I have a simple W-2, claiming zero, single, & standard deductions and I owe almost $3100 in taxes! I have never had this happen before. I'm wondering if this can happen due to something I should have done on my end or if I should contact my employer?
The IRS offers a withholding calculator, here: Tax Withholding Estimator.
You can use the tool to help estimate how to revise your W-4 (what your payroll department uses to withhold tax from your paycheck).
You can also double check your return to be sure you have not transposed any numbers or made an error in any of your entries. Printing out a pdf of your tax return is a good place to start. Here are the instructions to obtain a pdf: How do I get a PDF of my return?
Thank you for your reply. It is clear that my withholding rate was not enough, but I is that something I would have to adjust somehow on my end as an employee -or- is that a mistake by the employer's payroll service?
My figures input into TurboTax were direct uploads off of forms and are correct.
It depends- it is not necessarily a mistake on behalf of your employer. If you haven't updated your W-4 with your employer recently, I would suggest starting there. Check your paystubs, and if the withholding doesn't increase to a level of your satisfaction, then direct your employer to withhold a specific amount per pay. Based on this year, ask for $120 additional withholding per pay if you get paid bi-weekly, or $60 per pay if you are paid weekly.