question

Forum|Forum|4 months ago
January 28, 2026
1 reply
0 views

Is this a live video call or just an option to chat?

MetLife VIII

AmyC

Level 15

This is a written chat event. You can reply with any questions you have.

**Say "Thanks" by clicking the thumb icon in a post. **Mark the post that answers your question by clicking on "Mark as Best Answer"

rwhitfieldAuthor

Level 2

We have owed over $10,000 every year for the past 3 years. We both work, own our home, 2 kids and both have our deductions at 0. We are at a loss on how this keeps happening. We have used the IRS tax estimator yet still owe. What else can we do to ensure we don't owe? Is there a better way to estimate our tax burden?

RogerD1

Level 6

If your tax situation remains consistent year over year (similar income, kids are still under the age 17 for the Child Tax Credit, etc.), you could try making estimated payments on your taxes. The payments can be made directly to the IRS online at IRS Direct Pay . Estimated payments are typically made quarterly on April 15, June 15, September 15 and January 15 of the following year. If you think that you will owe $10,000 again for 2026, you can pay $2500 on each of those dates.

Another possibility would be raising your Federal tax withholdings through your employer. For instance, you could have your employer increase this withholding amount by $200/week to get to roughly an extra $10,000 of tax withholdings - if you do that soon!

It's possible that some aspects of the One Big Beautiful Bill in 2025 may ease your tax burden for 2025. For instance, if you itemized deductions prior to 2025 and had met the $10,000 deduction cap for State and Local Taxes, realize that for 2025 the State and Local Tax cap was increased to $40,000 - this could be helpful. Also, the child tax credit limit increased from a maximum of $2,000 to up to $2,200 for 2025. More information about how the One Big Beautiful Bill impacts taxes can be found at: One Big Beautiful Bill

**Say "Thanks" by clicking the thumb icon in a post. **Mark the post that answers your question by clicking on "Mark as Best Answer"