I had a very similar situation happen to me last year! The "A/0" code is definitely not standard - most systems use M, S, or H for federal withholding status. In my case, it turned out our payroll company had updated their software and some employees got miscoded during the transition. The $190 federal withholding on full-time pay at $16/hour is absolutely wrong. You should have had around $2,000-$3,000 withheld for the year. I'd suggest getting a copy of your actual W-4 form from HR immediately to see what they have on file. When this happened to me, I had to file estimated quarterly payments to avoid underpayment penalties since my withholding was so low. Definitely talk to a tax professional about whether you need to do the same - the IRS doesn't care if it was your employer's mistake, they still expect you to pay what you owe on time. Also, make sure to submit a completely new W-4 form for next year even if the current one looks correct. Sometimes the only way to fix these payroll system errors is to start fresh with new paperwork.

I'm a tax professional and see this issue frequently. The "A/0" code is definitely irregular - standard federal withholding codes are M (Married), S (Single), or H (Head of Household). The "A" designation varies by payroll system but often indicates "Allowances method" or can be a data entry error. Your concern about the $190 withholding is absolutely valid. At $16/hour full-time (approximately $33,280 annually), your federal withholding should be around $2,500-$3,500 depending on your filing status and allowances. This suggests either you were marked as exempt from federal withholding or there's a significant payroll error. I strongly recommend: 1) Request your actual W-4 form from HR to verify what's on file, 2) Submit a new W-4 immediately to correct any errors, 3) Calculate your likely tax liability - you'll probably owe $2,000+ more than withheld, 4) Consider making estimated tax payments to avoid underpayment penalties. The IRS holds taxpayers responsible for underpayment regardless of employer errors, so addressing this quickly is crucial. If your employer won't cooperate, you may need to file Form 4852 (substitute W-2) with your tax return and report the discrepancy to your state's Department of Labor.

If you're dealing with a 1099-R, make sure you double-check Box 2a (Taxable amount) against what's in Box 1 (Gross distribution). Sometimes they're different if part of your distribution isn't taxable! Made this mistake and almost paid tax on money that should've been tax-free.

Just wanted to add another perspective on the early withdrawal penalty exceptions. Since you mentioned the pipe burst was for home repairs, you might also want to look into the "first-time homebuyer" exception if any of that money went toward improving your home's habitability or preventing further damage. The IRS defines this pretty broadly - it's not just for buying a house, but can include major repairs that are necessary to make a home livable. Also, keep detailed records of everything related to the pipe burst - insurance claims, repair estimates, photos of damage, receipts for all work done. Even if you don't qualify for a casualty loss exception this year, having that documentation could be helpful if the IRS ever questions the withdrawal. One more thing - if you're planning any other major expenses in the near future, consider whether it might make sense to take additional distributions this year while you're already dealing with the tax consequences, rather than spreading the tax hit across multiple years. Sometimes it's better to "rip the band-aid off" all at once, especially if your income is lower this year due to the emergency expenses.

Just want to add a quick tip for anyone still filing by mail - make sure you're using the correct mailing address for your state! The IRS has different processing centers, and using the wrong address can delay processing even if your return is postmarked on time. You can find the correct address in the instructions for your tax form or on the IRS website. Also, don't forget to sign your return and include all required schedules and forms - missing signatures or documents can cause processing delays even with a timely postmark.

Thanks everyone for the helpful advice! I'm feeling much more confident about mailing my return now. Just to summarize what I've learned from this thread: the IRS uses the postmark date as the filing date (not when they receive it), certified mail provides good proof of mailing, and I should make sure to use the correct mailing address for my state. I think I'll go with certified mail and get it hand-stamped at the post office tomorrow just to be extra safe. Really appreciate all the detailed responses - this community is so helpful during tax season!

The IRS calculator is actually quite reliable for situations like yours! I had the same shock when it told me to withhold almost nothing with my 2 kids. What really helped me understand was realizing that the Child Tax Credit isn't just a deduction - it's a direct dollar-for-dollar reduction of your actual tax owed. With your $93,500 AGI and married filing jointly, after the standard deduction (~$29,200), you're looking at taxable income of around $64,300. The federal tax on that is roughly $7,300. But then your three kids give you $6,000 in Child Tax Credits, bringing your actual tax liability down to only about $1,300 for the entire year. If you're getting paid bi-weekly (26 paychecks), that's only $50 per paycheck you'd actually owe! So having zero withheld isn't crazy at all - you might even qualify for additional credits that could reduce it further. That said, I totally get the anxiety. I ended up withholding about $25 per paycheck just for peace of mind, even though the math said I didn't need to. Sometimes the psychological comfort is worth more than being mathematically perfect!

I totally understand the shock! I went through this exact same thing last year with my 2 kids. The IRS calculator told me to withhold almost nothing and I was convinced it had to be wrong. What really helped me was understanding that the Child Tax Credit is refundable up to $1,600 per child if your tax liability is less than the full credit amount. So even if your actual tax owed ends up being zero, you could still get money back! I'd suggest doing a quick sanity check by looking at your prior year tax return. Look at line 24 (total tax) and compare it to your total credits. If your credits were close to or exceeded your tax liability, then zero withholding probably makes perfect sense. One thing to keep in mind though - make sure you're not missing any income sources. If you or your spouse have any side gigs, investment income, or other taxable income beyond your W-2, that could change the calculation significantly. I ended up going with about $40 per paycheck just to be safe, but honestly the IRS calculator has been spot-on for my situation. Trust the math, but don't feel bad about keeping a small buffer if it helps you sleep better at night!

Don't forget to check if your state treats Schedule E passive losses the same way the federal return does! I had a situation where my federal return suspended my rental losses, but my state (California) actually allowed me to deduct them against my other income. Some states follow federal rules exactly, but others have their own rules for passive losses. It's worth checking to see if you can get some tax benefit at the state level even if federal rules limit your deduction.

This is such a common source of confusion! I went through the exact same thing with my duplex rental last year. The passive activity loss rules are really counterintuitive - you'd think a loss should reduce your taxes, but nope. One thing that helped me understand it better: think of rental losses as being in a separate "bucket" from your regular income. The IRS basically says these two buckets can't mix unless you meet specific criteria (like the $25k exception for active participation under $100k income, or real estate professional status). The silver lining is that these losses don't expire. I had about $8,000 in suspended losses that I couldn't use in 2023, but this year my rental became profitable and those losses automatically offset the profit. It's like having a tax credit waiting in the wings. Make sure to keep good records of these carryforward amounts though. If you switch tax software or preparers, you'll need to provide this information so your suspended losses don't get lost in the transition.