Switched Jobs - Nothing Changed but I Owe...

[mdw221]

Hi all! So in 2019 I changed jobs in September. My income is roughly the same at both jobs-- at least close enough that it kept me in the ~$80k-~$160k tax bracket (I believe that is what the bracket is, but correct me if I'm wrong-- not the most tax savvy). And I've always claimed 0 on my W-4 for both jobs. Well I just got both W-2s back and entered both into TurboTax. When each W-2 was entered separately I was owed money, but when they were entered together I owed several thousand dollars. I understand why maybe when entering only one of the W-2s I was being owed so much (since it probably did take me down to the lower tax bracket since it was only part of the years salary), but why would I owe when both are entered if I've always claimed 0 and didn't jump out of that tax bracket or take a huge raise with my job change? Any help would be appreciated!

I was also married in December 2019. We we were testing out our returns filing separately first and then going to see the difference filing together. Not sure if that will make any difference. 

Thank you!

[xmasbaby0]

WHY DID MY REFUND GO DOWN WHEN I ADDED ANOTHER W-2?

You started off with your first W-2 and your refund looked high?  Then you added another W-2 and it stopped looking so good? That is normal.  When you added more income, your tax liability increased, so you saw your refund decrease.  The program began by giving you your standard deduction—- which lowered your taxable income. So you are not being taxed on as much of the income on that first W-2.  Then you added taxable income--so the refund went down. Your refund (or tax due) is based on the total of your income, not “per W-2.”  Wait until you have entered ALL of your income and credit/deduction information.  You can't really tell anything until it is all entered.  That “refund monitor” does not mean anything until everything has been entered.

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/2273878-why-did-my-refund-drop-when-i-entered-another-w-28

If you were legally married at the end of 2019 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 $24,400 (+$1300 for each spouse 65 or older)  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.

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1894449-married-filing-jointly-vs-married-filing-separately

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1901162-married-filing-separately-in-community-property-states

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1894449-is-it-better-for-a-married-couple-to-file-jointly-or-separ...