H and I have to pay far more income tax than is routinely deducted from our pay. So much so, in fact, that I could have them deduct extra from my adjunct pay to the point of not getting a paycheck at all (still not enough). While this would have some convenient aspects to it, I just can’t bring myself to do it from a psychological standpoint. Is that just being silly, or would other people have the same problem?
I think it would be better to pay quarterly estimated taxes than not take home anything in your paycheck!
Are you sure the tax calculations are correct? Usually you can net something from a job, even if your rate is very high.
We have a lot of income from our rentals, which does not have tax withdrawn as we go, so either we have to pay estimated taxes or more from our pay, or have a large tax bill (and relatively minor fines for paying late).
I did something like that for awhile, when we first started our company I worked for no money. I wouldn’t work for someone else just to pay a tax bill.
Have it deducted from your husband’s pay instead. 
Stick with deductions. Otherwise you might spend your take home pay!! What a bummer tho, all work and no pay!
When I read your thread title, my first thought was that this is what mothers do.
Sorry, but I have nothing useful to offer on your actual question.
How much of your potential income can you put into a pre-tax 401(k)? Would that make a difference for the overall taxes?
Have you run the numbers for married filing separately? It looks like next year we may be able to save federal taxes by doing that.
Back when my husband was still a pastor and making a much better salary than I got at my church, my income matched the amount of our tax bill (federal, self employment, state and local). So my entire check went into our savings account that was used only for taxes.
Now he deposits his into that account instead and keeps his weekly allowance. It really makes him mad that he can’t spend it.
When our kids were in college, I felt like I was working with NO take home pay.
My entire paycheck went direct deposit into my checking account…where it went out auto withdrawal to the colleges. My actual net pay was $0…or so it seemed!
Somehow dh has never managed to get the (IMO) right amount taken from his paycheck so that when I do the estimated taxes quarterly my bank account gets decimated. I sure feels like I’m not making anything even though I know it’s just that we aren’t paying enough taxes from dh’s pay.
^I didn’t know you could file separately if you were not separate? Certainly these days it often seems like I don’t make anything while we battle to pay tuitions, apartment rents for D, etc. One more year …
When I was part-time with the school district and needed the health insurance but wanted the max 403b, there were months where I worked for “nothing”. I still enjoyed my job.
Forgot to add that my every other week pay check for my home aide job is the opposite week from my husband’s check. If I don’t work many hours that pay period I have nothing after giving my husband his spending money for the week (I handle the financial stuff). Which means I worked so he has spending money. My gas money comes out of my church salary and I have no spending money unless I work more aide hours.
I would also just pay estimated taxes. That would make me feel better. Myou would have to be very strict with yourself though.
Of course you can. But it almost always costs more to file separately. Run it both ways and see.
I agree with the psychological issue of no take home pay. So have more come out of your husband’s pay check. Estimates are too hard to pay and the first is due the same day as the return so often you end up paying a lot in April. Even if relatively minor, the penalty seems a shame. I’d hate giving the IRS even more than I had to.
My S is in a low paying fellowship and he’s throwing the max in his 403b (govt employee version of an IRA). This brought his paycheck down to close to nothing once health insurance and health care spending accounts were taken out. HR asked him repeatedly “are you sure that’s what you want” because it was clear that it was not a livable figure, but he had another source of income. He just paid taxes and apparently he didn’t even make enough after tax to cover his personal exemption.
Yeah, it is silly, although understandable. You are not working for nothing - you are using your salary to pay a debt (your tax obligation). Without the salary, you would see a big chunk of the rental income going to the IRS.
IRS rule is that pastors pay income tax and self employment tax on the rental value of the parsonage in which they live or based on 130% of cash salary - whichever is the greater amount. Seems fair since patsonage is part of payment for work. And a perk lay people don’t get.
But that means that we really get hit hard on taxes. Especially with paying SE tax instead of FICA. Years ago a friend lived in a gorgeous 19th century stone home in CT… I’m sure the rental value was much higher than his cash salary. If he had paid what he actually owed in taxes he would have owed more than he was paid. So he crossed his fingers and paid at the 130% level.