ALL required attachments when you mail it. The IRS will send it back if anything is missing, which just delays everything further. Double-check that you've included copies of all W-2s, 1099s, and any other income statements. Also make sure to sign and date everything in the right places. I used certified mail with return receipt requested so I could confirm they received it. Cost a few extra dollars but gave me peace of mind. The tracking showed it was delivered, and then I could roughly estimate when to expect processing based on the typical 6-8 week timeframe. Paper filing isn't ideal, but at least FreeTaxUSA did all the calculations for you, so the hard part is done!

Just went through this exact situation last year. Here's something important - check if your tax software is correctly differentiating between "excess depreciation" and regular depreciation on Form 8829. Sometimes the software puts numbers in line 44 that include both. In my case, I had to look at line 42 from each year to get the actual depreciation amount. Line 44 was higher because it included some casualty losses. Make sure you're not overstating your recapture amount!

I went through this exact nightmare two years ago when we sold our house after running a consulting business from home for 6 years. The depreciation recapture hit us for about $18k that we weren't prepared for. A few critical things I learned the hard way: First, definitely look at Form 8829 line 42 (not just line 44) from each year - that's the actual depreciation amount. Line 44 can include other items that aren't subject to recapture. Second, even if you forgot to claim depreciation in some years, the IRS considers you "entitled to take it" so you may still owe recapture on the amount you should have claimed. The 25% recapture rate applies regardless of your regular tax bracket, which is why it creates such a big hit. And yes, it's completely separate from the $500k exclusion - that was the part that blindsided us. One thing that helped: if you improved the office space during those years (new flooring, electrical work, etc.), those improvements may reduce your recapture amount since they increase your basis. Make sure you account for any business-related improvements to the office area. Given the dollar amounts involved, it might be worth paying for a consultation with a different CPA who specializes in real estate transactions, even if it's just for a one-time review.