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Guess who just called today when her self prepared return was sent back? Looks like she wants to file MFJ now that we explained why she could not file single, why she would have to pay back the PTC, and why she needed to file a CA return for the wages she earned in CA. She really did not understand that she was getting the PTC, and she really thought that if she moved to another state by the end of the year she would not have to file in CA. How she came to those conclusions I don't know. I think now that she has all the correct information, we can make this right by both of them and then they can go their separate ways after we get the return filed correctly. Tom Modesto, CA

https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-dft/p15t--dft.pdf

That's what I do, but if they're retired and have to make estimates, I honestly prefer they have zero withholdings from pensions to remove that variable from the equation when calculating next year's estimates.

I guess I'm in the minority not minding the questions. If we're going to have a complicated tax system then someone needs to help people navigate it. The only way to really simplify W-4s would be to eliminate all deductions and all credits and all tax brackets and all filing statuses. Everyone would just pay a flat tax on their wages and couldn't write off anything against it. Maybe the government could even start running its welfare programs through the Department of Health and Human Services instead of through the IRS. Yeah, I know...

Maybe that's the answer. Stop all withholding, and have people make quarterly payments. They may be much more leery about who they send to be their local and federal legis-vermin if they get a quarterly reminder of how much it's all costing them! And WE wouldn't get the questions and complaints about the bleeping W-4 forms and owing and lower refunds and heaven only knows what else. That part would be a win for us!

If I have to do returns for anybody and everybody, whether I feel like i can trust what they tell me or not, I quit. Some days I am ready to anyway, but that would definitely be the end of this for me.