https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 30 Apr 2026 10:49:01 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-noticed-their-tax-return-being-less-this-year/page/2#post-2814423 Wed, 04 Apr 2018 21:14:04 +0000 youboots 2814423@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ours was almost exactly the same. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-noticed-their-tax-return-being-less-this-year#post-2814416 Wed, 04 Apr 2018 20:39:01 +0000 skipra 2814416@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@snowjewelz: That is a pretty sizable refund, either way! Definitely check with your accountant but I think if you adjust your W4 to withhold 110% of your 2017 taxes owed you won't be charged any penalties. You can put all the extra money into a savings account you don't touch. Next year you would owe money rather than getting a refund, but you'd have the money in the savings account to pay the IRS and yourself. You'd end up getting slightly more because you'd be earning a little bit of interest. Ally is paying 1.45% right now. Not much but would probably give you at least an extra $50. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-noticed-their-tax-return-being-less-this-year#post-2814406 Wed, 04 Apr 2018 19:57:06 +0000 Becky 2814406@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LBee: right, this is what you need to compare to. Your 12 weeks unpaid leave will impact your taxes significantly. I’d suggest working with a CFP (not just your accountant) to help you better plan your withholdings. This tax year was my first year in the past 4 where I was working full time and didn’t have a maternity leave and like @skinnycow we really got slammed with our taxes (like I can’t even fathom how it’s possible, but we do extensive planning). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-noticed-their-tax-return-being-less-this-year#post-2814315 Wed, 04 Apr 2018 15:01:03 +0000 LBee 2814315@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@snowjewelz: 2015 is the year you need to compare your 2018 number to, not 2016. I'm willing to bet it was a randomly higher number as well. The year following your withholding should fall back into where it ought to be as your paycheck adjusts to the amount of children you have and automatically increases your net and decreases your withholding. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-noticed-their-tax-return-being-less-this-year#post-2814310 Wed, 04 Apr 2018 14:55:42 +0000 snowjewelz 2814310@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LBee: @skipra: So since I'm at work and have limited info...</p> <p>First LO born Dec 2014. 12 weeks unpaid Mat Leave in 2015.<br /> In 2016 we got close to 7k. </p> <p>2017 is when we suddenly got 9k. </p> <p>Second LO born Dec 2016. 12 weeks unpaid Mat Leave in 2017. In 2018 we got 6k. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-noticed-their-tax-return-being-less-this-year#post-2814309 Wed, 04 Apr 2018 14:51:24 +0000 skipra 2814309@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LBee: agree about the refund too. You can set up a savings account and have x amount direct deposited each pay check and then transfer it into your checking account on April 15. Same effect but you'll have earned some interest on it over the year. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-noticed-their-tax-return-being-less-this-year#post-2814308 Wed, 04 Apr 2018 14:47:09 +0000 LBee 2814308@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@skipra: Agreed. 2016 is the anomaly, not this year. Your accountant's recommendation if you want to get a certain refund will most likely be to ask your payroll to tack on an additional $x amount of taxes to be withheld from your paycheck. That doesn't really make sense. You are giving the IRS a loan when you could instead just save that money yourself from your pay check. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-noticed-their-tax-return-being-less-this-year#post-2814307 Wed, 04 Apr 2018 14:45:09 +0000 skipra 2814307@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@snowjewelz: Same as what @LBee: said, a cpa will tell you that you should aim to not get a large refund. My guess is that your 2016 withholding was the year that was off and last year was more typical. I am no longer a practicing CPA so I have no idea how it will translate to 2018 tax with all the changes. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-noticed-their-tax-return-being-less-this-year#post-2814306 Wed, 04 Apr 2018 14:43:05 +0000 LBee 2814306@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@snowjewelz: You went on an unpaid maternity leave in 2017, correct? That would lower your tax liability. The issue she mentioned - having been escrowing taxes in 2016 for 1 dependent and from a tax perspective having 2 - is an issue that isn't going to change next year. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-noticed-their-tax-return-being-less-this-year#post-2814305 Wed, 04 Apr 2018 14:42:16 +0000 skipra 2814305@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@DesertDreams88: Your HSA contributions are taken before taxes so that is why your federal tax withholding is reduced. If you earn $1,000 and contribute $500 then you are only being taxed on $500. Depending on how much it reduces your income, it may appear that you are in a very low tax bracket/will not owe much in taxes. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-noticed-their-tax-return-being-less-this-year#post-2814304 Wed, 04 Apr 2018 14:41:33 +0000 snowjewelz 2814304@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LBee: I got a LOT less. But I do think what SKIPRA said was true, maybe the timing of me having babies/going on maternity leave, etc just messed things up. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-noticed-their-tax-return-being-less-this-year#post-2814302 Wed, 04 Apr 2018 14:39:26 +0000 LBee 2814302@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@snowjewelz: Did you end up owing or just didn't get as much a return as you hoped?</p> <p>ETA: If you didn't owe I would hope your accountant would just advise you that your withholdings are correct. The ultimate goal from an accountant perspective is to attempt to break even. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-noticed-their-tax-return-being-less-this-year#post-2814299 Wed, 04 Apr 2018 14:35:15 +0000 snowjewelz 2814299@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LBee: Uggh I'm hoping my accountant can really walk me through how to change my W4 for the max benefits. They're prob slammed since it's getting close to the deadline. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-noticed-their-tax-return-being-less-this-year#post-2814296 Wed, 04 Apr 2018 14:33:14 +0000 Adira 2814296@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LBee: I dunno then... must have something to do with how much you make and other factors! :meh: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-noticed-their-tax-return-being-less-this-year#post-2814295 Wed, 04 Apr 2018 14:31:41 +0000 Adira 2814295@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@snowjewelz: Yep! There was an option on my W-2 where I select married/joint and then a box that said something like "Check if filing married but withholding at the single rate" or something like that. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-noticed-their-tax-return-being-less-this-year#post-2814294 Wed, 04 Apr 2018 14:31:24 +0000 LBee 2814294@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Adira: I do this too and don't get a decent refund. It's what is recommended if you are a dual income household. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-noticed-their-tax-return-being-less-this-year#post-2814285 Wed, 04 Apr 2018 14:22:01 +0000 snowjewelz 2814285@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Adira: Do you file as married/joint still? My W4 actually still had me as single with 1 allowance for some reason</p> <p>@DesertDreams88: Nope, no HSA! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-noticed-their-tax-return-being-less-this-year#post-2814254 Wed, 04 Apr 2018 13:10:14 +0000 DesertDreams88 2814254@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Do you have an HSA? I discovered that the more I contribute to my HSA, the less is withheld per paycheck, and it seems like the wrong amount. Like, my withholdings are normal, but my fed tax would be like less than $90 per paycheck whenever I upped my contributions (I changed them a lot last year due to health emegencies.) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-noticed-their-tax-return-being-less-this-year#post-2814248 Wed, 04 Apr 2018 13:03:07 +0000 Adira 2814248@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I do 0 withholdings and request to be taxed at the single rate. It's probably unnecessary, but I got a decent chunk back because of it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-noticed-their-tax-return-being-less-this-year#post-2814234 Wed, 04 Apr 2018 12:13:10 +0000 2littlepumpkins 2814234@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We got back more than double last year but had significant changes (birth, house, etc). Here borrow our money, government! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-noticed-their-tax-return-being-less-this-year#post-2814226 Wed, 04 Apr 2018 11:38:08 +0000 snowjewelz 2814226@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrsbells: Mine was only 1! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-noticed-their-tax-return-being-less-this-year#post-2814224 Wed, 04 Apr 2018 11:34:05 +0000 Mrsbells 2814224@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@snowjewelz: i also agree with previous poster about the withholding. I generally put down 0 so that way i get taxed more upfront and get more back later </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-noticed-their-tax-return-being-less-this-year#post-2814222 Wed, 04 Apr 2018 11:32:07 +0000 snowjewelz 2814222@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrsbells: Haha definitely not unfortunately! It was a tiny SOL raise. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-noticed-their-tax-return-being-less-this-year#post-2814219 Wed, 04 Apr 2018 11:22:21 +0000 Mrsbells 2814219@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@snowjewelz: could it be your raise bumped you into the next tax bracket? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-noticed-their-tax-return-being-less-this-year#post-2814215 Wed, 04 Apr 2018 11:04:41 +0000 skinnycow 2814215@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We owed $6k this year after only owing $500 last year. We both got substantial raises, though, so I guess it was to be expected. I adjusted our withholding as soon as we filed so hopefully it won't sneak up on us next year. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-noticed-their-tax-return-being-less-this-year#post-2814195 Wed, 04 Apr 2018 09:46:55 +0000 snowjewelz 2814195@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@skipra: Dun dun dun... I'm not at home so I'm trying to get DH to see if he can dig up last year's return! I'll keep you posted :happy: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-noticed-their-tax-return-being-less-this-year#post-2814192 Wed, 04 Apr 2018 09:38:59 +0000 skipra 2814192@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@snowjewelz: ah makes more sense now!<br /> So, in 2016 your w/h was probably for 1 child but you were taxed as if you had 2 = less tax owed than paid<br /> In 2017 you earned less and had w/h for 2 children = far less taxes withheld for similar or less tax owed. And that would by why your refund was significantly lower in comparison.</p> <p>Look at line 64 for both years, I bet it will be a big difference. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-noticed-their-tax-return-being-less-this-year#post-2814191 Wed, 04 Apr 2018 09:32:53 +0000 snowjewelz 2814191@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@winniebee: Right?! What about G?! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-noticed-their-tax-return-being-less-this-year#post-2814189 Wed, 04 Apr 2018 09:28:20 +0000 winniebee 2814189@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We always owe. I thought we'd owe less this year, but... :shocked: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-noticed-their-tax-return-being-less-this-year#post-2814188 Wed, 04 Apr 2018 09:28:10 +0000 snowjewelz 2814188@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@skipra: Ohh those are good points. I did have non paid maternity leave for 12 weeks in 2017. DD2 was born 12/20/16. This is sooo confusing. I'm def still having my accountant go through the whole thing to clarify it for me... Because this still didn't happen with DD1, also a Dec baby. </p>