That's a good point! I'll double check all the credits. I don't think I should qualify for education credits since I haven't been in school for a few years, but maybe something got checked accidentally. I didn't get any unusual questions about education expenses though. Is there a way to see a summary of which credits and deductions were applied on my return? I'm using TaxSlayer if that helps.

In TaxSlayer, you should be able to view a summary of your return before filing. Look for the "Review" or "Summary" section, which typically shows all the credits and deductions that were applied. Pay special attention to any refundable credits like EITC, American Opportunity Credit, or Child Tax Credit. You can also look at the actual tax forms that are generated - specifically check Schedule 3 and Form 1040 to see which lines have amounts that might be surprising. If you see amounts on lines for credits you don't think you qualify for, that's a red flag.

Tax software rarely makes actual calculation errors - they're pretty rigorously tested. It's almost always user input errors. The most common mistakes I see (I help friends with taxes) are: 1. Entering the same income twice 2. Mixing up which numbers go in which fields (like the withholding error OP probably made) 3. Missing a form entirely 4. Clicking yes/no incorrectly on a qualifying question

Thanks for clarifying. That makes me feel better about my return. I was starting to wonder if I needed to redo everything in another software just to double check the calculations!

Good point - what states have their own estate taxes? We're in Michigan if that matters.

As of 2023, twelve states plus DC have estate taxes: Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia. Michigan doesn't have a state estate tax, so you're fortunate there! The exemption thresholds vary widely - Massachusetts and Oregon have exemptions as low as $1 million, while states like Hawaii align more closely with the federal exemption. If your stepdad owned property in any of these states, you might still need to file a state estate tax return, even if most assets were in Michigan.

100% agree with this. When my husband died, having a separate estate account made everything so much clearer. Also made it easier to show the court during probate that I was handling things properly.

That's really helpful advice! I'll talk to mom about setting up a dedicated account with the EIN. Better to keep things organized from the start than trying to untangle them later.

Thanks for mentioning this! She definitely meets all those requirements - she's a sophomore working on her bachelor's degree and this will be her second time claiming the AOTC. Her school sent a 1098-T showing about $9,500 in qualified tuition and expenses, so I think we're good on that front. I was just really confused about how much of it she could actually get back as a refund since her tax liability is only around $300 after her standard deduction.

Based on what you've shared, your sister should receive the full benefit of the AOTC. The $300 tax liability will be completely eliminated by the non-refundable portion of the credit, and she'll get the full $1,000 refundable portion back as a refund. With $9,500 in qualified expenses, she qualifies for the maximum $2,500 AOTC (calculated as 100% of the first $2,000 in expenses plus 25% of the next $2,000). It's great that she's maintaining her education while working - this credit is specifically designed to help students in her situation!

This is so important! My daughter's school reports in Box 2 (amounts billed) rather than Box 1 (payments received). We had to adjust what was on the 1098-T to reflect when payments were actually made. The rule is you claim the AOTC in the year you make the payment, not when you're billed or when classes are taken.

That's a really good suggestion about the percentage-based withholding! I never even considered that possibility. Since the amount does seem to be consistently around 0.25% of his gross pay, that explains why it's so weirdly consistent. I'll have him specifically ask HR about this tomorrow. If they entered 0.25 when they meant 25, that's a massive error affecting everyone's taxes!

Glad I could help! This is exactly the kind of data entry error that can slip through, especially if the payroll person isn't carefully reviewing the resulting withholding amounts for reasonableness. If multiple employees are having the same issue, it strongly suggests a system-wide problem rather than individual W-4 issues. One more thing - make sure your husband documents all communications with HR about this. If the IRS questions the underwithholding or assesses penalties, having proof that you identified and tried to correct an employer error can help with penalty abatement.

Yes! Request a First Time Penalty Abatement if you haven't had tax issues in the prior 3 years. The IRS is generally pretty reasonable with this, especially if you can document that the error was with your employer's payroll system and not your withholding choices.

Thanks for the info! I didn't know about the First Time Penalty Abatement option. We've always filed and paid on time before this, so sounds like we should qualify. Gonna call the IRS tomorrow and request this.

What if there isn't a formal written agreement? My ex and I just verbally agreed I get odd years, she gets even years for claiming our son. Should we put something in writing?

You should definitely put something in writing. It doesn't have to be anything fancy or notarized - just a simple document that both of you sign stating which years each of you will claim the child as a dependent. Having it in writing protects both of you if there's ever a dispute or if the IRS questions either of your returns. Without documentation, these verbal agreements can lead to problems if one parent decides to claim the child in a year they weren't supposed to. The IRS won't get involved in your custody dispute - they'll just follow their tiebreaker rules, which might not align with your verbal agreement.

Yeah this is important! I made this mistake last year and both my ex and I claimed our daughter. Created a huge headache with the IRS and we had to amend returns. Double check that box!!

Exactly! That little checkbox makes all the difference. When you check it, TurboTax will still ask all the questions about the child living with you because that information is still relevant for other tax benefits like filing status. But checking that box ensures you won't both claim the same dependent, which would trigger an automatic review from the IRS.