I made 42k in 2016 and 52k in 2015. Now I owe 500$, and I don't understand why and how to avoid it. I'm worried it will happen again for my 2017 taxes.
1040EZ is used when:
• Your filing status is single or married filing jointly.
• You (and your spouse if married filing jointly) were under age 65 and not blind at the end of 2016. If you were born on January 1, 1952, you are considered to be age 65 at the end of 2016
• You do not claim any dependents.
• Your taxable income (line 6) is less than $100,000
• You do not claim any adjustments to income.
• The only tax credit you can claim is the earned income credit (EIC). If you received a Form 1098-T or paid higher education expenses, you may be eligible for a tax credit or deduction that you must claim on Form 1040A or Form 1040. For more information on tax benefits for education, see Pub. 970. Caution: If you can claim the premium tax credit or you received any advance payment of the premium tax credit in 2016, you must use Form 1040A or Form 1040.
• You had only wages, salaries, tips, taxable scholarship or fellowship grants, unemployment compensation, or Alaska
Permanent Fund dividends, and your taxable interest was not over $1,500. But if you earned tips, including allocated tips, that
are not included in box 5 and box 7 of your Form W-2, you may not be able to use Form 1040EZ.