For what it's worth, I've had two jobs with very different pay scales for years (one $85K, one about $5K). I never check the multiple jobs box and just claim single/zero on both W-4s. This has always resulted in a refund at tax time. The withholding from my main job covers most of my tax liability, and the little bit withheld from my smaller job is just extra cushion. Simple approach but it works for me!

I made a huge mistake with my W-4 last year - checked the multiple jobs box for both my main job ($90K) and my weekend job ($7K), and they BOTH withheld as if I was making double the income at each job. Got a massive refund but my paychecks were tiny all year! Don't overthink it - with such a small second job, just make sure you're withholding enough at your main job. The IRS withholding calculator on their website can help you figure out the exact amount if you want to be precise.

You should immediately pull your credit reports too! I had the same issue last year and discovered the tax return was just the beginning - the identity thief had also opened credit cards in my name. Go to annualcreditreport.com (the official site) and check all three bureaus. If you see anything suspicious, place a fraud alert or credit freeze right away. Also, check if your employer, accountant, or any financial services you use had data breaches recently. In my case, my information was leaked through my previous employer's payroll provider.

Has anyone mentioned that your accountant might have accidentally filed your personal return? This happened to me last year - my CPA had my 2022 return ready for review, but somehow it got e-filed before I approved it. When I tried to file my actual return, I got the same error code. Might be worth checking with them if they prepared a draft that got submitted by mistake.

Something everyone's missing in this conversation - qualified retirement plans! While Roth IRAs have that marriage penalty with the lower limits, employer plans like 401ks don't have this issue. Also, don't forget about spousal IRAs - if one of you stops working when the baby comes, the working spouse can still contribute to the non-working spouse's IRA even with no income. This is ONLY available if you're legally married. And remember, with a kid, one of you gets head of household filing status if unmarried, which is better than single filing status but not as good as MFJ in many cases. The higher standard deduction for MFJ vs HOH+Single might offset some of what you're calculating.

Has anyone mentioned the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT)? At your income levels, especially if you're in a high tax state with high property taxes, AMT can kick in and eliminate some deductions when married. Also consider that many tax benefits phase out based on AGI - not just Roth contributions but also student loan interest deductions, rental loss deductions, etc. As a married couple your combined AGI could push you over these limits. Something else to consider - marriage gives you double the capital loss deduction ($6,000 vs $3,000) which matters if you have investment losses to harvest.

I'm a tax preparer (not a CPA) and I can tell you this is completely unacceptable behavior. Every client has the absolute right to review their return before filing. In fact, we're required to get your signature on Form 8879 to authorize electronic filing, which specifically means you've reviewed and approved the return. Your CPA might be overwhelmed during tax season, but that's no excuse. Insist on seeing your return or find someone else, even if it means filing an extension. Better to file later with an accurate return than file on time with errors you never got to check.

After reading all these comments, I called my CPA's office and clearly stated "I need to review my return before it's filed as is my legal right." The receptionist put me on brief hold, then came back and scheduled a time for me to come in tomorrow. Sometimes being direct and stating it as a right rather than a request makes all the difference. Thanks everyone for the confidence to push back on this!

Just to add another data point - I paid my taxes with a credit card last year to hit my Amex Platinum bonus. My accountant marked "will not submit payment with return" and then I went to IRS.gov and used their approved processor links. I used Pay1040.com which had the lowest fee at the time (1.87%). The whole process took maybe 5 minutes. Just had to enter my SSN, tax year, payment amount, and card info. Got an email confirmation right away. No issues at all and my tax transcript later showed the payment posted correctly. The bonus points were definitely worth the processing fee in my case.

Omg I almost made a huge mistake with this exact situation last year! My tax guy told me to write my credit card number ON THE TAX FORM!!! I was like hell no and did some research. Found out the IRS NEVER wants your actual card number on tax forms!! That would be a security nightmare. What you do is file your taxes normally, then go to IRS.gov, click the "Pay" button, and it gives you links to the official payment processors. I used ACI Payments Inc and it was super easy. Yes the fees kinda suck (I paid like $90 on a $4500 tax bill) but I got enough points for a free flight to Vegas so totally worth it lol