One thing nobody mentioned - if you received any life insurance proceeds, those are generally NOT taxable income (though they may affect your estate taxes if the policy was owned by the deceased). Also, if your spouse had a traditional IRA or 401k, you have special options as a surviving spouse that other beneficiaries don't have. You can roll those retirement accounts into your own IRA rather than taking required distributions immediately.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Samantha. This is such a difficult time and dealing with tax questions on top of everything else must feel overwhelming. The advice about filing statuses here is spot-on - you can still file married filing jointly for 2024 (the year your husband passed), then use qualifying widow status for the next two tax years which will give you better rates than filing single. One thing I'd add is don't feel pressured to rush into major financial decisions right now. The IRS gives surviving spouses some flexibility, and you have time to figure things out properly. Also consider reaching out to a local tax professional or even contacting VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) programs in your area - many have experience with widow/widower situations and can walk through your specific circumstances for free. Take care of yourself during this process.

This is a great question that I think a lot of NPR supporters are wondering about! I've been in a similar situation and ended up doing some research on this. The key distinction is that NPR typically offers two different types of support options: memberships and subscriptions. Their traditional "membership" programs often do include a portion that's tax-deductible because they explicitly state that part of your payment exceeds the fair market value of any benefits received (like a tote bag or coffee mug). However, their newer podcast subscription services are structured differently - you're paying specifically for a service (ad-free content), so it's considered a purchase rather than a donation. One thing I'd suggest is checking NPR's website or contacting them directly to see if they offer any documentation about what portion (if any) of their subscription fees might be considered charitable contributions. Some organizations do structure their premium services to include a deductible portion, but they have to explicitly state this. If you really want to maintain your tax deduction, you might consider keeping your annual donation separate and treating the subscription as an additional expense for the convenience of ad-free listening. That way you get the best of both worlds!

I've been dealing with this same situation and wanted to add my experience. After reading through all these responses, I decided to contact NPR directly about their different programs. What I learned is that they actually have three distinct categories: straight donations (fully deductible), traditional memberships with premiums like tote bags (partially deductible - they provide documentation showing the fair market value of premiums), and their newer digital subscriptions like the ad-free podcasts (not deductible as charitable contributions). The customer service rep was really helpful and sent me a breakdown showing exactly which of their offerings include tax-deductible portions. She mentioned that this is a common question they're getting as more people discover their subscription services. One thing that might help others - NPR does offer a "Sustainer" program that's separate from their subscriptions and is structured as a pure donation with no goods or services in return. So if you want to keep supporting them with a tax-deductible contribution, that might be worth looking into alongside whatever subscription services you choose to purchase.

I went through this exact same situation last year with a similar income level and two kids. Here's what I learned after consulting with a tax professional: At your income level ($235k), you're actually still below the child tax credit phase-out threshold for married filing jointly (which starts at $400k), so you should get the full $2,000 credit per child. However, the issue isn't really about claiming dependents vs not claiming them - it's about getting your total withholding right. What worked for us: We completed the W-4 accurately including our dependents in Step 3, but then added an extra $200 per paycheck on line 4(c) as additional withholding. This gave us a small buffer without massively over-withholding. The key insight is that the standard withholding tables sometimes don't perfectly account for all the interactions between income levels, deductions, and credits. Rather than playing games with the dependent section, it's better to be accurate there and then adjust with the additional withholding amount. One more tip: If you've been owing "several thousand" in recent years, look at your prior year tax returns to see what your actual tax liability was, then calculate if your current withholding will cover it. That's the most reliable way to avoid surprises.

This is a really common issue for higher-income families! I went through something similar when I started my current job. One thing that helped me was understanding that the W-4 is essentially your estimate of what your tax situation will look like for the year. Given that you've been owing several thousand dollars recently, it sounds like your withholding has been consistently too low. This could be due to various factors - maybe you have investment income, itemized deductions that are different from the standard deduction, or other complexities that the standard withholding tables don't capture perfectly. My recommendation would be to complete the W-4 accurately (including your dependents in Step 3 since you do qualify for the child tax credits), but then be conservative and add some extra withholding on line 4(c). Maybe start with an extra $150-200 per paycheck and see how that works out. The advantage of this approach is that you're not completely over-withholding like you would by claiming zero dependents, but you're building in a buffer to avoid that stressful tax-time surprise. You can always adjust it next year based on how this year turns out. Also, keep in mind that if your spouse works too, you'll need to coordinate the withholding between both of your jobs, which can get tricky. The IRS withholding estimator can help with that calculation.

This thread has been absolutely incredible - I've learned more about S-Corp treasury stock transactions in one discussion than from months of research! As someone new to S-Corp ownership, I'm grateful for all the detailed, real-world insights everyone has shared. The evolution from basic journal entries to covering AAA implications, state requirements, insurance adjustments, and quarterly tax planning really shows how interconnected these transactions are. What initially seemed like a simple "debit treasury stock, credit cash" entry has revealed layers of complexity I never would have anticipated. I'm particularly appreciative of the specific examples people shared - like the pro-rata distribution timing issues, the installment sale structuring options, and the corporate resolution language recommendations. These practical details are exactly what you need to know but would never think to ask about until you're in the middle of the transaction. The unanimous advice about professional consultation makes perfect sense after seeing all the potential pitfalls discussed here. Between the risk of inadvertently creating a second class of stock, the AAA reduction timing implications, and the various state and federal compliance requirements, it's clear that the cost of expert guidance upfront is minimal compared to the potential consequences of getting it wrong. For anyone else considering similar S-Corp treasury stock transactions, this discussion should definitely be required reading. The collective expertise and real-world experiences shared here provide an invaluable roadmap for navigating these complex transactions successfully!

This has been an absolutely outstanding thread! As a newcomer to S-Corp ownership, I'm amazed at the depth of practical knowledge shared here about treasury stock transactions. What really stands out to me is how the discussion evolved from basic journal entries to covering virtually every aspect that could impact the transaction - AAA implications, state filing requirements, insurance adjustments, quarterly tax planning, corporate governance, and even payroll coordination. The real-world experiences everyone shared, like dealing with pro-rata distribution timing and reconstructing AAA balances, provide exactly the kind of insights you can't find in textbooks or IRS publications. I'm particularly grateful for the specific practitioner selection criteria that were mentioned - asking about experience with treasury stock transactions and second class of stock issues seems essential when choosing professional help. The point about many general practitioners missing these S-Corp nuances really drives home why specialized expertise is so critical. One question I have that builds on the earlier AAA discussion: If you discover during the AAA reconstruction process that your corporation has been incorrectly calculating distributions in prior years (perhaps treating some as tax-free when they should have been taxable), is there a way to correct this retroactively, or do you just need to adjust going forward? The consensus on professional consultation is definitely compelling. After seeing all the potential pitfalls - from jeopardizing S-Corp status to triggering unexpected tax consequences - it's clear that the upfront investment in expert guidance is essential for these complex transactions. Thanks to everyone for creating such a comprehensive resource for S-Corp treasury stock transactions!

I went through almost the exact same situation last year! My company's payroll system automatically switched my state tax withholding when they temporarily moved me to a different cost center, even though I never actually relocated. Here's what I learned from my experience: Don't wait for your payroll department to fix this - they probably won't, especially if it's outsourced. The fastest path is to handle it yourself through tax filings. You'll definitely want to file in both states. In your home state, report all income as earned there. For the state where taxes were incorrectly withheld, file a non-resident return showing zero income actually earned in that state. Most tax software can handle this multi-state situation pretty easily. The key is having good documentation. Save any emails about the reassignment error, your actual work schedules showing you were at your home location, and anything that proves this was a payroll mistake. I attached a simple one-page letter with my non-resident return explaining the error, and it made the process much smoother. It took about 8 weeks to get my refund, but I recovered every dollar that was incorrectly withheld. The states deal with these payroll errors all the time, so don't stress too much about it. Just be thorough with your documentation and clear in your explanation of what happened.

I work for a CPA firm and we see this exact situation several times a year. The good news is that it's completely fixable, and you have multiple options depending on how cooperative your payroll company is. First option (cleanest): Push harder for a W-2C from your payroll company. The person telling you they "can't make changes after W-2s are issued" is either misinformed or trying to avoid the work. W-2C forms exist specifically for this purpose. Ask to speak with a supervisor and reference IRS Publication 15-A, which clearly states that employers must correct W-2s when there are errors in state tax allocation. Second option (if W-2C isn't possible): File in both states as others have mentioned. Your home state gets all the income reported, and you file a non-resident return in the wrong state claiming zero income earned there. Include a brief explanation letter with documentation of the payroll error. Pro tip: If you're using tax software, most major programs (TurboTax, H&R Block, etc.) have specific workflows for handling incorrect state tax withholding due to payroll errors. Look for "multi-state filing" or "payroll error correction" in the help sections. The key is acting quickly since you're approaching filing deadlines. Don't let the payroll company drag this out past April 15th, as that could complicate things unnecessarily.