We all are well aware of Turbo Tax (there’s a FREE edition for those who qualify) but did you know the makers of Turbo Tax, Intuit Inc., also have a wonderful application called the Paycheck Optimizer?
Technically, if you are due a large refund on your Federal Income taxes, you have given the government a tax-free, interest-free loan each time your employer takes the required Federal Income Tax out of your paycheck.
Just think if you put all the money you don’t need to be giving Uncle Sam every week aside in a savings…you could be making money on YOUR money…not much these days, but every little bit counts. If you look forward to that big refund, stash the money and forget about it. Have your employer put the money directly into your bank account so you don’t even see it, and then forget about it until you’d normally would get your refund for that tax year. When that time comes, you can do what you wish with it.
Outweigh your options so you can make an informed decision about what is right for your family at this point and time of your lives. Maybe you could benefit from using the extra money in your paycheck right now? Or, in the near future? Or forever?… Maybe one of your family members is unemployed, or a baby is on the way, and maternity leave will put a damper on your finances. Whatever it may be, this application will help estimate what the right withholding number is for you and it tells you what you’d see in your paycheck if you elected to change your W-2 withholdings.
You’ll need a copy of your paycheck to answer the questions about your deductions. You’ll also need to know the amounts of other types of income you have such as retirement, rental income or losses etc.. The program is simple to navigate using the tabs at the top of the screen. Try it out…It’s FREE! I love FREE! And, I love to know what my options are under any circumstance, so I can make an informed decision on everything in my life.
This is an awesome blog post.
Susan, your site is a great resource.