Evolving Personal Finance » Entries tagged with "withholding"

W-4 Calculations Don’t Have to Be a Black Box

W-4 Calculations Don’t Have to Be a Black Box

I admit I’ve been a quite confused by W-4 forms for a few years now. In the perennial debate over whether it’s better to get a tax refund or pay additional tax on April 15, my preference is to the smallest refund or owe the smallest amount possible. In the past several years, we’ve done pretty well hitting that nail on the head, but it’s not due to any great spreadsheet wizardry; it’s mostly been … Read entire article »

Filed under: taxes

Oops, We Need to File an Estimated Tax Payment This Month

Oops, We Need to File an Estimated Tax Payment This Month

When I wrote about how to have a financially successful first month of graduate school back in August, I added to my editorial calendar for this January a post on how to file estimated tax payments.  I thought that would be perfect timing for those first-year grad students to consider filing estimated taxes on the fellowship money they’d received in their first semester, if they didn’t set up withholding.  I never considered at that time that … Read entire article »

Filed under: taxes

How to Calculate and File Estimated Tax Payments

How to Calculate and File Estimated Tax Payments

If you are being paid but aren’t having any money withheld for income taxes, you may need to pay estimated tax quarterly.  If you don’t know what those are or how to do them, read on!  Grad students, please pay special attention.  You have to pay income tax on your stipend if it doesn’t go toward qualified educational expenses (your rent does not count).  If you do not have withholding set up, you will likely … Read entire article »

Filed under: grad school, taxes