I owe $3,800 in federal and $2,100 in state taxes - is this normal with income jump?

This is actually pretty common when you have a significant income jump like yours. Here's what's likely happening: When your income increased from $105k to $185k, you moved into higher tax brackets for both federal and state taxes. Your withholding probably didn't adjust properly for this jump. The withholding tables your employer uses are designed for relatively consistent income throughout the year, and they don't automatically account for big increases. Also, as your income rises, you might lose eligibility for certain deductions and credits that phase out at higher income levels, which further increases your tax liability. Based on the numbers you shared, owing $3,800 federal and $2,100 state on an $80k income increase actually sounds reasonable. The total tax bill on $185k would be much higher than on $105k, and your withholding likely didn't increase proportionally.

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You definitely need to adjust your W-4! I had a similar income jump ($90k to $160k) and got destroyed on taxes because my withholding wasn't updated. Go to the IRS withholding estimator tool (https://www.irs.gov/individuals/tax-withholding-estimator) and run your numbers. It will tell you exactly how to fill out a new W-4. For your current situation, the amount you owe sounds about right with that income increase. A CPA probably won't save you much unless you have complicated deductions or investments you're missing. I'd save the CPA money and just update your withholding ASAP so you don't have the same problem next year.

Honestly this doesn't seem right to me. If you had $25k withheld on $185k income, that should cover most of your federal tax. I'd double check that all your W-2s and withholding amounts are entered correctly. Easy to miss a form or enter something wrong, especially with multiple income sources. Check if you accidentally entered a withholding amount as a deduction somewhere or missed including state withholding.

Don't forget to look at your state withholding too! A lot of times when people get raises they focus on updating federal withholding but forget about state. I made this mistake and got hammered with a state tax bill even though my federal withholding was fine. Especially with that kind of income jump, your state tax liability increased significantly too.

Your situation is completely normal and actually pretty predictable with that kind of income jump. The math checks out - $25k withholding on $185k income is only about 13.5%, but your actual tax rate on that income is going to be closer to 20-25% when you combine federal and state. Here's what happened: When you jumped from $105k to $185k, a big chunk of that additional $80k gets taxed at 24% federal (and potentially some at 32% if you hit that bracket), plus your state rate on top. Your payroll withholding was probably still calculated based on your previous income level and didn't adjust quickly enough for the promotion and bonuses. For next year, definitely update your W-4 immediately using the IRS withholding calculator. You'll want to either increase your withholding percentage or add a fixed dollar amount per paycheck to avoid this surprise again. Bonuses are often withheld at a flat 22%, which might not be enough given your new tax bracket. A CPA probably isn't necessary unless you have complex investments or business income. The amount you owe is frustrating but totally reasonable given the income increase. Focus on adjusting your withholding going forward rather than second-guessing your return.