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Estimated tax - can Turbotax help determine if I need to pay for year 2024?

Dear friends at TurboTax,

 

TurboTax 2023 Deluxe desktop version determined that my family may need to pay estimated tax in the year of 2024 and printed me four vouchers.  I did not use those vouchers to pay estimated tax because 1) I know that my wife and me will be selling a big portion of my investment, which will incur more tax (long and short term investment gains); and 2) there is a significant increase in my salary in 2024. Instead, both myself and my wife have updated W2 form to withhold more tax.

 

Fast forward, my wife and me sold a big portion of my investment in July, and if we need to pay estimated tax, it's my impression that we should pay it before September 15th. 

 

My wife and I were wondering if the TurboTax 2023 Deluxe desktop version can help 1) determine if we do need to pay estimated tax; and if we do, 2) calculate how much we shall pay and possibly generate voucher or just let me set up payments the way we pay yearly federal tax return.

 

If TurboTax 2023 Deluxe desktop version cannot do any of these, could you please let me know how I can do it by myself?

 

Thanks a lot!

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Accepted Solutions

Estimated tax - can Turbotax help determine if I need to pay for year 2024?

@mulleryi 

 

Yes...the desktop version can help you with calculating what estimated amount(s) to pay.

No...you cannot set up those payments thru TTX.  You either use the printed vouchers to mail in with a check...or go to the IRS's online payment site to direct debit the amounts you need to pay.

_______________________

1)  Open your 2023 tax return in desktop software

2)  go to the "Federal Taxes" section....."Other Tax Situations" menu page

3)  Scroll down and Start...or Update.. on "Form W-4 and estimated taxes"

4)  Say NO to the W-4 change

5)  Review estimates...Review Now

6)  Continue thru the following pages, carefully estimating what wages, withholding, cap gains etc etc you expect for 2024

7) When you get towards the end, there is a page where you enter what estimates you've already paid...so for Q1 and Q2, you'll need to enter zero's.

8 )  There is a following page to use rounding...I round to the nearest $10 or $100 (i.e you really don't want to mess with paying cents on a gross estimate anyway).  There will a page that shows the $$ you should have paid in all 4 quarters...you can ignore that for the moment.

9) Say yes to printing the vouchers

10) switch to Forms Mode

11) It should open to the Estimated Tax Payments Options form.  IF it doesn't, find it and click on it

12 )  go down to the Schedule of Estimated Payments, and put an X in the box for Q3.  That will sum up the amounts form Q1 and Q2 that you didn't pay, but should have if you were going to pay all 4 quarters.

13) Print that Q3 voucher from Forms Mode  (look for it in the left-side window), and mail it in to the IRS with a check.....or but I suggest you should also add in the amount for Q4 too and change it on the actual payment on the  1040 ES Q3 form in Forms Mode to be the total you expect to need to pay (Override).

 

or...you can pay with direct debit (or CrdtCd) on the IRS direct debit payment website.

Payments | Internal Revenue Service (irs.gov)

_______________________

With uneven Estimated payments during the year, you will likely need to use the "Annualized Income" forms (form 2210/2210AI) when you prepare your 2024 taxes next year, in order to reduce or eliminate an underpayment penalty....even if you end up getting a refund.   The initial default calc for underpayment penalties....that assumes you received income evenly over the year.....thus you'll end up having to provide details of exactly when you received all your income, investment gains..etc  quarter-by quarter, if you end up needing to reduce or eliminate the penalty calculated by the default method.  Just enter everything for the year like you normally do when you prepare your taxes, and if the forms indicate you a e getting assessed a penalty...then go thru the Special calcs to reduce or eliminate the penalty  (dont' bother if it's $50 or less...too big a mess to bother with for $50)

____________*Answers are correct to the best of my knowledge when posted, but should not be considered to be legal or official tax advice.*

View solution in original post

2 Replies

Estimated tax - can Turbotax help determine if I need to pay for year 2024?

@mulleryi 

 

Yes...the desktop version can help you with calculating what estimated amount(s) to pay.

No...you cannot set up those payments thru TTX.  You either use the printed vouchers to mail in with a check...or go to the IRS's online payment site to direct debit the amounts you need to pay.

_______________________

1)  Open your 2023 tax return in desktop software

2)  go to the "Federal Taxes" section....."Other Tax Situations" menu page

3)  Scroll down and Start...or Update.. on "Form W-4 and estimated taxes"

4)  Say NO to the W-4 change

5)  Review estimates...Review Now

6)  Continue thru the following pages, carefully estimating what wages, withholding, cap gains etc etc you expect for 2024

7) When you get towards the end, there is a page where you enter what estimates you've already paid...so for Q1 and Q2, you'll need to enter zero's.

8 )  There is a following page to use rounding...I round to the nearest $10 or $100 (i.e you really don't want to mess with paying cents on a gross estimate anyway).  There will a page that shows the $$ you should have paid in all 4 quarters...you can ignore that for the moment.

9) Say yes to printing the vouchers

10) switch to Forms Mode

11) It should open to the Estimated Tax Payments Options form.  IF it doesn't, find it and click on it

12 )  go down to the Schedule of Estimated Payments, and put an X in the box for Q3.  That will sum up the amounts form Q1 and Q2 that you didn't pay, but should have if you were going to pay all 4 quarters.

13) Print that Q3 voucher from Forms Mode  (look for it in the left-side window), and mail it in to the IRS with a check.....or but I suggest you should also add in the amount for Q4 too and change it on the actual payment on the  1040 ES Q3 form in Forms Mode to be the total you expect to need to pay (Override).

 

or...you can pay with direct debit (or CrdtCd) on the IRS direct debit payment website.

Payments | Internal Revenue Service (irs.gov)

_______________________

With uneven Estimated payments during the year, you will likely need to use the "Annualized Income" forms (form 2210/2210AI) when you prepare your 2024 taxes next year, in order to reduce or eliminate an underpayment penalty....even if you end up getting a refund.   The initial default calc for underpayment penalties....that assumes you received income evenly over the year.....thus you'll end up having to provide details of exactly when you received all your income, investment gains..etc  quarter-by quarter, if you end up needing to reduce or eliminate the penalty calculated by the default method.  Just enter everything for the year like you normally do when you prepare your taxes, and if the forms indicate you a e getting assessed a penalty...then go thru the Special calcs to reduce or eliminate the penalty  (dont' bother if it's $50 or less...too big a mess to bother with for $50)

____________*Answers are correct to the best of my knowledge when posted, but should not be considered to be legal or official tax advice.*

Estimated tax - can Turbotax help determine if I need to pay for year 2024?

thx a lot!

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