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Another option you might consider is to look into whether your property is correctly assessed relative to your neighbors. In some areas, assessments can be inconsistent. I found out my house was assessed at 15% higher than nearly identical houses on my block! I used my county's GIS (Geographic Information System) website to look up assessment values for similar homes in my neighborhood and brought printouts of those to my appeal hearing. The board adjusted my assessment immediately when they saw the discrepancy.
This is super helpful, thanks! How do I find the GIS system for my county? Is that something on the assessor website?
Most counties have a GIS portal or property search tool on their official website. Usually you can find it by searching "[your county name] property search" or "[your county name] GIS." Once you're in the system, you can usually click on parcels near your home to see their assessment values, square footage, and other details. Focus on homes with similar age, size, and features to yours. Print or save screenshots of properties that are comparable but assessed at lower values, as these make the strongest case for an appeal.
Has anyone tried adjusting their withholding allowances to put more money in their regular paycheck instead of having to deal with these escrow increases? I'm thinking of increasing my allowances so I have more cash flow during the year to handle these mortgage payment jumps.
That's actually not a great idea. Withholding allowances are for income tax, not property tax. If you adjust those, you might end up with a big tax bill in April that you can't pay. Property tax increases are separate from income taxes.
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23 One thing nobody's mentioned yet - KEEP RECEIPTS FOR EVERYTHING! I'm an independent contractor too (plumber) and got audited last year. Having digital copies of all my receipts saved my ass. The IRS questioned about $14k of deductions and I was able to prove every single one. For a moving contractor, you should track: gas, vehicle maintenance, tools, any supplies like blankets/tape/boxes, meals while on longer jobs (50% deductible), phone bills (business portion), insurance, etc. Also, you should definitely look into retirement accounts like a SEP IRA or Solo 401k. At your income level, you could potentially put away $40k+ pre-tax, which significantly reduces your taxable income.
3 Good point about retirement accounts! I'm an IC too and my Solo 401k saves me thousands in taxes each year. Question though - for meals, I thought the 50% limit was temporarily changed to 100% for 2021-2022? Has that gone back to 50% for 2023 returns?
23 Yes, the 100% business meal deduction was a temporary COVID relief measure for 2021 and 2022 only. For 2023 and beyond, we're back to the standard 50% deduction limit for most business meals. The key is proper documentation - not just the receipt but notes on the business purpose and who you were meeting with if it was a client meal. For solo meals while traveling for work, document which job you were working that required overnight travel. Digital receipt apps with note fields are lifesavers for audit protection.
2 I just went through this exact situation! For real, the S-Corp election saved me about $12k in self-employment taxes this year. Some practical advice: 1) Get a separate business bank account and credit card ASAP. Don't mix personal and business expenses. 2) For vehicle expenses, keep a detailed mileage log (I use MileIQ app) or track actual expenses with receipts. Choose the method that gives you the bigger deduction. 3) If you're making $150k+, get a good CPA who specializes in self-employment taxes. Their fee is deductible and they'll save you way more than they cost. 4) Set up an S-Corp and pay yourself a reasonable salary (I'd say $85-95k in your case). The rest can be distributions which aren't subject to self-employment tax (saving you ~15%). 5) Invest in retirement. A Solo 401k is awesome for high earners since you can contribute as both employee and employer. This stuff seems complicated at first but gets easier once you have systems in place!
4 Thank you for the practical advice! For the S-Corp, is it too late to set one up for this tax year? I've already been working as a sole proprietor for about 6 months. Also, what kind of costs should I expect for the initial S-Corp setup and ongoing maintenance?
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I used to work at H&R Block (not anymore). For your situation - married filing jointly with two W-2s and a mortgage - here's the insider scoop on pricing: The BASE price for a married filing jointly return is around $150-175 depending on your location. Then they add: - Each W-2 is about $10-15 extra (so add $20-30 for two W-2s) - Schedule A (itemized deductions for the mortgage interest) adds about $50-80 - State return is usually $70-100 extra So you're looking at roughly $290-385 total for an in-person preparer. HOWEVER, prices vary by location and they often have promotions early in the season. Pro tip: if you really want H&R Block specifically, use their online software instead of going in person. It's WAY cheaper for simple returns like yours.
Thank you! This is exactly what I was looking for. Just curious - is there any negotiation room on these prices? And would you say the in-person service is worth the extra cost compared to using their online software for our relatively simple situation?
There's usually very little negotiation room on the base prices, but sometimes the office manager can waive some of the add-on fees, especially for returning customers. It never hurts to ask if they have any current promotions or discounts. Some offices will match competitors' written quotes too. For your situation (just W-2s and a mortgage), I honestly don't think the in-person service provides enough extra value to justify the higher cost. The online Deluxe version would handle everything you need for about $95 plus state fees. The only real benefit of going in-person would be if you have questions or want reassurance from a human. But their software walks you through the mortgage interest deduction pretty clearly, and it's a common situation that's hard to mess up.
H&R Block is one of the most expensive options for a basic return like yours. I'm a married homeowner with W-2 income too, and I switched to TurboTax which was about $120 all in (federal + state). FreeTaxUSA is even cheaper at around $40-50 total. Unless you have some complicated situation you didn't mention, there's no reason to pay H&R Block prices. The mortgage interest deduction is super straightforward - you just enter the numbers from your Form 1098.
Second the FreeTaxUSA recommendation. I switched from H&R Block last year and it was so much cheaper. Even handles multiple W-2s and mortgage stuff without any problems. Very straightforward.
Thanks for the suggestions! I'll definitely look into those options. I think I was assuming that having a mortgage made our taxes more complicated than they actually are. It sounds like we could save quite a bit by using software instead of going to H&R Block in person.
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Something similar happened to me, but it turned out that my former employer had made an error. The "imputed income" they reported was actually for health insurance that I had already paid after-tax premiums for. I had to get them to issue a corrected W2. Don't just assume the W2 is correct. Call their benefits department (not general HR) and ask for a detailed explanation of exactly what the imputed income represents. Get it in writing if possible. If they can't explain it clearly, that's a red flag that there might be an error.
That's a good point. I'm going to contact them tomorrow to ask for a detailed breakdown. Did your former employer give you any pushback when you questioned the W2?
They initially tried to brush me off by saying "it's just standard imputed income," but I persisted and asked specifically what benefit it was for and how they calculated the amount. That's when they realized there was an issue. The benefits specialist had to consult with their tax department, and they discovered they had accidentally included me on a list of employees receiving a subsidized benefit when I was actually paying the full amount myself. Don't be afraid to be persistent if their first answer doesn't make sense. Sometimes the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing in these big companies, especially when it comes to former employees.
The most common reason for imputed income showing up years after being laid off is life insurance! If your former employer continued your life insurance coverage over $50,000, the IRS requires them to report the value of that premium as imputed income, even if you're paying some portion yourself. The IRS has specific tables (Table I in Publication 15-B) that determine the imputed income amount based on your age and the coverage amount. The calculation is: Monthly rate per $1,000 of coverage × (Coverage amount - $50,000) ÷ $1,000
This is accurate but there's a detail missing - this only applies to employer-provided group term life insurance. If you converted to an individual policy after leaving, different rules apply. Did you convert your policy or is it still under their group plan?
Lia Quinn
One important point nobody has mentioned yet - if you have a day job and are starting this business on the side, make sure you can demonstrate that you're not engaging in the activity primarily for fun. I got audited last year because I had claimed business losses for my weekend woodworking business for 3 years while having a full-time job. The IRS scrutinized whether it was really a business or just an expensive hobby. What saved me was having a formal business plan, separate business checking account, business cards, a website, and proof I was actively seeking customers. Without that documentation, I would've had all my deductions disallowed and owed thousands in back taxes.
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Haley Stokes
•Did you form an LLC or anything formal like that? Or were you just operating as a sole proprietor? I'm wondering if the business structure makes a difference in how the IRS views it.
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Lia Quinn
•I was just operating as a sole proprietor with a Schedule C. Having an LLC might look more "official" but the IRS cares more about how you actually operate than your formal business structure. It's your business practices that really matter - keeping separate finances, maintaining professional records, having a clear plan for profitability, marketing your services/products, etc. Those factors demonstrate business intent regardless of whether you've formed an LLC, corporation, or are operating as a sole proprietor. The IRS is primarily concerned with whether you have a genuine profit motive or are just trying to deduct personal expenses.
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Asher Levin
Has anyone used TurboTax Self-Employed for this kind of situation? I'm wondering if it helps identify which expenses qualify when you're in that gray area.
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Serene Snow
•I used it last year. It asks questions about your profit motive and helps identify which expenses qualify. The interview format walks you through everything. It was pretty helpful for my side gig, caught some deductions I would've missed.
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