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Just wanted to add that AMTI is one of those things that becomes relevant in very specific situations. The main triggers that cause regular people to suddenly have to deal with AMT: 1. Exercising incentive stock options (ISOs) 2. Large long-term capital gains in certain brackets 3. Having multiple children AND a high income 4. Claiming certain business depreciation methods For most W-2 employees with standard deductions, you'll never have to worry about this. TaxAct and other software calculate it automatically for you anyway.
Is AMTI the same as AMT? Or is one a calculation used to determine the other? So confusing...
AMTI (Alternative Minimum Tax Income) is what's used to calculate your AMT (Alternative Minimum Tax). AMTI is your income figure after certain adjustments and with fewer deductions allowed than in the regular tax system. The software uses your AMTI figure to determine if you need to pay AMT. First it applies your exemption amount (the number OP mentioned), then calculates the tax on what remains. If that tax amount is higher than your regular tax calculation, you pay the AMT instead. Think of it as two parallel tax systems running side by side, and you pay whichever results in the higher amount.
I had this exact issue last year! The way my accountant explained it to me was: imagine there are two different ways to calculate your taxes. The normal way with all the standard deductions, and the AMT way which allows fewer deductions. The government makes you calculate both and pay whichever is HIGHER. AMTI is just what your income looks like under that second calculation method. The "exclusion" is similar to a standard deduction for the AMT calculation.
Did you end up actually paying the AMT? I'm wondering how common it really is for average people.
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One thing to watch out for - make sure the estimated payments were actually credited to the correct tax year. I once had an issue where one of my Q4 payments accidentally got applied to the next tax year instead of the current one. In FreeTaxUSA, double check the year designation when entering your payments. Also, keep in mind that if you paid state estimated taxes too, those are handled separately in the state return section. The federal section only deals with federal estimated payments.
Thanks for mentioning this! How would I know if a payment was applied to the wrong year? I made my Q4 payment in January 2024 but it was for tax year 2023. Should I be concerned?
If you made your Q4 payment in January 2024 but intended it for tax year 2023, you should be fine as long as you designated it correctly when making the payment. The IRS form/payment system usually asks you which tax year the payment is for. To verify this, you can check your payment confirmation from when you made the payment. It should indicate the tax year. If you're still concerned, you can create an online account at IRS.gov and view your payment history, which shows which tax year each payment was applied to. Just make sure when entering in FreeTaxUSA that you include this payment with your 2023 estimated payments, even though you made it in 2024.
Has anyone else noticed that FreeTaxUSA sometimes doesn't clearly show where to enter quarterly payments? I was clicking around forever trying to find it! For anyone else confused, go to the "Payments" section and look for "Federal Estimated Tax Payments" - that's where you'll enter each quarterly payment.
Their interface is definitely not the most intuitive. I found it by using the search feature at the top - just type "estimated payments" and it should take you directly to that section. Saved me a ton of time hunting through menus!
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Another option to consider is whether you're eligible for a Roth IRA instead of the Traditional IRA. If your income is below the Roth IRA limits (higher than the Traditional IRA deductibility limits), you could switch to contributing to a Roth IRA. That way, you'd still get tax advantages, just on the withdrawal end instead of the contribution end. For 2024, Roth IRA contributions phase out between $146,000-$161,000 for single filers and $230,000-$240,000 for married filing jointly. Worth considering if you're in that income range!
Thanks for this suggestion! My income is actually within the Roth IRA eligibility range but below the higher threshold. I was trying to diversify between pre-tax and post-tax retirement savings, but if I can't deduct the Traditional IRA contributions anyway, switching to Roth IRA might make more sense. Would there be any advantage to keeping non-deductible Traditional IRA contributions rather than just going with the Roth IRA directly?
If you can't deduct your Traditional IRA contributions and you're eligible for a Roth IRA, there's generally little advantage to making non-deductible Traditional IRA contributions instead of contributing directly to a Roth IRA. The main exception would be if you're planning to use the "Backdoor Roth" strategy in the future. Some people make non-deductible Traditional IRA contributions and then immediately convert them to Roth. This can be useful for those who exceed the Roth IRA income limits. However, this gets complicated if you already have other pre-tax money in Traditional IRAs due to the "pro-rata" rule.
Has anyone used TurboTax for this situation instead of H&R Block? I'm wondering if different tax software handles the Roth 401k + Traditional IRA combination differently or if they all follow the same logic.
I used TurboTax this year with the exact same retirement setup (Roth 401k + Traditional IRA), and it also said my Traditional IRA wasn't deductible because I participate in a workplace plan. So I think all the major tax software follows the same IRS rules on this.
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Just wanted to add - make sure you check if you qualify for "reasonable cause" relief. My mother was hospitalized last tax season and I missed my extended deadline by 3 weeks. I wrote a letter explaining the situation, included some documentation, and the IRS waived all penalties. They're actually more understanding than people think if you have a legitimate reason and documentation.
Do you have any tips for what counts as "reasonable cause"? Would my scenario qualify? And did you just include the letter with your late return or file first and then send the letter separately?
Reasonable cause includes things like serious illness, death in the family, natural disasters, or inability to access records. Your family emergency might qualify depending on the specifics. The more documentation you can provide, the better. I filed my return first (to stop additional penalties from accruing) and then sent the reasonable cause letter separately. I referenced my return and included my tax ID number. Keep the letter concise but include specific dates and explain exactly how the situation prevented you from filing on time.
Honestly the IRS is surprisingly reasonable about this stuff. I missed my extension deadline by over a month last year and just filed as soon as I could. Turned out I was owed a refund so there were no penalties at all. Even if you do owe, first-time penalty abatement is pretty easy to get if you've been compliant in prior years. Don't stress too much - just file ASAP!
Not always true! My brother got hit with almost $1200 in penalties for missing his extended deadline last year. Depends a lot on your specific situation and how much you owe.
Dylan Evans
Pro tip for anyone with the EV credit situation - you don't have to wait until tax time. I bought my EV in March last year and immediately adjusted my W-4 to account for the $7,500 credit. Instead of reducing withholding across the remaining 9 months by $833/month, I reduced it by $625/month to build in a small buffer just in case. Ended up with a tiny $380 refund instead of a massive one! Just divide the credit by your remaining pay periods and adjust accordingly.
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Sofia Gomez
•What about the Social Security overpayment though? I work two jobs and always end up overpaying. Is there a way to adjust for that during the year too?
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Dylan Evans
•The Social Security overpayment is trickier because employers don't coordinate with each other. If you know your total earnings will exceed the Social Security wage base ($168,600 for 2024), you can estimate how much you'll overpay. The calculation is basically 6.2% of the amount you'll earn above the wage base across all jobs. Once you have that number, you can adjust your W-4 at your highest-paying job to compensate by adding that estimated overpayment amount to Step 3 of your W-4 or reducing the additional withholding in Step 4(c). Just be careful not to adjust so much that you end up owing a lot at tax time. It's usually safer to get a small refund than to owe penalties.
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StormChaser
Did anyone else notice OP mentioned they were "unsure if I'd qualify for [the EV credit] until late in the year"? This is a huge problem with the new Clean Vehicle Credit rules! I want to buy an EV but I'm self-employed with fluctuating income, so I have no idea if I'll be under the MAGI limits ($300k joint) until December. Should I just not claim it on my W-4 and get a big refund to be safe?
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Mei Wong
•I'm planning on erring on the side of caution. If your income might put you over the threshold, don't adjust your withholding for the credit. Better to get a refund than owe penalties. You could also do a partial adjustment if you're fairly confident you'll get at least some of the credit.
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