1 I didn't even think to check that... just looked at my forms and you're right, my total tax paid went up a lot this year (like $1400 more than last year), but my withholding didn't increase enough to match it. I did do some DoorDash on weekends this year that I forgot about, and that probably didn't have any withholding on it. That explains a lot, thanks!

7 The DoorDash income is definitely a big factor then! Self-employment income doesn't have taxes automatically withheld, so that would explain why your refund was smaller - you earned money throughout the year that didn't have any tax withheld from it. For next year, you might want to consider making quarterly estimated tax payments on that income, or increasing your withholding at your main job to cover it.

11 I work at a grocery store and have the same problem. I think it's because our hours fluctuate so much week to week, so they can't really predict what we'll make for the whole year. My sister is a teacher with a steady salary and her withholding is almost perfect every year.

3 That makes a lot of sense about the fluctuating hours! I didn't think about it that way. I guess if some weeks I'm getting 38 hours and other weeks only 22, the withholding system probably gets confused about what my actual annual income will be.

Omg I didn't even think about that! We aren't exactly on speaking terms but I guess I should try to find out how he reported the sale on his taxes. Is there any way to fix this if he did claim the entire exclusion? We're supposed to split everything 50/50 according to our divorce decree.

Yes, there's definitely a way to fix it, but it can be a bit complicated. First, your divorce decree is hugely important here - if it specifies a 50/50 split, that document will help you if there's any dispute with the IRS. What you need to do is file your return correctly according to your actual situation (claiming your rightful portion of the exclusion). If the IRS sends you a notice because of conflicting information from your ex's return, respond with a copy of your divorce decree and an explanation. You might also need to include Form 8379 (Injured Spouse Allocation) with your return if you think this might be an issue.

This is super important! When I sold my house, I initially forgot about the $22k we spent on a new HVAC system and bathroom renovation. Adding those to my basis saved me thousands in taxes. Even smaller improvements like new appliances or flooring can add up.

Omg that's incredible! I do have about $45k in student loans still. I had no idea this was a thing. Do you know if it matters that I'm working remotely? Does your wife have to do anything special to qualify for this program?

Remote work doesn't affect PSLF eligibility - it's about who your employer is (a qualifying non-profit), not where you physically work. The key requirements are: working full-time (at least 30 hours per week), making 120 qualifying monthly payments under an income-driven repayment plan, and being employed by a qualifying employer during those payments. My wife had to submit the PSLF Employment Certification Form annually to track her progress. The most important thing is to start this process ASAP - get the Employment Certification Form filled out by your HR department once you start. Many people miss out because they don't properly document their qualifying employment from the beginning.

This is great advice! I'd add that you should also check whether they offer a 403(b) retirement plan rather than a 401(k) - it's the non-profit version and sometimes has different contribution limits or match structures.

Thanks for bringing that up! Yes, my brother has lived with me full-time for the entire year. I have legal custody and provide over half of his financial support. He's still in high school even though he turned 18, so he meets the qualifying relative tests. I confirmed all the requirements before claiming him. It's just the credit refund part that was confusing me.

Sounds like you've done your homework! Just wanted to make sure because sometimes people don't realize all the specific requirements. Since your brother lives with you full-time and you provide most of his support while having legal custody, you're definitely filing correctly as HOH with him as a dependent. The ODC is still frustrating though. I had a similar situation with my mom living with me last year. What I did was adjust my W-4 at work to withhold a bit less each paycheck throughout the year, which meant I had a small tax liability when filing. Then the ODC actually helped reduce what I owed instead of just disappearing.

So what's the point of the Other Dependent Credit if most low income people don't owe taxes anyway? Seems like it mainly benefits higher income folks.

We don't have marketplace insurance (covered through my employer) but your point about income-driven repayment plans is really helpful! I am on an IBR plan for my loans. Do you know how much filing separately typically reduces the monthly payments? Is it worth losing the tax benefits?

For Income-Based Repayment (IBR) plans, filing separately can make a significant difference in your monthly payments. When you file jointly, both your income and your spouse's are considered when calculating your payment, even if your spouse isn't responsible for the loans. Filing separately means only your income counts. The impact varies widely depending on income disparity between spouses. In your case, with your $85,000 income and your husband's $32,000, filing separately could reduce your monthly student loan payment by roughly 25-40%. However, this needs to be weighed against tax benefits lost. You'd lose the student loan interest deduction (up to $2,500), potentially higher retirement contribution limits, and other credits. I usually recommend calculating both scenarios - the annual tax savings from filing jointly versus the annual student loan payment savings from filing separately. For many clients, the student loan savings actually outweigh the tax benefits, especially if you're working toward loan forgiveness programs.

FreeTaxUSA is decent for basic comparison but it misses some of the nuances. Last year it showed only a $300 difference for us between filing methods, but when our accountant did it properly, there was actually a $1,800 difference because of how our state taxes interacted with federal deductions. The software missed that completely.