Edmunds Members - Cars and Conversations (Archived)

cdnpinhead

Those homonyms will kill ya.

ab348

jmonroe1 said:

28firefighter said:

Scroll wheel getting a workout today!

I think mine lost cooling water because it just smoked. :@

No, it's an electrical component that you let the smoke out of. Now it will never work without that magical electrical smoke.

I am imaging the Mods frantically messaging TPTB requesting new functionality...

explorerx4

Ever scrolling you can't unsee a picture. I tried to unsee that picture about 5 times in the last couple of minutes.

dino001

driver100 said:

dino001 said:

Watching people's behavior every day I commute to/from work and reading discussion on this forum, I can't wait for autonomous vehicles and prohibition against human driving. I'm willing to relinquish my own "fun" with the car, if that's the price for ridding yahoos behind the wheel, who don't think, don't care, or worse, think they know better than everybody else. Not that I'm actually holding my breath...

Dino...I see the same awful driving as you do.....and many people comment on how bad it is in the Tampa Bay area. Almost all the snowbirds I talk to find driving in Florida is worse than back home.

But, I would still rather drive my own car....not ready for a self driver yet.

I like driving too, but that's my point - it's so bad that I'm ready to give computers a shot, of course when they're ready. They aren't ready just quite yet, but when they are, I think the calculus will be drive yourself and let the bozos drive, or take it away from everybody and reduce number of fatalities by factor of ten. At that point it will only be pride/arrogance and testosterone preventing from the switch.

dino001

Mr_Shiftright said:

snakeweasel said:

wow the scammers are working overtime today. So far today I have 2 voicemails that's a robotic voice stating that they are from the Department of Social Security Administration stating that due to suspected fraud they have suspended my SSN. 

How do you "suspend" a social security number? Do they....like....declare you legally dead?

They take your card and keep it suspended in a magnetic field.

dino001

imidazol97 said:

I just saw an article about how the IRS tax refunds are now equal to last year--I assume in total amounts.

The problem with all the political hand wringing over the earlier data is that it's like a CR poll--the data isn't sufficient to mean much. It might have been correct, but not proven.

"Tax refunds increased by 17 percent last week and are now at the same level as last year, according to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin/"

The other factor to taxes is that many don't understand the block aspect of the various marginal rates.
Best I saw last year was a bar graph with multiple blocks representing the various tax rates stacked on top of the deduction with the vertical axis being the total dollars earned and then next to the blocks maximum in each stack it showed the total taxes that would have been paid.

The other is loaning the government money. I erred when I kept my withholding the same from my major sources. And I failed to take into account that I was having Fed withholding on RMD's. My bad.

It's much much worse. Most media and run story that since the refunds were lower, somehow people's taxes must be higher. Of course raging financial illiteracy of the general population and its average math skills on levels between preschool and first grade don't help in understanding that you pay taxes in your paycheck, not just around April 15. Some (many) people truly believe that just because their refund is lower (or "worse", they owe more), it must mean the taxes went up.

venture

snakeweasel said:

driver100 said:

venture said:

The dealer body shop that has my Legacy called yesterday. After they dismantled it they discovered a few other things that need fixed. Now, instead of 3 or 4 days, it's going to be 2 weeks. He also said the estimate is up to $4,000. Great googally moogally!

Just for giggles I looked at the Nissan site to see what the Murano I am renting sells for (MSRP anyway). It starts at over $43,000. I'm absolutely amazed anyone would spend that much money for one of them...I don't care how much they can be bought for under retail. I can hardly wait to get my Legacy back.

It's like when you're over 50 and you try to think how long ago something happened....it is usually double what you thought.
Same with damage estimates....think what you think it will cost and then double it.
2 weeks wait is not nice, probably awaiting a part. Paint...that usually means add an extra day for it to dry.
Agree, $43k is a lot for Murano...if you're going that high might as well check into a few other competitors, can't be much more for an X1, Acura, Audi, MB etc

Doesn't a murano start just over $30k?

Depends on the model. The one I am driving is a "Platinum". They start at over $43K. I don't know what options this one has; mainly because I don't care.

andres3

dino001 said:

driver100 said:

dino001 said:

Watching people's behavior every day I commute to/from work and reading discussion on this forum, I can't wait for autonomous vehicles and prohibition against human driving. I'm willing to relinquish my own "fun" with the car, if that's the price for ridding yahoos behind the wheel, who don't think, don't care, or worse, think they know better than everybody else. Not that I'm actually holding my breath...

Dino...I see the same awful driving as you do.....and many people comment on how bad it is in the Tampa Bay area. Almost all the snowbirds I talk to find driving in Florida is worse than back home.

But, I would still rather drive my own car....not ready for a self driver yet.

I like driving too, but that's my point - it's so bad that I'm ready to give computers a shot, of course when they're ready. They aren't ready just quite yet, but when they are, I think the calculus will be drive yourself and let the bozos drive, or take it away from everybody and reduce number of fatalities by factor of ten. At that point it will only be pride/arrogance and testosterone preventing from the switch.

I'd be looking for a factor of 1000 before making the switch myself.

dino001

andres3 said:

dino001 said:

driver100 said:

dino001 said:

Watching people's behavior every day I commute to/from work and reading discussion on this forum, I can't wait for autonomous vehicles and prohibition against human driving. I'm willing to relinquish my own "fun" with the car, if that's the price for ridding yahoos behind the wheel, who don't think, don't care, or worse, think they know better than everybody else. Not that I'm actually holding my breath...

Dino...I see the same awful driving as you do.....and many people comment on how bad it is in the Tampa Bay area. Almost all the snowbirds I talk to find driving in Florida is worse than back home.

But, I would still rather drive my own car....not ready for a self driver yet.

I like driving too, but that's my point - it's so bad that I'm ready to give computers a shot, of course when they're ready. They aren't ready just quite yet, but when they are, I think the calculus will be drive yourself and let the bozos drive, or take it away from everybody and reduce number of fatalities by factor of ten. At that point it will only be pride/arrogance and testosterone preventing from the switch.

I'd be looking for a factor of 1000 before making the switch myself.

Sure, fortunately it won't be up to you.

henryn

dino001 said:

driver100 said:

dino001 said:

Watching people's behavior every day I commute to/from work and reading discussion on this forum, I can't wait for autonomous vehicles and prohibition against human driving. I'm willing to relinquish my own "fun" with the car, if that's the price for ridding yahoos behind the wheel, who don't think, don't care, or worse, think they know better than everybody else. Not that I'm actually holding my breath...

Dino...I see the same awful driving as you do.....and many people comment on how bad it is in the Tampa Bay area. Almost all the snowbirds I talk to find driving in Florida is worse than back home.

But, I would still rather drive my own car....not ready for a self driver yet.

I like driving too, but that's my point - it's so bad that I'm ready to give computers a shot, of course when they're ready. They aren't ready just quite yet, but when they are, I think the calculus will be drive yourself and let the bozos drive, or take it away from everybody and reduce number of fatalities by factor of ten. At that point it will only be pride/arrogance and testosterone preventing from the switch.

When I was younger, I enjoyed driving. These days, around 75 or 80% of my driving is in heavy traffic. I can't imagine that anyone enjoys driving in heavy traffic. Possibly a masochist? And I'm not joking here, or at least mostly not.

tjc78

dino001 said:

imidazol97 said:

I just saw an article about how the IRS tax refunds are now equal to last year--I assume in total amounts.

The problem with all the political hand wringing over the earlier data is that it's like a CR poll--the data isn't sufficient to mean much. It might have been correct, but not proven.

"Tax refunds increased by 17 percent last week and are now at the same level as last year, according to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin/"

The other factor to taxes is that many don't understand the block aspect of the various marginal rates.
Best I saw last year was a bar graph with multiple blocks representing the various tax rates stacked on top of the deduction with the vertical axis being the total dollars earned and then next to the blocks maximum in each stack it showed the total taxes that would have been paid.

The other is loaning the government money. I erred when I kept my withholding the same from my major sources. And I failed to take into account that I was having Fed withholding on RMD's. My bad.

It's much much worse. Most media and run story that since the refunds were lower, somehow people's taxes must be higher. Of course raging financial illiteracy of the general population and its average math skills on levels between preschool and first grade don't help in understanding that you pay taxes in your paycheck, not just around April 15. Some (many) people truly believe that just because their refund is lower (or "worse", they owe more), it must mean the taxes went up.

I had to do some digging to figure it all out, but in the end we made more money in 2018 and paid less taxes. We saved about 40% of that in the form of lower withholdings (no dependents changed), then the rest we got back in a refund. I'll take it!

stickguy

tjc78 said:

All this talk of the striped shirt made me go back and find it!

I would make fun of a scrawny old guy trying to act young with a sporty red sedan, but it hits way too close to home!

imidazol97

tjc78 said:

I had to do some digging to figure it all out, but in the end we made more money in 2018 and paid less taxes. We saved about 40% of that in the form of lower withholdings (no dependents changed), then the rest we got back in a refund. I'll take it!

Thank you for posting that.

An earlier article I found this week talked about SALT deductions on the forms filed, and analyzed the various returns in light of SALT deductibility limits. Some still paid lower taxes and others did pay more.

I still don't think I should have to pay more in taxes in Ohio because my SALT categories total lower in order for some in states that choose to pay SALT that are much higher and their state and local governments don't try to control spending. I should pay more?

Related to SALT I found a topic that compared how much money comes back to different states compared to how much they send to DC. That had lots of charts and it seemed that many states get less back than they send in. If I find the link in history I'll post it.

ronsteve

venture said:

snakeweasel said:

driver100 said:

venture said:

The dealer body shop that has my Legacy called yesterday. After they dismantled it they discovered a few other things that need fixed. Now, instead of 3 or 4 days, it's going to be 2 weeks. He also said the estimate is up to $4,000. Great googally moogally!

Just for giggles I looked at the Nissan site to see what the Murano I am renting sells for (MSRP anyway). It starts at over $43,000. I'm absolutely amazed anyone would spend that much money for one of them...I don't care how much they can be bought for under retail. I can hardly wait to get my Legacy back.

It's like when you're over 50 and you try to think how long ago something happened....it is usually double what you thought.
Same with damage estimates....think what you think it will cost and then double it.
2 weeks wait is not nice, probably awaiting a part. Paint...that usually means add an extra day for it to dry.
Agree, $43k is a lot for Murano...if you're going that high might as well check into a few other competitors, can't be much more for an X1, Acura, Audi, MB etc

Doesn't a murano start just over $30k?

Depends on the model. The one I am driving is a "Platinum". They start at over $43K. I don't know what options this one has; mainly because I don't care.

A Platinum may be $43K but lower trims are a lot less. The S trim has a base MSRP in the low 30s. Not that most of us would be shopping for that trim.

driver100

stickguy said:

tjc78 said:

All this talk of the striped shirt made me go back and find it!

I would make fun of a scrawny old guy trying to act young with a sporty red sedan, but it hits way too close to home!

Hey, I worked for 3 years to lose 32 pounds....I am going to show off whenever possible.

stickguy

well, I am still the lucky outlier that paid a boatload more in taxes (real money, not lower WH so lower refund). Ended up being we had slightly higher income, and almost exactly the same WH taken out, and the tax due increase was at least 75% of the higher AGI. Was not pretty, and still has my clams steamed. And now I took a "pay cut" after going in and doing a new W4 to increase WH.

andres3

snakeweasel said:

andres3 said:
These words use the same line of reasoning and logic you are using.

IF A+B = C. Then surely B+A = C. If everyone got to choose to pay only user fees for something that directly benefited them, we'd have anarchy. I like Libertarian leanings, but even I know the Government has to tax me something for the common good.

Not the same line of reasoning since you are mixing merit goods with public goods. 

I guess my whole argument comes down to that many of the things I've proposed are goods, period, at least for the 99%. Everything we seem to do only benefits the 1%. The distinction between merit, public, and who defines that is more word play by Economists run amok in my mind.

driver100

I don't know if this helps but they said on the local news that people were getting less money back on their taxes, because the IRS withheld less tax since the tax rate decreased. People had more actual cash from their pay check.

dino001

tjc78 said:

I had to do some digging to figure it all out, but in the end we made more money in 2018 and paid less taxes. We saved about 40% of that in the form of lower withholdings (no dependents changed), then the rest we got back in a refund. I'll take it!

Same here - MAGI up by 7 thousand (that's after all 401k/healthcare deductions, but before std. deduction), total tax down by 1 thousand. I even had itemized deduction due to vehicle purchase in 2017 (instead of income, you can deduct sales tax) i.e. my final taxable income was even lower, by a little bit at least. So it was definitely a tax cut for me.

ronsteve

driver100 said:

venture said:

The dealer body shop that has my Legacy called yesterday. After they dismantled it they discovered a few other things that need fixed. Now, instead of 3 or 4 days, it's going to be 2 weeks. He also said the estimate is up to $4,000. Great googally moogally!

Just for giggles I looked at the Nissan site to see what the Murano I am renting sells for (MSRP anyway). It starts at over $43,000. I'm absolutely amazed anyone would spend that much money for one of them...I don't care how much they can be bought for under retail. I can hardly wait to get my Legacy back.

It's like when you're over 50 and you try to think how long ago something happened....it is usually double what you thought.
Same with damage estimates....think what you think it will cost and then double it.
2 weeks wait is not nice, probably awaiting a part. Paint...that usually means add an extra day for it to dry.
Agree, $43k is a lot for Murano...if you're going that high might as well check into a few other competitors, can't be much more for an X1, Acura, Audi, MB etc

Not sure the X1 is the best comparison to the Murano, which is actually somewhere between the X3 and the X5.

stickguy

I sat in a new X3 and X5. The 3 really seems pretty big at this time, and the 5 (new design I guess based on the dash and console) seems huge.

andres3

dino001 said:

andres3 said:

dino001 said:

driver100 said:

dino001 said:

Watching people's behavior every day I commute to/from work and reading discussion on this forum, I can't wait for autonomous vehicles and prohibition against human driving. I'm willing to relinquish my own "fun" with the car, if that's the price for ridding yahoos behind the wheel, who don't think, don't care, or worse, think they know better than everybody else. Not that I'm actually holding my breath...

Dino...I see the same awful driving as you do.....and many people comment on how bad it is in the Tampa Bay area. Almost all the snowbirds I talk to find driving in Florida is worse than back home.

But, I would still rather drive my own car....not ready for a self driver yet.

I like driving too, but that's my point - it's so bad that I'm ready to give computers a shot, of course when they're ready. They aren't ready just quite yet, but when they are, I think the calculus will be drive yourself and let the bozos drive, or take it away from everybody and reduce number of fatalities by factor of ten. At that point it will only be pride/arrogance and testosterone preventing from the switch.

I'd be looking for a factor of 1000 before making the switch myself.

Sure, fortunately it won't be up to you.

It won't be in my lifetime I'd imagine. We'll see, eventually. Probably when the bullet train finishes in CA at the earliest! LOL!

ruking1

We actually endeavor.to pay less than what is owed. The IRS specifies a % where no penalizes are owed.

driver100

ronsteve said:

driver100 said:

venture said:

The dealer body shop that has my Legacy called yesterday. After they dismantled it they discovered a few other things that need fixed. Now, instead of 3 or 4 days, it's going to be 2 weeks. He also said the estimate is up to $4,000. Great googally moogally!

Just for giggles I looked at the Nissan site to see what the Murano I am renting sells for (MSRP anyway). It starts at over $43,000. I'm absolutely amazed anyone would spend that much money for one of them...I don't care how much they can be bought for under retail. I can hardly wait to get my Legacy back.

It's like when you're over 50 and you try to think how long ago something happened....it is usually double what you thought.
Same with damage estimates....think what you think it will cost and then double it.
2 weeks wait is not nice, probably awaiting a part. Paint...that usually means add an extra day for it to dry.
Agree, $43k is a lot for Murano...if you're going that high might as well check into a few other competitors, can't be much more for an X1, Acura, Audi, MB etc

Not sure the X1 is the best comparison to the Murano, which is actually somewhere between the X3 and the X5.

I had an X1 loaner and though it was a little small....it felt fine - less space than a Murano but much nicer driving experience I am sure...been in a Murano as a passenger...pretty bland.

ronsteve

stickguy said:

I sat in a new X3 and X5. The 3 really seems pretty big at this time, and the 5 (new design I guess based on the dash and console) seems huge.

Everything is getting bigger and bigger... maybe the X3 is a valid Murano comparison. What do those go for?

FWIW, I found the Murano to be just a little bigger than my RDX.

abacomike

cdnpinhead said:

It's becoming clearer and clearer why Richard is no longer here. When you get older, fewer things are tolerable.

We teach our children at home and in school how to be tolerant of situations they will eventually find themselves in as their lives progress.  We do the same when it comes to people who are difficult to tolerate.  We teach strategies to our children, in both cases, to best deal with intolerable situations and/or people.

When I was a kid, my parents and teachers taught me to IGNORE those intolerable situations and/or people.  So, I have become adept at “scrolling quickly” through posts that I am either disinterested in or that are abhorrent to me (intolerable to the point of disgust).  I have learned much from my parents and teachers, but it’s the strategies I have learned and acquired throughout life that have helped me overcome the urge to commit horrendous sin - i.e. “murder”!

stickguy

The X3 I sat in was reasonably well equipped I think, but probably what you would considered "the basics" for something in this class, and sticker was in the $53K range.

before I bought, I tried out a loaner X1, and was really gung ho to see it and work out a deal. But ended up not caring for it all that much, and my wife was not all that enthused by it either. I liked the Outback a lot more (pretty sure she would have taken that too given a choice).

sda

tjc78 said:

All this talk of the striped shirt made me go back and find it!

Now we’re talkin! Styling and profiling!

stickguy

I was skinny when I lost the 50, but a rough holiday season and winter hurt, and I blimped back up to 160. Gotta get working on taking the rebound 10 off!

explorerx4

I wonder if SB55 could see this.
https://electrek.co/2019/02/26/tesla-model-x-mysterious-burning-fire-frozen-lake/

driver100

Just a guess, but it could have been stolen and they set fire to it.
Not too many people are going to drive a close to $100,000 frozen lake...I hope.

ab348

explorerx4 said:

I wonder is SB55 could see this.
https://electrek.co/2019/02/26/tesla-model-x-mysterious-burning-fire-frozen-lake/

Wow, there isn't much steel in those, is there? Makes you wonder how they engineered it for crashworthiness.

driver100

tjc78 said:
All this talk of the striped shirt made me go back and find it!

How about going back and finding me in the Batman costume.....that kept them all quiet for awhile.

dino001

So Tesla lowers its Model 3 price, but plans to close almost all of its retails stores. Online sales only. So buy completely sight unseen, untried. I know a few believers will, but majority of those already got one, the rest of us wants to at least see a car and see how it drives. How is that going to work? But I know, Musk is a genius, don't you dare ask questions. You'll be a pedo, evil short seller, or even worse. You won't us all drown in ocean water after it rises 20 feet...

explorerx4

@driver100,
Thanks for posting the picture.
Story says they hit a rock before going out on the lake.
Winter is long and sometimes you go a little stir crazy.

tjc78

driver100 said:

tjc78 said: All this talk of the striped shirt made me go back and find it!

How about going back and finding me in the Batman costume.....that kept them all quiet for awhile.

I actually came across that searching for the original picture.  

abacomike

dino001 said:

So Tesla lowers its Model 3 price, but plans to close almost all of its retails stores. Online sales only. So buy completely sight unseen, untried. I know a few believers will, but majority of those already got one, the rest of us wants to at least see a car and see how it drives. How is that going to work? But I know, Musk is a genius, don't you dare ask questions. You'll be a pedo, evil short seller, or even worse. You won't us all drown in ocean water after it rises 20 feet...

Speaking of Tesla, there was a serious accident in Miami, IIRC, a few days ago involving a new Tesla S Sedan.  Upon impact, the Tesla caught fire.  Once the fire was out, a short time later it reignited.  Again it was extinguished but ignited again.  According to the Fire Department, it can reignite so long as the battery cells continue to short circuit, which is what happens with cars that are electrically powered.

I believe there have been similar occurrences with Teslas and other similar vehicles.  The driver of this Tesla could not be extricated alive because of the intensity of the fire.

28firefighter

Tesla warns firefighters in documentation that it's cars may reignite for an extended period of time.

ruking1

dino001 said:

So Tesla lowers its Model 3 price, but plans to close almost all of its retails stores. Online sales only. So buy completely sight unseen, untried. I know a few believers will, but majority of those already got one, the rest of us wants to at least see a car and see how it drives. How is that going to work? But I know, Musk is a genius, don't you dare ask questions. You'll be a pedo, evil short seller, or even worse. You won't us all drown in ocean water after it rises 20 feet...

To NOT put this in context might be misleading. Many conventional car dealerships have either closed on their own, been consolidated & bought out or will be close by the franchiser etc. Indeed one older model has one owner selling & repairing many competing brands. In short, it’s probably not economically viable to profitably run conventional dealerships.

Further, when places like COSTCO sell new cars, with Warren Buffet taking a stake in companies buying conventional dealerships & making them HUGER,....

snakeweasel

venture said:

snakeweasel said:

driver100 said:

venture said:

The dealer body shop that has my Legacy called yesterday. After they dismantled it they discovered a few other things that need fixed. Now, instead of 3 or 4 days, it's going to be 2 weeks. He also said the estimate is up to $4,000. Great googally moogally!

Just for giggles I looked at the Nissan site to see what the Murano I am renting sells for (MSRP anyway). It starts at over $43,000. I'm absolutely amazed anyone would spend that much money for one of them...I don't care how much they can be bought for under retail. I can hardly wait to get my Legacy back.

It's like when you're over 50 and you try to think how long ago something happened....it is usually double what you thought.
Same with damage estimates....think what you think it will cost and then double it.
2 weeks wait is not nice, probably awaiting a part. Paint...that usually means add an extra day for it to dry.
Agree, $43k is a lot for Murano...if you're going that high might as well check into a few other competitors, can't be much more for an X1, Acura, Audi, MB etc

Doesn't a murano start just over $30k?

Depends on the model. The one I am driving is a "Platinum". They start at over $43K. I don't know what options this one has; mainly because I don't care.

Yeah, I looked it up on the Edmund's app. Top of the line it starts out at $45k.

BTW they should have access to these forums through the app.

[Deleted User]

dino001 said:

So Tesla lowers its Model 3 price, but plans to close almost all of its retails stores. Online sales only. So buy completely sight unseen, untried. I know a few believers will, but majority of those already got one, the rest of us wants to at least see a car and see how it drives. How is that going to work? But I know, Musk is a genius, don't you dare ask questions. You'll be a pedo, evil short seller, or even worse. You won't us all drown in ocean water after it rises 20 feet...

Definitely a big development, but I think your conclusion about "unseen" is incorrect. According to the news articles I read there will still be galleries open to look at the car in-person. Regarding untried, it does come with a 7-day, 1000-mile return policy, so the risk is low for the buyer. Personally I hate the traditional dealership model and prefer this version, but I may be in the minority.

berri

So are they contracting with local shops for warranty work and maintenance the?

[Deleted User]

abacomike said:

Speaking of Tesla, there was a serious accident in Miami, IIRC, a few days ago involving a new Tesla S Sedan.  Upon impact, the Tesla caught fire.  Once the fire was out, a short time later it reignited.  Again it was extinguished but ignited again.  According to the Fire Department, it can reignite so long as the battery cells continue to short circuit, which is what happens with cars that are electrically powered.

I believe there have been similar occurrences with Teslas and other similar vehicles.  The driver of this Tesla could not be extricated alive because of the intensity of the fire.

Sorry to hear there was a death involved. Fires do happen, with over 700 ICE fires a day on average. Gasoline has more energy density than batteries so the potential is more hazardous, but batteries burn different than gasoline. A Tesla will have thousands of battery cells, and each may combust if shorted, so it's like thousands of tiny gas tanks in an ICE. The benefit of the system as that the car has some ability to control thermal runaway from cell to to cell provided the damage is not so severe. There's a limit and clearly the accident you saw was pretty serious.

[Deleted User]

berri said:

So are they contracting with local shops for warranty work and maintenance the?

They have and will grow their service center network. There are two in Denver with a third under construction. That part of their model hasn't changed and Musk said he's pushing more capital into the service side.

snakeweasel

dino001 said:

tjc78 said:

I had to do some digging to figure it all out, but in the end we made more money in 2018 and paid less taxes. We saved about 40% of that in the form of lower withholdings (no dependents changed), then the rest we got back in a refund. I'll take it!

Same here - MAGI up by 7 thousand (that's after all 401k/healthcare deductions, but before std. deduction), total tax down by 1 thousand. I even had itemized deduction due to vehicle purchase in 2017 (instead of income, you can deduct sales tax) i.e. my final taxable income was even lower, by a little bit at least. So it was definitely a tax cut for me.

My income barely increased over 2017 but my taxable income shot up. My deductions for 2017 were almost 27K but due to the 10k limit for taxes paid I had to take the 24k standard deduction. That right there increased my taxable income by almost 3k. Add to that the loss of the personal exemptions makes it over an 11k increase in taxable income. Yeah I am hurting over this, I went from a 1,500 refund to a 200 refund even though I kept my withholdings the same.

stickguy

same snake. Lost a couple grand alone in the itemizing. I really need to get out of NJ!

explorerx4

My appointment with the CPA is in late March, so I guess he still has plenty of clients.
CT is a high tax state, so not expecting any great news refund wise, although my take home went down a bunch due to increased medical deductions.
Our company charges if partner/spouse has medical offered. It went from $50 a paycheck to $100.
The actual plan premiums took a jump, too.

ronsteve

snakeweasel said:

dino001 said:

tjc78 said:

I had to do some digging to figure it all out, but in the end we made more money in 2018 and paid less taxes. We saved about 40% of that in the form of lower withholdings (no dependents changed), then the rest we got back in a refund. I'll take it!

Same here - MAGI up by 7 thousand (that's after all 401k/healthcare deductions, but before std. deduction), total tax down by 1 thousand. I even had itemized deduction due to vehicle purchase in 2017 (instead of income, you can deduct sales tax) i.e. my final taxable income was even lower, by a little bit at least. So it was definitely a tax cut for me.

My income barely increased over 2017 but my taxable income shot up. My deductions for 2017 were almost 27K but due to the 10k limit for taxes paid I had to take the 24k standard deduction. That right there increased my taxable income by almost 3k. Add to that the loss of the personal exemptions makes it over an 11k increase in taxable income. Yeah I am hurting over this, I went from a 1,500 refund to a 200 refund even though I kept my withholdings the same.

But how much was withheld? Even if you kept your W-4 the same, I'm betting you had less withheld. The important line is your Tax. (Line 15 on the new 1040, Line 44 on the old one)

dino001

My income barely increased over 2017 but my taxable income shot up. My deductions for 2017 were almost 27K but due to the 10k limit for taxes paid I had to take the 24k standard deduction. That right there increased my taxable income by almost 3k. Add to that the loss of the personal exemptions makes it over an 11k increase in taxable income. Yeah I am hurting over this, I went from a 1,500 refund to a 200 refund even though I kept my withholdings the same.

You’d need to clarify, what you mean by keeping withholding the same. If you mean, you kept same number of exemptions, then you got much bigger credit in your paychecks, as withholding new tax rates applied to the income were lower than last year In that case going from $1500 to $200 on the refund means you still paid lower tax on annual basis, just realized that in paychecks, not refund. In that case, saying you’re hurting woukd not be intellectually honest. If, on the other hand, you meant you actually made sure that the withheld tax dollar amounts were the same as before, then if course your taxes did go up, indeed and you have a legitimate reason to complain.

ruking1

One REAL perspective cab be. IF one gets IRS/STATE refunds, etc,. one is loaning the governments (fed, state, county, local & worlds) interest FREE ! ?

Doesn't one think it insulting enough when one gets the refund, (of one’s OWN money) that IT is considered INCOME for the next year?

Do not get too comfortable with the 2018 IRS 1040, & other forms. I’ve read the IRS will change the 1040 form for the 2019 Tax Year!😳😩. I would surmise that subsequent forms will also change with increasing not known before, speed & rapidity. It makes milking the productive and non productive COW herds easier & more profitably.

https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040.pdf