Thanks for the tip about checking that box on the W-4! I didn't know there was a specific option for multiple jobs. Does this mean I should check this box on both job W-4s or just the second one?

You should only check the multiple jobs box on one of your W-4 forms, not both. If you check it on both, you'll likely have too much withheld and end up with a large refund (which means you're giving the government an interest-free loan all year). For the most accurate withholding, I'd recommend using the IRS Withholding Estimator on their website. It lets you enter info from both jobs and will tell you exactly how to fill out both W-4 forms for the perfect withholding amount.

Did you find that working that many hours was worth it financially? After taxes, did you still come out way ahead? Wondering if killing myself with 70-hour weeks would actually leave me with much after Uncle Sam takes his cut.

Thanks for pointing this out. Is this something that's easy to miss in tax software? I usually use TurboTax - will it prompt me about this or do I need to look for a specific section?

In TurboTax, it should automatically calculate this when you enter your W-2 information, as long as you enter all your W-2s. The software will see that the combined Social Security withholding exceeds the maximum and should apply the excess to your refund. However, it's always good to double-check this calculation yourself. Take all your W-2s, add up box 4 (Social Security tax withheld) from each, and if the total exceeds the maximum (which is 6.2% of the wage base limit), then you should get the difference back. If the refund amount doesn't seem to include this excess, there's usually a section in TurboTax for "Payments & Estimates" where you can verify all credits and payments are accounted for.

This is such a good point. The SS wage base increases almost every year. For reference: 2022: $147,000 2023: $160,200 2024: $168,600 Always check the current year's limit!

That's a great tip about insurance discounts! I hadn't even thought about that angle. Do you remember what documentation you needed to provide to your insurance company to get the discount?

I just needed to provide a copy of the installation certificate and proof of purchase. They sent an adjuster out to verify it was properly installed and connected to our natural gas line. The whole process was pretty simple - took about 2 weeks to get approved and the discount was applied to my next bill. Some companies might also want to see that it's been inspected by your local municipality, so make sure you have those permits in order too.

That's correct! If the primary purpose of the generator is to power medically necessary equipment, it can potentially qualify as a medical expense deduction. You'd need documentation from a doctor stating the medical necessity, and the expense would need to exceed 7.5% of your AGI when combined with other medical expenses. My mother has a similar situation with her CPAP machine and was able to deduct part of her generator purchase.

Thank you for bringing this up! Are there specific credits I should be looking out for that work differently with HoH versus MFS? I do have childcare expenses that I was hoping to claim.

The Child and Dependent Care Credit is a big one - you generally can't claim it when filing as Married Filing Separately, but you CAN claim it as Head of Household. This could be worth thousands if you're paying for childcare. Same with the Earned Income Tax Credit - you're not eligible with MFS status, but you are with HoH. The Education Credits (American Opportunity and Lifetime Learning) are also not available with MFS but are with HoH. These differences are exactly why it's so important for you to qualify for HoH status if possible. The tax benefits compared to MFS are substantial, especially as a single parent with childcare costs.

I used TurboTax last year in the same situation. There's a series of questions about your living situation that you need to answer. When it asks if you're married, say yes. Then when it asks if you lived apart from your spouse for the last 6 months of the year, say yes. Keep answering their questions about supporting your child and household, and it should eventually determine you're eligible for HoH. If you get stuck, use their live help feature - I had to do that to get through some confusing parts.

How user friendly is TaxSlayer? I'm not great with computers and that's honestly why I've kept going to in-person places despite the cost.

TaxSlayer is pretty straightforward. It asks you questions in plain English and fills in the forms based on your answers. You don't need to understand tax forms or be particularly tech-savvy. It saves your info from previous years, which makes it even easier after the first time. They also have phone support if you get stuck on something, but I've never needed to use it. The whole process usually takes me about 45 minutes for a basic return.

VITA is the best kept secret! I used them when I was in college and they were amazing. Just make sure to schedule an appointment early in the season because they fill up fast.

This is great to know! I definitely make under that amount as a part-time worker. Do I need to bring anything special to a VITA appointment?