You'll need to sign in or create an account to connect with an expert.
The safest option to avoid an underpayment penalty is to aim for "100 percent of your previous year's taxes." If your previous year's adjusted gross income was more than $150,000 (or $75,000 for those who are married and filing separate returns last year), you will have to pay in 110 percent of your previous year's taxes to satisfy the "safe-harbor" requirement. If you satisfy this test, you won't have to pay an estimated tax penalty, no matter how much tax you owe with your tax return.
If you expect your income this year to be less than last year and you don't want to pay more taxes than you think you will owe at year end, you can choose to pay 90 percent of your current year tax bill. If the total of your estimated payments and withholding add up to less than 90 percent of what you owe, you may face an underpayment penalty. So you may want to avoid cutting your payments too close to the 90 percent mark to give yourself a safety net.
If you expect your income this year to be more than your income last year and you don't want to end up owing any taxes when you file your return, then make enough estimated tax payments to pay 100 percent of your current year income tax liability.
Of course, you are free to pay estimated taxes at a level that you choose; however, an underpayment penalty may occur if your quarterly and/or final income is higher than you initially estimated that it would be.
TurboTax Help article: Estimated Taxes: How to Determine What to Pay and When
Still have questions?
Make a postAsk questions and learn more about your taxes and finances.
kyaraella
New Member
JRB0
Level 1
barthra
New Member
KarenL
Expert Alumni
jallynkelley
New Member
Did the information on this page answer your question?
You have clicked a link to a site outside of the TurboTax Community. By clicking "Continue", you will leave the Community and be taken to that site instead.