Why don't you just claim exempt? I did that when I was making $16/hr and got way more in my checks. You can always pay what you owe at the end of the year if needed.

Hey Olivia! I totally understand your frustration - that first paycheck shock is real! Based on what you're describing, it sounds like your withholding might be set too high for your actual situation. A few things to consider: First, make sure this paycheck was for a full pay period and not just partial days when you started. Second, with two jobs, the withholding can get tricky because each employer doesn't know about your other income. Here's what I'd suggest while you wait for payroll to get back to you: 1. Look at your pay stub to see exactly what's being withheld (federal income tax vs. FICA vs. state, etc.) 2. Check if you filled out your W-4 correctly - especially the multiple jobs section 3. Consider using the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator online to see what your withholding should actually be At $17/hr as your main job plus part-time work, you're probably in the 12% federal tax bracket, so 20% withholding does seem excessive. The good news is this is totally fixable with a new W-4! You might be able to get significantly more in your take-home pay while still covering your actual tax liability. Hang in there - once you get this sorted out, your budget should work much better!

ur good fam. tt152 means its processing. just gotta wait out this PATH act nonsense

I'm in the exact same situation! Filed January 25th with EITC and still stuck on "Return Received" with Tax Topic 152. It's so frustrating checking every day and seeing zero movement, but reading these comments actually helps knowing we're all in the same boat. The PATH Act is such a pain - I get why they need to prevent fraud but it really does hit the people who need their refunds most. At least Tax Topic 152 seems to be a good sign that everything is processing normally. Fingers crossed we all see some movement soon! 🤞

Don't forget about the year of disposition too! The year you convert a property back to personal use or sell it has special depreciation rules. You generally only get half the annual depreciation in the year you place it in service AND in the year you dispose of it (the "mid-month convention").

Great information in this thread! Just to summarize the key points for @dcac7ecca8da: 1. Your rental property conversion date is November 2014 when tenants moved in, not when you moved out 2. Form 3115 is definitely the right approach - don't amend prior returns 3. You'll get the catch-up depreciation deduction on your 2025 return, but no refunds for prior years 4. The IRS will still treat you as having taken depreciation when you sell (even though you didn't), so filing Form 3115 now prevents you from losing those deductions entirely One additional tip: make sure to keep good records of when you converted the property to rental use and any improvements you've made since then. The IRS may ask for documentation if they have questions about your Form 3115. Also, since you mentioned this is a military move situation, you might want to check if there are any special provisions that apply to your situation, though the standard depreciation rules should still apply to your rental property. Good luck with your filing!

I've been through this exact same situation! As a fellow Pennsylvania homeowner, I can confirm that sales tax on warranty deductibles is indeed legal here. Pennsylvania taxes most repair services to tangible personal property, which includes home appliances and systems. The inconsistency you're experiencing is super common because warranty companies typically contract with different local service providers for different types of repairs. Each contractor may handle the tax collection differently - some build it into their rates, others collect it separately, and some might not collect it at all (though they're supposed to). One thing that helped me was asking my warranty company for a list of their "preferred contractors" in my area and specifically asking about their tax policies when I call to schedule service. That way I know what to expect on the bill. You might also want to keep records of which contractors charged tax vs. which didn't - if you ever get audited, you'll want to show you paid the proper taxes when they were collected. The $6.50 in tax on a $100 deductible sounds about right for PA's sales tax rate. Welcome to homeownership - it's always something new to learn!

Great question about verifying contractor licensing! In Pennsylvania, you can check if a contractor is properly registered to collect sales tax through the PA Department of Revenue's online business search tool. Just search for their business name or license number - legitimate contractors should have a valid PA sales tax license. However, here's an important distinction: even if a contractor doesn't collect sales tax from you at the time of service, that doesn't necessarily mean they're doing anything wrong. Some contractors pay the sales tax directly to the state themselves and build it into their service rates, rather than collecting it separately from customers. This is called "absorbing the tax" and it's completely legal. The real issue would be if NO sales tax is being paid to the state at all on these transactions. But as the customer, that's not really your responsibility to police - it's between the contractor and the state revenue department. For your own records though, I'd definitely recommend keeping detailed receipts showing which contractors charged you tax separately and which didn't. If you're ever questioned about it, you can show you paid tax when it was collected and relied on the contractors to handle it properly when it wasn't.

Another thing to consider with the EIC look back provision is that if your filing status changed between 2023 and 2024, this can dramatically affect how the calculation works. I went from filing Single in 2023 to Head of Household in 2024 after getting custody of my nephew. When I used the look back provision, it used my 2023 income but with my new 2024 filing status and dependents, which actually gave me a much higher EIC than either year would have individually. Tax software doesn't explain this well at all - it just asks if you want to use last year's income without showing how the calculation changes.

Don't forget that the look back provision ONLY applies to earned income for calculating the EIC and Additional Child Tax Credit. It doesn't affect other parts of your tax return. I made this mistake by thinking my entire tax situation would be calculated using my 2023 income, but that's not how it works. Only the specific credits get recalculated - everything else (standard deduction, tax brackets, other credits) still uses your actual 2024 income and status.