I went through this exact same situation when I got married two years ago! The panic is so real when you're used to seeing federal tax deducted from every paycheck as a single filer. Here's what I learned: the married filing jointly withholding system is fundamentally different from single filing. When you select MFJ on your W-4, the system doesn't just change a few numbers - it completely changes how your withholding is calculated. Your individual income is now being evaluated against the much higher MFJ standard deduction ($29,200 for 2025) and different tax bracket thresholds. Since your wife earns about twice what you do, her paychecks are likely being withheld at a rate designed to cover BOTH of your tax liabilities as a married couple. This is actually how it's supposed to work - the system treats you as one tax unit pooling resources, not two separate taxpayers. Before you make any more W-4 changes, please use the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator on IRS.gov. Input both incomes, current withholding amounts, and expected deductions. I bet you'll find you're actually on track for the year, possibly even for a small refund like I was. The key mental shift is understanding that your zero federal withholding doesn't mean something's broken - it likely means your individual income doesn't generate enough tax liability when viewed through the MFJ lens, while your wife's higher withholding covers your combined household tax bill. Don't let the anxiety drive you to make unnecessary changes until you know if there's actually a problem!

I completely understand your panic - this exact same thing happened to me when I got married last year! The married filing jointly withholding system is honestly one of the most confusing things about taxes that nobody really prepares you for as newlyweds. What's happening is actually very normal and likely correct. When you select "married filing jointly" on your W-4, the withholding calculations change completely. Your individual income is now being evaluated against the much higher MFJ standard deduction (around $29,200 for 2025) and different tax brackets. Since your wife earns about twice what you do, your individual salary probably doesn't generate enough tax liability to require federal withholding when run through these MFJ tables. Here's the key insight that finally clicked for me: your wife's paychecks aren't just covering her taxes - they're likely being withheld at a rate designed to cover BOTH of your tax liabilities as a married couple. The system treats you as one combined tax unit now, not two separate taxpayers. Before you make any more changes or stress about owing money, please use the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator on IRS.gov. Input both of your incomes, current withholding amounts, and expected deductions. When I finally did this, I discovered we were actually going to get a small refund despite my zero federal withholding! The system was working exactly as intended - I just didn't understand it. Don't let the anxiety drive you to make unnecessary adjustments until you know if there's actually a problem. In most cases like yours, everything is working correctly even though it feels completely wrong when you're used to seeing federal tax come out of every check.

This is actually really common during tax season, especially with FAFSA applications! The timing makes perfect sense - you mentioned applying for financial aid recently, and schools typically request these verification letters from the IRS to confirm students haven't filed yet (which affects aid eligibility). The letter being dated February 16th and coming from Memphis is totally normal - that's one of their main processing centers. The "no record of processed return" just means as of that specific date, they hadn't finished processing your return yet, which can take weeks even after you file. Don't stress about identity theft - if someone was trying to mess with your taxes, they'd be filing fraudulent returns, not requesting verification that you DIDN't file. This is definitely just standard FAFSA paperwork. You can always call that 800 number if you want peace of mind, but sounds like everything's working as it should!

Just to add some reassurance - I work in financial aid and see these letters ALL the time during FAFSA season. Schools automatically request verification of non-filing for students who haven't submitted tax info yet, and the IRS sends these letters as standard procedure. The Memphis processing center handles tons of these requests daily. The fact that you got this letter actually means the system is working correctly - your school requested verification, the IRS checked their records as of Feb 16th, didn't see a processed return yet (totally normal timing), and sent you this notification. It's basically just paperwork trail documentation. If you already filed your 2024 return, just submit that to your financial aid office instead. If you haven't filed yet, you might be able to use this letter for your FAFSA depending on your school's requirements. Either way, you're all good!

Anyone know if I can contribute to an HSA for 2024 if I setup my qualified high-deductible health plan in December 2024? Or do I need to have the HDHP for the full year to qualify?

Great question! I see you've gotten some excellent explanations already, but let me add one practical tip that might help clarify things for you. When you file your taxes, you'll report your $5,800 HSA contribution on Form 8889, and this creates what's called an "above-the-line" deduction on Line 13 of Form 1040. This is actually better than itemized deductions because it reduces your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) regardless of whether you take the standard deduction or itemize. To put it simply: if you're in the 22% tax bracket, your $5,800 contribution will save you roughly $1,276 in federal taxes ($5,800 × 0.22). However, the exact savings depend on your total income and which tax brackets that income falls into. One thing to double-check: make sure your $5,800 doesn't exceed the 2024 HSA contribution limits. For individual coverage it's $4,150, and for family coverage it's $8,300 (plus $1,000 catch-up if you're 55+). If you contributed more than your limit, you'll need to withdraw the excess to avoid penalties. The key takeaway is that HSA contributions are one of the best tax advantages available - you get the deduction now, the money grows tax-free, and qualified withdrawals are tax-free too. It's truly "triple tax-advantaged.

Just wanted to add another perspective as someone who's been through an IRS audit specifically related to travel expenses. The luggage deduction you're asking about is generally fine, but here are a few things I learned the hard way: The IRS really focuses on the "business necessity" aspect. For your $245 roller bag, document WHY you needed new luggage for work (your old one broke after 6 years of business travel). Keep a photo of the broken luggage if you still have it - sounds silly but it helps establish the business need. Since you mentioned monthly client site visits, that pattern of regular business travel actually strengthens your case. One-off business trips sometimes get more scrutiny than established patterns of business travel. One thing that surprised me during audit: they asked for evidence that I actually took the luggage on business trips, not just that I bought it with business intent. So those spreadsheets and trip logs others mentioned? Super important. I had to provide hotel receipts, flight confirmations, and meeting schedules that corresponded with my claimed business use percentage. Your 90/10 split sounds reasonable and defensible. Just be prepared to show evidence of that ratio if questioned - the IRS agent in my case spot-checked about 6 months of my travel records to verify my claimed percentages were accurate.

I've been deducting luggage expenses for my business travel for several years now, and your situation sounds very similar to mine. That $245 roller bag is definitely reasonable and deductible at the business-use percentage. One thing I learned from my accountant that might help: keep a simple travel log showing the business purpose of each trip. I just use a basic spreadsheet with columns for date, destination, business purpose, and whether it was business or personal. Takes 30 seconds per trip to update, but it's been invaluable for my records. Since you're traveling monthly for client sites, you have a clear business necessity for quality luggage. The fact that you use it 90% for business makes the math pretty straightforward - you can likely deduct around $220 of that $245 cost. Just make sure to save your receipt and maybe jot down a note about why you needed to replace your old luggage (broke after 6 years of business travel). Having that context helps establish the business necessity if you're ever questioned about it. Also worth checking - some employers will reimburse luggage purchases even if it's not explicitly in their travel policy. Worth asking HR about, though if they don't cover it, you're good to deduct the business portion yourself.

Just to add some practical info on donation values - I volunteer at a nonprofit thrift store and here are some ballpark clothing values we use that the IRS generally accepts: - Men's shirts: $5-10 - Women's tops: $4-12 - Jeans/pants: $5-12 - Coats/jackets: $10-40 - Shoes: $3-9 These are general ranges and condition matters a lot! A worn-out shirt is worth less than a like-new one with tags still on.

Don't forget that it's not just about the amount of donations - it's whether you have enough TOTAL itemized deductions to exceed the standard deduction. My wife and I donate about $1,200 a year but we still take the standard deduction because our mortgage interest and state taxes aren't enough to push us over the threshold.