This is such a common source of confusion for new employees! I remember being totally lost when I got my first real paycheck. Just to add to what others have said - FED MWT EE is your federal income tax withholding, and the amount depends on what you put on your W-4 form when you started. One thing that helped me was keeping my first few paystubs and comparing them to make sure the deductions stayed consistent. Sometimes payroll makes mistakes, especially in your first few pay periods while they're setting everything up in their system. Also, don't worry if the amount seems high - like others mentioned, if too much is being withheld, you'll get it back as a refund when you file your taxes. Better to have too much withheld than to owe a big payment in April!

As someone who works in payroll processing, I can confirm that FED MWT EE is indeed Federal Withholding Tax for the Employee portion. The confusing part is that every payroll system seems to use slightly different abbreviations - I've seen FED W/H, FIT-EE, Fed Tax, and about a dozen other variations all referring to the same thing. One thing I'd add that others haven't mentioned - if this is your first job or you recently had a major life change (got married, had a kid, bought a house, etc.), you might want to review your W-4 after a few paychecks to make sure your withholding is on track. The IRS updated the W-4 form a few years ago to be more accurate, but it can still be tricky to get right. Also, keep in mind that your federal withholding will be higher in your first few paychecks of the year and then level out once you hit the Social Security wage base limit (around $160k for 2024). Just something to be aware of so you don't panic if you see variations throughout the year!

I just want to add that if you're still having trouble getting through to the IRS or understanding exactly what they need, don't hesitate to contact a tax professional. Many CPAs and enrolled agents offer consultations specifically for IRS notice issues, and they can often resolve these situations much faster than trying to navigate it yourself. The CP81 is one of the more straightforward notices to deal with - it's really just a matter of proving you filed. But if you have any complications (like amended returns, prior year issues, or multiple notices), professional help can save you a lot of stress and potentially costly mistakes. Also, keep detailed records of every interaction you have with the IRS about this notice - dates, times, who you spoke with, confirmation numbers, etc. This documentation can be invaluable if any issues arise later or if you need to reference the case in the future.

I went through this exact situation about 6 months ago and completely understand the panic! The CP81 notice is scary when you first get it, but it's actually pretty routine. Here's what worked for me: First, definitely check your TurboTax account for the acceptance confirmation like others mentioned. But also check your email - TurboTax usually sends a confirmation email with your acceptance date and confirmation number. This is golden evidence that you filed. One thing I learned is that the IRS systems sometimes have glitches where returns get "stuck" in processing even though they were successfully transmitted. My return was actually in their system the whole time, but flagged for manual review which delayed the processing. I ended up responding by mail with my TurboTax acceptance confirmation and a simple cover letter stating "I electronically filed my 2023 tax return on [date] as evidenced by the enclosed confirmation. Please update your records accordingly." Sent it certified mail and got a letter about 4 weeks later confirming everything was resolved. The key is responding quickly and providing clear proof of filing. Don't ignore it hoping it will go away - that's when you can run into real problems with substitute returns and penalties. But if you filed legitimately and have proof, this should resolve pretty smoothly once you respond.

Make sure you're clear on what TYPE of trust you're dealing with. I learned the hard way that different trust types have different rules: - Revocable living trust (while grantor is alive): Usually no separate tax filing - Simple trust: April 15th deadline (calendar year) - Complex trust: April 15th for calendar year trusts, or the 15th day of the 4th month after fiscal year end - Grantor trusts: Income reported on grantor's personal return - Charitable remainder trusts: May 15th deadline!

Based on what you've described about your uncle's trust, it sounds like it could be either a simple trust or complex trust depending on the specific terms. If the trust is required to distribute all income annually to your aunt and doesn't make charitable distributions or accumulate income, it would typically be classified as a "simple trust" and file Form 1041 by April 15th. However, if the trust has discretion over distributions, can accumulate income, or makes distributions from principal, it would be a "complex trust" - but still with the same April 15th deadline for calendar year trusts. The key factor for your situation is that this type of testamentary trust (created upon death) almost always uses a calendar year for tax purposes, so you'd be looking at the April 15th filing deadline. Your aunt would receive a Schedule K-1 showing her share of the trust income to report on her personal tax return. I'd strongly recommend having the trustee consult with a tax professional familiar with trust taxation, especially in the first year after your uncle's passing, as there can be additional complexities with the initial tax filings.

Why is everyone making this so complicated? Just check "Married Filing Jointly" on both W-4s and be done with it. If you're worried about underwithholding, just put an extra $100 per paycheck in the additional withholding line on the higher income spouse's W-4. That's what my wife and I do (I make $150k, she makes $65k) and we always get a small refund.

As someone who went through this exact situation last year, I'd recommend using the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator first before making any changes. My husband makes $140k and I make $82k, so very similar to your situation. What we learned is that the "married filing jointly" checkbox on both W-4s can actually cause overwithholding when both spouses work, because each employer's payroll system assumes it's withholding for your entire tax liability when it's really only responsible for a portion. The estimator told us to select "married filing jointly" on both forms but to add $75 per paycheck in additional withholding on my husband's W-4 (the higher earner) and $0 additional on mine. This ended up being perfect - we owed about $50 at tax time. The income gap itself isn't really the issue - it's more about making sure the total withholding from both jobs covers your combined tax liability correctly. Don't stress too much about it though - you can always adjust your W-4s mid-year if needed once you see how your first few paychecks look.

Have u guys actually checked the tax courts on this? Theres been cases where painting WAS allowed as capital improvement if it was part of a bigger renovation or if it substantially prolonged the life of the house. IRS Publication 523 is worth reading on this topic.

I'd definitely lean toward treating this as a capital improvement given your specific circumstances. The fact that you have an inspection report documenting the poor paint condition and completed the work within 30 days of purchase creates a strong case that this was necessary to bring the property up to standard rather than routine maintenance. The IRS looks at the substance over form - since this was clearly identified as a deficiency that affected your purchase negotiations and price, it's more like completing your acquisition of a livable property than maintaining an already-functional one. Make sure to keep copies of: your inspection report highlighting the paint issues, any communications about the paint factoring into price negotiations, all receipts for the painting work, and ideally some before/after photos. When you eventually sell, this documentation will support adding the painting costs to your basis. One tip: consider having a brief written summary prepared that connects all these documents together - it'll make things much clearer if you ever need to explain the situation to the IRS or a future tax preparer.