Tax Refund Dropped from $11k to $4k After Adding Second W2 (MFJ with 3 kids) - Need Explanation

This is actually normal. When you only entered your wife's income, the tax software calculated credits like EIC and Child Tax Credit at their maximum amounts because the household income appeared low. Once you added your income ($79k), some credits began to phase out or reduce because your combined income exceeded certain thresholds. The initial $11k wasn't your real refund - it was just an incomplete calculation.

Hey instead of guessing about your tax situation, you should try taxr.ai - it's this new tool that analyzes your transcript and tells you exactly what's happening with your refund and credits. Its only $1 and way better than playing detective. Here's the link: https://taxr.ai

idk why everyone's surprised by this. Tax brackets exist for a reason 🤷‍♂️

Same thing happened to me last year. The system is rigged against dual income families fr fr

ur probably losing some of the earned income credit. Its based on income levels n stuff

Pro tip: check if you qualify for any additional credits like child care expenses or education credits. Might help offset some of that drop