Has anyone looked at whether the $1900 statement value might include earnings/growth? My retirement statements always show contributions + earnings for the period, and that threw me off big time last year.

This is exactly the kind of confusion that trips up so many people! As others have mentioned, Box 12 code AA only shows YOUR elective deferrals (the money deducted from your paycheck), not employer contributions or any investment gains. To help you verify everything matches up correctly, here's what I'd recommend checking: 1. Look at your final 2023 paystub - your year-to-date 401k deduction should match the $1100 in Box 12 code AA 2. Check if your retirement statement breaks down employee vs employer contributions separately 3. See if you were contributing to both traditional AND Roth 401k accounts (Roth would show up differently on your W-2) 4. Look for any investment gains/losses on your statement that might be inflating the total The $800 difference you're seeing is most likely a combination of employer matching and possibly some account growth during 2023. This is totally normal and doesn't indicate any error on your W-2. Your tax filing should be based on the W-2 amounts, not your retirement account statement totals.

Great advice from everyone here! I just wanted to add that if you're still having trouble locating your capital loss carryover amount, you can also check with your local VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) program. They often help people understand their tax documents for free, especially if your income is under $64,000. Also, for future reference, I'd recommend keeping a simple spreadsheet or note with key tax numbers like capital loss carryovers, estimated tax payments, and other items you'll need for next year's return. I started doing this after spending way too much time hunting through old documents, and it's been a lifesaver. Just jot down the important numbers right after you file while everything is fresh in your mind. One more tip - if you have a tax preparer next year, make sure to bring documentation of your capital loss carryover amount. Some preparers might miss it if you don't specifically mention it, and you don't want to lose out on those deductions you're entitled to!

I went through this exact same struggle last year! One thing that really helped me was creating a simple tax filing checklist that includes "Save capital loss carryover worksheet" as one of the final steps. For your immediate situation, if you used TurboTax and can't access your prior year return easily, try calling their customer support - they can sometimes email you a copy of your complete return including all worksheets. I had to do this once and while there was a small fee, it was worth it to get the exact numbers I needed. Also, just a heads up for next year - if you're planning to do your own taxes again, consider keeping a "tax binder" or folder specifically for carryover items like capital losses, charitable contribution carryovers, and any other multi-year deductions. I label mine with the tax year and keep it right with my current year documents so I don't forget about these carryforward items when filing season comes around. The $3,000 annual limit on capital loss deductions against ordinary income means these carryovers can stretch across multiple years, so good record keeping really pays off in the long run!

Anyone else confused about what counts as "taxable" across state lines? I bought a laptop online last year and can't remember if I paid tax on it or not. Would that definitely count for use tax?

This is exactly the kind of situation that trips up so many people! Living on state lines makes tax filing way more complicated than it should be. For your grocery shopping, the good news is that many states exempt basic groceries from sales tax entirely, so you might not owe anything on those cross-border trips. But prepared foods, household items, and definitely online purchases are a different story. The key thing to remember is that use tax is really about making sure your home state gets its fair share when you buy things elsewhere. If you paid sales tax in the other state that's equal to or higher than your home state rate, you're usually good. It's only when you paid less (or nothing) that you owe the difference. Most states have made this easier by offering those lookup tables based on income that others mentioned. For someone spending $300-400/month on cross-border shopping, using the table is probably your best bet unless you made some really big purchases that would push your actual use tax way above the table amount. Don't stress too much about perfect record keeping for routine shopping - the states know this is impractical for most people, which is why they created these simplified methods.

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.

Great advice from everyone here! Just to add one more perspective - I've been doing private tutoring for about 2 years and it's definitely worth getting organized from the start. One thing I wish someone had told me early on is to keep receipts for EVERYTHING tutoring-related, even small purchases. Those $5 whiteboard markers, $15 workbooks, even gas receipts from driving to students - it all adds up over the year. I use a simple envelope system where I drop all tutoring receipts into one envelope as soon as I get home. Also, don't stress too much about the complexity! Yes, it's self-employment income and yes, there's extra paperwork, but for a $3,800 side gig, it's pretty straightforward. The Schedule C form looks intimidating but it's mostly just listing your income and expenses. Once you do it the first time, next year will be much easier. The most important thing is just being honest and keeping good records. The IRS isn't trying to trip you up - they just want to make sure you're reporting your income correctly. You've got this!

As someone who just went through this exact situation last year, I can confirm everything mentioned here is accurate. Your tutoring income is definitely self-employment income that needs to be reported on Schedule C. One thing I'd add is to start tracking your business expenses right away - even things you might not think of as "business expenses" can add up. For example, I was able to deduct a portion of my cell phone bill since I use it to communicate with parents about scheduling, and part of my home internet since I prep materials and research teaching methods online. Also, don't forget about the home office deduction if you have a dedicated space where you prep lessons or do administrative work for your tutoring business. Even if it's just a corner of a room that you use exclusively for tutoring-related activities, it could qualify. The key is documentation - take photos of your workspace, keep all receipts, and maintain good records from day one. It's much easier to stay organized throughout the year than to scramble to recreate everything at tax time!