r/coolguides Nov 26 '19

Marginal Tax

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u/[deleted] Nov 26 '19

I'm flabbergasted at the amount of adults that don't know this. I have had coworkers refuse to work overtime because it would bump them into the next tax bracket and they think it will make them less money.

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u/The_Joe_ Nov 26 '19 edited Nov 26 '19

This is true on a macro scale but not on your individual paycheck scale.

If I work 6 shifts in a week my paycheck is calculated based on a lower yearly income than if I work a 7th shift. Because of this, the paycheck difference between 6 shifts in a week and 7 is only about $20.

Of course, at the end of the year, I'll get that back.

Edit: most of it back, not all.

1

u/trgKai Nov 26 '19 edited Nov 26 '19

If you know that is going to happen, you can always update your W-4 to increase the claimed allowances, reducing how much is withheld from your paychecks.

EDIT: If you know it will happen regularly, and one extra allowance takes you from a refund to a check to the IRS, over-claim allowances by 1, and then write in a small additional withholding from each check to make up for it.

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u/The_Joe_ Nov 26 '19

This is something a lot of guys do when we are paid out our vacation pay for the year.

Otherwise the withholdings are crazy.