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If I could give 10 stars I would If I could give 10 stars I would Such an amazing service so needed during the times when EDD almost never picks up Claimyr gets me on the phone with EDD every time without fail faster. A much needed service without Claimyr I would have never received the payment I needed to support me during my postpartum recovery. Thank you so much Claimyr!
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Pro tip on fixing your withholding: If you and your spouse both work, the simplest way to handle it is to check the box in Step 2(c) of the W-4 form that says "If there are only two jobs total..." This basically tells your employer to withhold at a higher single rate. It's not perfectly precise but it's way better than what you were doing. Or if you want to be more accurate, use the IRS Withholding Estimator tool and it'll give you the exact extra amount to put on line 4(c) for additional withholding per paycheck.
Thanks! Is there any downside to just checking that box instead of doing the more complicated worksheet? I'm worried about overwithholding now and giving the government an interest-free loan.
The main downside is that it might withhold slightly more than necessary, which means you'd get a refund instead of owing. For most people, that's preferable to owing a large amount, but you're right that it's essentially giving the government an interest-free loan. If you want to get it more precise, the IRS Withholding Estimator is much easier than the worksheet and gives more accurate results. You just enter your and your spouse's income, current withholding, and expected deductions. It then gives you specific numbers to put on your W-4. I recommend redoing this calculation mid-year to make any needed adjustments.
Have you thought about asking for an extension? Filing Form 4868 gives you until October to FILE, but important note - it DOESN'T give you an extension to PAY. You'd still need to pay what you estimate you owe by April 15 to avoid additional penalties and interest.
This is actually not great advice. An extension doesn't help when you already know you owe money. The extension is just for filing paperwork, not for paying. If anything, filing ASAP and setting up a payment plan is better because then you have official arrangements with the IRS.
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Don't overthink this at the beginning. I started freelancing 2 years ago and stressed WAY too much about the perfect setup. Just keep good records, save 30% of everything you make for taxes (seriously, in a separate savings account), and track your business expenses. You can file as a sole proprietor with a Schedule C. Don't rush into forming an LLC until you really need it.
The 30% saving advice is so important! I only saved 20% my first year and got hit with a huge tax bill I wasn't prepared for. Plus penalties for underpaying throughout the year!
One quick tip that helped me when starting out - if your client is willing to hire you as a temporary W-2 employee instead of a contractor, there are pros and cons to consider. As a W-2, they handle all tax withholding, pay half your Social Security/Medicare taxes, and you don't deal with quarterly payments. Simpler for you tax-wise. As a 1099 contractor, you get more freedom, can deduct business expenses, and potentially make more money - but have more tax responsibilities. If this is truly a one-off gig, W-2 might be simpler. If you're building a freelance business, starting with 1099 makes more sense long-term.
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A factor nobody's mentioned yet: if you file separately, you're both responsible only for your own tax returns. If you file jointly, you're both liable for the entire thing. This might matter if you're concerned about audit risk or if there are any questionable deductions on your spouse's side. In my case, my ex-husband had some "creative" business deductions, and I wish I had filed separately! Not saying that's your situation, but worth considering the liability angle.
Isn't there something called "innocent spouse relief" that protects you in situations like that? I thought the IRS had procedures for when one spouse didn't know about the other's tax shenanigans?
Yes, there is innocent spouse relief, but it can be extremely difficult to qualify for and prove. You have to demonstrate that you had no reason to know about the underreporting or false deductions, which is a high bar to clear especially for married couples who live together. The process is lengthy and stressful, often requiring professional help. In my experience, it's much easier to just file separately from the start if you have ANY concerns about your spouse's tax situation. Prevention is better than trying to fix things after the fact with the IRS.
One thing nobody mentioned - if you're on income-based student loan repayment plans, filing separately can sometimes dramatically lower your monthly payments because they only count your income and not your spouse's. It saved me about $300/month on my payments even though we paid slightly more in taxes.
Wow this is really good to know! I'm on IBR for my loans and didn't even think about how filing status would affect that. Does this work for all income-based repayment plans?
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Something else to consider - the way you handle this might depend on how the original bonus was paid out and taxed. If the bonus was included in your regular paycheck and had standard withholding, that's different than if it was paid as a separate check with the flat 22% supplemental rate. Also, did your employer give you back the Social Security and Medicare taxes that were withheld on the bonus? Those are separate from income tax and are handled differently for repayments.
The bonus was paid separately with the 22% supplemental rate when I first received it. My employer hasn't mentioned anything about Social Security or Medicare taxes being returned to me - is that something I need to specifically ask them about?
Yes, you should definitely ask your employer about the Social Security and Medicare taxes. When you repay wages in the same year you received them, employers typically adjust everything including those taxes. But for repayments that cross tax years (like yours), the employer is only required to provide documentation of the repayment. For the Social Security (6.2%) and Medicare (1.45%) taxes withheld on that bonus, you'll need to specifically request a refund of those amounts from your employer. They're not automatically included in the Claim of Right calculation. If your employer won't refund these directly, you may be eligible to claim them as a credit on your tax return using Form 8919, but that gets complicated so you might want to consult with a tax professional about the specific process.
Make sure your employer is going to issue you the correct documentation. You'll need a W-2c (corrected W-2) for the repayment, or at minimum a letter from them documenting the repayment plan and amounts. Without proper documentation, claiming this credit can be a red flag for audits.
This is super important! My brother had to repay a bonus and his company didn't provide proper documentation. He got audited and it was a huge mess. Make sure to get everything in writing from your employer.
Destiny Bryant
If your kids are under 19 (or under 24 and full-time students), pay attention to the "kiddie tax" rules for unearned income. Summer job EARNED income is not affected, but if they have investment income over a certain threshold, it can be taxed at YOUR tax rate. Some parents put investments in their kids' names for college, then get surprised when there are tax implications!
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Dyllan Nantx
•This is good to know! We have a small investment account for our son that generates about $200 in dividends annually. Does that count toward the threshold?
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TillyCombatwarrior
One thing no one mentioned - if your teens are saving for college, having a summer job can be GREAT for Roth IRA contributions! They can contribute up to 100% of their earned income (max $6,500 in 2023) even if they don't owe taxes. My son puts half his summer job money into a Roth IRA, and it'll grow tax-free for decades. Since they're under the standard deduction, they're in a 0% tax bracket - literally the perfect time to make Roth contributions!
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