W2 shows I earned $11.2k but income tax amounts make 0 sense... is this normal?
So I'm filing taxes for the first time with my W2 and something seems really off. My W2 shows I earned about $11.2k last year at my part-time job, but when I look at the withholding boxes, it shows I only paid $27 in state income tax and literally just $2.48 for federal taxes. That can't be right, can it? I'm really confused because I always thought they took a bigger chunk for taxes. My friend who made around the same amount had way more withheld. I double checked the W2 form like three times thinking maybe I was reading the wrong boxes, but nope. Box 1 shows $11,263 wages, Box 2 shows $2.48 federal income tax withheld, and my state box shows $27. Is this normal? Did my employer mess up? Am I going to owe a ton now when I file? I'm totally new to this tax stuff and really don't want to get in trouble with the IRS my first time filing.
18 comments
Join the conversation
Jessica Nolan
You're not crazy - those withholding amounts do seem unusually low for that income level. The most likely explanation is how you filled out your W-4 form when you started the job. The W-4 tells your employer how much to withhold, and if you claimed exemption or a high number of allowances, very little would be withheld. Since this is your first W2 job, you might qualify for very low tax liability anyway. If your total income for the year was just that $11.2k, you're likely below the standard deduction (which is $14,600 for single filers in 2025), meaning you wouldn't owe federal income tax. This could explain the minimal withholding if your employer calculated it correctly based on your projected annual income.
0 coins
Leo McDonald
•Thanks for the explanation! I don't remember exactly what I put on the W-4, but I think I might have checked the student exemption box or something? Does being a part-time student affect this? Also, if I'm under the standard deduction like you mentioned, does that mean I don't need to worry about owing anything when I file? Will I maybe even get that $2.48 back?
0 coins
Jessica Nolan
•Being a student doesn't automatically exempt you from withholding, but if you indicated on your W-4 that you expected to have no tax liability (by claiming exemption), that would explain the minimal withholding. It's also possible your employer calculated based on your part-time status and projected your annual income would be below the standard deduction. If your total income for 2024 was only that $11.2k, then yes, you should be under the standard deduction and likely won't owe federal income tax. You would actually get that $2.48 refunded when you file. For state taxes, it depends on your state's rules, but many states also have minimum thresholds before income tax applies.
0 coins
Angelina Farar
After going through a similar situation last year, I found taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) incredibly helpful for making sense of confusing W2 situations. I was working multiple part-time jobs and my withholdings looked all wrong compared to what my friends were paying. I uploaded my W2 to taxr.ai and it immediately flagged the potential issues with my withholding and explained exactly why it happened - turns out I had filled out my W-4 incorrectly! The system walked me through what the numbers actually meant and what I needed to do for the current tax year to fix it.
0 coins
Sebastián Stevens
•Does this service actually work with unusual situations? I have a W2 from a job I only worked for 2 months, plus some gig work, and my tax situation is a mess.
0 coins
Bethany Groves
•I'm suspicious of any tax service that claims to explain everything easily. How does it compare to just asking a question on reddit or using something like TurboTax? Is it just going to tell me what I already know - that I should have filled out my W4 differently?
0 coins
Angelina Farar
•It absolutely works with unusual situations including multiple jobs, partial-year employment, and mixed income sources. The system is trained on thousands of different scenarios, so it can identify patterns that might cause issues when you file. It shows you exactly what boxes to check on your tax forms based on your specific situation. Compared to asking on reddit or using TurboTax, the big difference is it explains WHY things happened rather than just crunching numbers. It doesn't just tell you that you filled out your W4 incorrectly - it shows you exactly which selections caused the issue and what to expect when you file your return. Plus, it gives you personalized guidance for preventing the same issues next year.
0 coins
Bethany Groves
I was really skeptical about taxr.ai at first, but I gave it a try after my W2 showed almost no federal withholding like yours. Honestly, it was eye-opening! The system immediately identified that I had accidentally claimed exemption on my W-4 when I shouldn't have. What I found most helpful was the explanation of how the withholding tables work with part-time jobs. Apparently when you only work part of the year or limited hours, payroll systems often calculate withholding as if that's your annual rate, which can lead to under-withholding. Just used their withholding calculator to update my W-4 for this year so I won't have any surprises. Definitely recommend for anyone confused by their first W2!
0 coins
KingKongZilla
If you're still concerned and want to talk to someone at the IRS directly about your withholding (which honestly might be a good idea if this is your first time filing), I'd recommend using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I was in the same boat last year and tried calling the IRS myself, but kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours. Claimyr got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes who explained exactly what was happening with my withholding and helped me understand what I needed to do for this year. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - it basically holds your place in the IRS phone queue so you don't have to listen to that horrible hold music for hours.
0 coins
Rebecca Johnston
•How much did they charge you? Seems weird to pay money just to talk to the IRS which should be free...
0 coins
Nathan Dell
•This sounds made up. You're telling me you actually got through to a real IRS person who was helpful? I've tried calling them like 5 times about my refund and always get automated messages or disconnected after waiting forever.
0 coins
KingKongZilla
•They have different options depending on what IRS department you need to reach, but I don't remember the exact amount. It was absolutely worth it though - I saved hours of frustration and got my question answered quickly instead of taking a day off work to sit on hold. I was skeptical too, but yes, I actually spoke with a real IRS representative who walked me through why my withholding was calculated the way it was and helped me understand what I needed to do on my W-4 this year. The difference is they know exactly when to call and which menu options to use to maximize your chances of getting through. I was honestly shocked when my phone rang and it was an actual IRS employee ready to help.
0 coins
Nathan Dell
I thought Claimyr was going to be another useless service, but I tried it after posting that skeptical comment since I was desperate to find out about my refund status. I was SHOCKED when my phone actually rang 30 minutes later with a real IRS agent on the line! Turns out my refund was held up because they needed to verify my identity, but no one had bothered to send me a letter about it. The agent helped me complete the verification right over the phone. Without that call, my refund would've been sitting in limbo for months while I kept checking the "Where's My Refund" tool that just said "processing." For anyone who's ever tried calling the IRS themselves and been frustrated by the endless holds and disconnects, this service is a game-changer.
0 coins
Maya Jackson
If your income was only 11.2k for the year, you're under the standard deduction so you probably won't owe federal taxes. But be careful - if you had any other income (like from investments or side gigs), that could push you over the threshold. Also check if you qualify for tax credits like the Earned Income Credit which could actually get you a refund even if you paid basically nothing in.
0 coins
Leo McDonald
•I didn't have any other income, just this part-time job. What's the Earned Income Credit? Could I really get money back even though I barely paid anything in? That sounds too good to be true.
0 coins
Maya Jackson
•The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is designed specifically for lower to moderate income workers. For tax year 2024 (filing in 2025), if you're single with no children and earned around $11k, you might qualify for a small credit - potentially a few hundred dollars. It's a refundable credit, which means you can get it even if you owe no taxes. There are age requirements though - you generally need to be at least 25 and under 65 to claim it without qualifying children. You'll need to file Form 1040 and complete Schedule EIC to claim it. Most tax software will automatically check if you qualify when you enter your information, so it's worth filing even if you don't owe any taxes!
0 coins
Tristan Carpenter
This happened to me last year when I worked a part-time retail job! Turns out I accidentally checked "Exempt" on my W-4 form when I started. When you're exempt, they don't withhold ANY federal income tax. You might wanna check with your HR department to see what your W-4 shows.
0 coins
Amaya Watson
•Same thing happened to me in college. If you check "Exempt" you need to fill out a new W-4 every year or they automatically start withholding at the highest rate after February 15. Learned that the hard way lol.
0 coins