Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, go ahead and move. See if your salary transfers.

Do this so you will know. Our salaries increased. Some fields pay more outside DC, or companies may offer higher salary to recruit you even if you are going to a lower COL area.

Yes, but where did you move. It doesn't help if you moved to places like Boston, Sacramenta, Seattle, Chicago, etc. Now if you told me you moved to Boise, Kansas City, Indianopolis, etc. we can then have a discussion on your field of employment.

I don't understand these figures at all. I make 80k for a family of two and we actually get a small tax return each year. ???

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, go ahead and move. See if your salary transfers.

Do this so you will know. Our salaries increased. Some fields pay more outside DC, or companies may offer higher salary to recruit you even if you are going to a lower COL area.

And this is exceedingly rare compared to the inverse

She says she's renting. Let's assume married, filing jointly.

$96,000 income
minus $12,200, standard deduction = $83,800
minus 3 personal exemptions = $72,100 taxable income.

Tax tables for that says the tax for married filing jointly: $9,926. http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i1040tt.pdf

Not sure what the DC tax would be.

OP, do you do your own taxes? Might be worth it to have an accountant look over your numbers because they sound off.

I can make the same in another city for sure. I am paid crap for this city's cost of living! Government jobs that require less experience (just different kind of experience) pay more than what I make.

Anonymous wrote:OP, go ahead and move. See if your salary transfers.

Do this so you will know. Our salaries increased. Some fields pay more outside DC, or companies may offer higher salary to recruit you even if you are going to a lower COL area.

OP, go ahead and move. See if your salary transfers.

I think people start these threads to be inflammatory and don't even think what the real numbers must be. There is no way the OP's figures are correct. And regardless, lots of people live in this area on less. And believe it or not, they are not all living in Anacostia or Haymarket.

Honestly, I think everyone also needs to learn to live within their income. As a family of 3 though, I would expect your taxes to be lower.

That doesn't make sense. Something is off with your taxes. And Medicare/SS aren't that high, either.

Your taxes are really high for your income. Are you sure you are calculating them correctly?

Anonymous wrote:Are you self employed, or are you withholding too much?

I don't have any taxes taken out. I put $300 a week into an account to save to pay taxes ($15,600). I owed this year FED and DC...$23400. I made $96K this year. No wonder people fudge on their taxes. I told my husband...if they offer me jail or payback plan...I will take the jail time. That is how serious it is out here. From a renter with no exemptions...and just a standard deduction.

Are you self employed, or are you withholding too much?

$100K here...family of 3. This is terrible. No matter how you look at it! I owe $25K in taxes. My $100K is reduced by $25k for taxes and then $10K for social security and medicare. Then $5K for medical. That is $35K off the top. Nevermind saving for a house and retirement. Take another $12k.

You just live to work...like a rat and can't even get a decent place to live. This is no life at all. I will have no retirement.