Just did taxes...annoyed. Other people in the same boat?

[Anonymous]

Just did our taxes. Only W-2 income.

Overall we are paying less total tax than last year on slightly higher income (thank you tax cuts!). But we owe over $5k when we usually have a smallish refund.

I know we should its mathematically stupid to complain since we paid less overall but I am super annoyed as this will throw my budgeting into a tailspin.

We both have zero witholdings on our W-4 so this to me seems like some incompetence on part of the government that is blowing my budget up. Other people experience this?

[Anonymous]

I think it was deliberate vs incompetence, but yes, the tables were bad.

[Anonymous]

Yes. The withholding changes are part of the idiocracy that now exists.

[Anonymous]

Yep I believe this was very deliberate.

We are paying more taxes overall though.

[Anonymous]

Op here. Why would they do that deliberately? I don't see any benefit...in fact it will back fire as many less sophisticated people will focus on what they might owe at the end instead of total tax witholding for the year and think they are paying more in taxes.

[Anonymous]

Add about $100 additional witholding for both you and spouse (assuming bi-weekly paycheck) and you will be fine next year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here. Why would they do that deliberately? I don't see any benefit...in fact it will back fire as many less sophisticated people will focus on what they might owe at the end instead of total tax witholding for the year and think they are paying more in taxes.

OP - can you think of any event of national consequence that happened since the passage of this tax "cut" and the current filing season? Perhaps long-scheduled date where the public has the opportunity to come out and express their opinion on elected officials' performance and voting record?

It was the mid-term election, of course. The GOP wanted people to *think* they were getting a substantial tax cut, so they messed with the withholding tables and put more money in people's bi-monthly checks. That the public would eventually have to pay the piper didn't concern them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here. Why would they do that deliberately? I don't see any benefit...in fact it will back fire as many less sophisticated people will focus on what they might owe at the end instead of total tax witholding for the year and think they are paying more in taxes.

We live in an idiocracy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here. Why would they do that deliberately? I don't see any benefit...in fact it will back fire as many less sophisticated people will focus on what they might owe at the end instead of total tax witholding for the year and think they are paying more in taxes.

A bird in the hand. They needed the optics of lower withholdings in order to get the tax bill passed.

Since it was publicized at the time the tax bill was passed, though, I increased withholdings. Haven't done my taxes yet so hopefully it mitigates the hit out of pocket.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just did our taxes. Only W-2 income.

Overall we are paying less total tax than last year on slightly higher income (thank you tax cuts!). But we owe over $5k when we usually have a smallish refund.

I know we should its mathematically stupid to complain since we paid less overall but I am super annoyed as this will throw my budgeting into a tailspin.

We both have zero witholdings on our W-4 so this to me seems like some incompetence on part of the government that is blowing my budget up. Other people experience this?

Stupid people like you should volunteer to pay MORE taxes.

Sheesh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just did our taxes. Only W-2 income.

Overall we are paying less total tax than last year on slightly higher income (thank you tax cuts!). But we owe over $5k when we usually have a smallish refund.

I know we should its mathematically stupid to complain since we paid less overall but I am super annoyed as this will throw my budgeting into a tailspin.

We both have zero witholdings on our W-4 so this to me seems like some incompetence on part of the government that is blowing my budget up. Other people experience this?

Stupid people like you should volunteer to pay MORE taxes.

Sheesh.

She isn’t stupid. The changes to the withholding tables was a scam to get more people to vote for the GOP in the midterms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just did our taxes. Only W-2 income.

Overall we are paying less total tax than last year on slightly higher income (thank you tax cuts!). But we owe over $5k when we usually have a smallish refund.

I know we should its mathematically stupid to complain since we paid less overall but I am super annoyed as this will throw my budgeting into a tailspin.

We both have zero witholdings on our W-4 so this to me seems like some incompetence on part of the government that is blowing my budget up. Other people experience this?

Stupid people like you should volunteer to pay MORE taxes.

Sheesh.

You sound like a peach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just did our taxes. Only W-2 income.

Overall we are paying less total tax than last year on slightly higher income (thank you tax cuts!). But we owe over $5k when we usually have a smallish refund.

I know we should its mathematically stupid to complain since we paid less overall but I am super annoyed as this will throw my budgeting into a tailspin.

We both have zero witholdings on our W-4 so this to me seems like some incompetence on part of the government that is blowing my budget up. Other people experience this?

Stupid people like you should volunteer to pay MORE taxes.

Sheesh.

Smart people like you should volunteer to build the wall.

[Anonymous]

We used a calculator to adjust withholdings based on the new tax law. This helped with federal taxes. We were already withholding an additional $100/pp/pay period but we added more based on the calculator. It worked for federal. We are getting a small refund of under $300. But we owe money for Maryland state taxes. Not sure how to adjust that withholding.

[Anonymous]

Yes. It happened to us and you can read our example and those from others in other threads. I’m our case we went from a small refund or just about being even to owing $5700. We didn’t realize the extent of the changes and we are far from stupid.