Owings

[Davis_24]

When I did my taxes (MFS), the summary was that I would be owing $1500 in federal and state taxes this year. I am a Graduate assistant and no taxes were deducted for FICA. The school mentioned that we are exempted from it.  All federal withholdings and state taxes were deducted accordingly. My question would be, why am I owing when I paid my taxes. 

Secondly, I do not have the money to pay before April 15th. What is my best option moving forward?

[MayaD]

You probably didn't have enough taxes withheld from your paychecks.

If your tax withholdings and payments fell short of your tax liability for the year, the unpaid difference is the tax you owe. 

Per irs:

If you can't pay in full immediately, you may qualify for additional time --up to 180 days-- to pay in full. There's no fee for this short-term payment plan. However, interest and any applicable penalties continue to accrue until your liability is paid in full. Individuals may be able to set up a short-term payment plan by using the Online Payment Agreement application or by calling us.  

[xmasbaby0]

It sounds  like you did not have enough federal tax withheld, even though they did withhold *some*  tax.   And...you are using the worst filing status--married filing separately---which prevents you from getting earned income credit, education credit, childcare credit, and you pay a higher tax rate.   Why are you not filing a joint return with your spouse?

If you owe tax due, you have to pay it yourself by the filing deadline on April 15, 2025.

 If you have federal tax due you can pay by mailing your payment with the 1040V voucher, (which has the address printed on it, having the payment taken out of a designated bank account, or you can pay directly on the IRS website. 

https://www.irs.gov/payments

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/tax-payments/help/how-can-i-pay-my-federal-taxes/00/26212

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/tax-payments/help/how-do-i-pay-my-irs-tax-due-with-a-check-or-mone... 

To apply for a payment plan with the IRS

Apply Online for a Payment Plan

You must pay your state tax due using the state’s preferred method of receiving payment.  For most states that will be by making a payment to the state’s own tax website, or by mailing a check or money order.

https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/state-taxes/contact-state-department-rev...

If you were legally married at the end of 2024 your filing choices are married filing jointly or married filing separately.

Married Filing Jointly is usually better, even if one spouse had little or no income. When you file a joint return, you and your spouse will get the married filing jointly standard deduction of $29,200 (+ $1550 for each spouse 65 or older)  for 2024. You are eligible for more credits including education credits, earned income credit, child and dependent care credit, and a larger income limit to receive the child tax credit. 

If you choose to file married filing separately, both spouses have to file the same way—either you both itemize or you both use standard deduction. Your tax rate will be higher than on a joint return.

 Some of the special rules for filing separately include: you cannot get earned income credit, education credits, adoption credits, or deductions for student loan interest. A higher percent of your Social Security benefits may be taxable. Your limit for SALT (state and local taxes and sales tax) will be only $5000 per spouse. In many cases you will not be able to take the child and dependent care credit. The amount you can contribute to a retirement account will be affected. If you live in a community property state, you will be required to provide additional information regarding your spouse’s income. ( Community property states:  AZ, CA, ID, LA, NV, NM, TX, WA, WI)

 If  you are using online TurboTax to prepare your returns, you will need to prepare two separate returns and pay twice since with online, you get one return per fee.

https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tips/marriage/should-you-and-your-spouse-file-taxes-jointly-or-separ...

https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/income/getting-married-mean-taxes/L2Rgma...

https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/taxation/married-filing-separately-commu...