In past years I've never paid estimated quarterly taxes (I'm retired) but simply filed my yearly taxes in April, and a several times my taxes were well over $1,000 (one year was $2600) and I wasn't penalized by the IRS for not paying quarterly taxes. I didn't know I should be doing that.
For the filing year 2024 I also didn't pay quarterly estimated taxes, as usual because I wasn't aware it was even necessary, since it never was before, even when my tax bill was higher.
For 2024 my tax bill was $1805 which I paid in full all at once as usual, and on time, but the website tells me that I will be penalized for not having paid any estimated quarterly taxes in 2024.
I looked on my IRS account page it says NOTHING about me owing any penalty for failure to pay quarterly taxes in any year, but it does show all the tax filing payments I did make in past years.
The IRS also has never once contacted me by any means - letter or email, about me owing any penalties/interest for past years failure to pay estimated quarterly taxes. I chose not to try to figure out what my tax penalty/interest would be, and to let the IRS tell me what it is. So I am very confused right now and don't understand what is going on and why now this is a problem when before, it never came up.
