Once you start sending them in government will send you forms next year with envelopes filled in for you.
Find Delaware tax forms here:
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I only send in the feds now and DE were a PITA to get in the past and I just paid at the end of the year but they came back after 2 years wanting me to pay a penalty.
I just make rough estimates for quarterly payment of feds and now just give them 40% of any extra money I make consulting.
Yo, Pop. Doesn't it just grind your shorts to send off 40% of what you earned from your own extra initiative, hard work, and entrepreneurship to "the government" so they can waste it and piss it away?
I had been deducting a third last year but still owed the feds.
40% is top tax bracket and you have to make about $400,000 per year which I certainly do not.
Problem is untaxed social security. SS is not taxed at low levels but is taxed at higher levels. My income is SS, pension, 401k and other interest. Add extra consulting income and it raises my taxes disproportionately. There are other ways to handle it like higher 401k taxes but I do not expect to consult sometime in the future and would have to readjust again. Taxes are a PITA and system needs fixing. I read that more effort is expended on paying taxes than in total US automobile manufacture. I'm sure all those accountants would object to fixing it.
Not widely advertised by the IRS, but at no additional cost you can schedule automatic payment of your quarterly estimated federal income tax at this web site:
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You pay using free ACH funds transfer from the bank (or credit union) savings or checking account you designate. You can specify the amount for each quarter (doesn't have to be the same amount each quarter) and the exact date you want the payment to be made. No more worry about forgetting to pay on time or the envelope getting lost in the mail. Your monthly bank statements clearly show the withdrawal and provide verification of payment in the event of an audit or claim of non-payment.
Maryland has an analogous system that is just as easy to use. Don't know about any other states.
Doesn't make sense to me..."excess" SS is taxed at the same marginal rate as any other ordinary income. If you're hitting higher marginal rates wonder if you're being subject to the AMT owing to high state/local taxes in your locale that aren't deductible for AMT or somesuch.
Something "just don't seem right" -- we pay estimates, but only up to the amount of the previous year to avoid penalty; there's no sense in paying until the deadline more than the minimum; simply ensure you do have sufficient cash to write the check.
I use Turbotax which as you run it shows plus or minus values for federal tax. It was on the plus side until I entered SS, which I believe was last on my list of income, and then it went negative and stayed negative.
I'd have no problem paying all owed at the end of the year but while the feds and the state are allowed to owe you a ton of money at the end of the year you are only allowed to owe them so much before they charge you with a penalty.
This happened to me with the state several years ago and they let two years expire before they started penalizing me. They do not distribute their quarterly forms and make you call to get them. The day I called, nobody was there so I figured the hell with it I will pay at the end of the year. I did but then got penalized two years later. Lovely people.
Well, yes, if you hadn't sufficient witholding or estimated paid...but the rate would be the same marginal for that income whatever order it were added. SS isn't taxed any differently than any other ordinary income at that level of income.
For Federal, you will avoid penalty if a) owe less than $1,000 in tax, or b) pay the lesser of 90% of the tax for the current year or 100% of the tax for the prior year.
IOW, if your income is as great as prior years (or greater) and you have no large offsetting deductions you can be sure of avoiding the penalty simply by ensuring you withhold what previous year's tax was.
I see your trouble was with State and not the IRS, however; don't know which state that might be so no idea on their rules but this state follows federal very closely, but you'll need to investigate their rules specifically to know.
"They" only owe you a ton of money if _you_ have overpaid through the year...ain't their fault if you do that either on purpose as many do with the mistaken feeling they're getting something wouldn't otherwise have had come spring.
OTOH, yes, there are limits to how much underpayment you can get by with before the penalty clause comes into play--but there are ways to ensure you don't get caught; see the previous note on the ordinary case options.
I'll only add that unless it is truly egregious, at least w/ the IRS one can usually get the penalty waived or, if not in its entirety, significantly reduced. It helps if you've got a professional on your side who knows the ropes in dealing w/ the IRS; it's really a case for "the trained professional", the DIY'er usually gets steamrolled.
So, then it becomes a case of how much is at stake; is it worth a fight? Again, that's been my experience w/ IRS; can't speak of an unknown State's penchant for "playing hardball".
I'd have at least had the CPA who does our returns write a letter requesting the penalty waiver and pay any interest. All they can do is say no.
If didn't use a professional, I'd still write the letter given what the CPA has told me re: penalties for inadvertent cases altho I'd be less hopeful for the desired outcome. Again, "can't hurt". :)
We pay a flat rate for the year-end farm return and in return get "gratis" occasional bits 'n pieces during the year. In a case such as this, they'd sorta' be on the hook already if had prepared the return unless we didn't follow the advice and underpaid estimates or otherwise by our own negligence caused the penalty.
Just for completeness, of course it's possible that it's "the straw on the camel's back" that pushes your taxable income into the next higher bracket which makes it appear as though it's being treated differently but you'd end up in the same bracket anyway if you entered the income in alternate order.
I've forgotten where the breakpoints are but I worked really, really hard for a few years after retired from the consulting gig and before the farm income increased to ensure I pulled every dime could from the IRA and still keep at or just barely over the 15% bracket before having to start the RMD to take as much advantage as could of the lower rate...
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