The Observation Deck

How many of you, upon receiving your new paychecks this year, found that your federal withholding had gone up disproportionately to any cost of living raise (if any) you got?

I got no raise, and my federal withholdings went up by roughly $35 (i.e. So I have about $35 less that I am capable of spending per paycheck).

My withholding actually decreased by enough for a nice meal. The reason given was that the IRS withholding tables had been changed.

I seem to recall that they had some kind of stimulus program and instead of sending checks, they would decrease the withholding to reflect that we would owe less tax at the end of the year, but I thought that covered both 2009 and 2010.

I don't know why your withholding would have increased; did you vote Republican?

I noticed that my paycheck was less than last year's, but that's only because my health care premium went up. Thanks, Republicans!

Brian Pedaci wrote:I noticed that my paycheck was less than last year's, but that's only because my health care premium went up. Thanks, Republicans!

nevemind the increased demand for hospital services and prescription drugs Obamacare would have stopped that

My withholding was the same however my health premium went up as well!! My co-pays and Rx cost doubled. The driving force was the elimination of the low-cost bottom tier plan that I was enrolled in since we are all young and healthy.

Will Brown wrote:My withholding actually decreased by enough for a nice meal. The reason given was that the IRS withholding tables had been changed.

I seem to recall that they had some kind of stimulus program and instead of sending checks, they would decrease the withholding to reflect that we would owe less tax at the end of the year, but I thought that covered both 2009 and 2010.

I don't know why your withholding would have increased; did you vote Republican?

I don't know either. I'm looking over tax tables right now. They have, indeed, changed, but it looks like I should be in the same tax bracket as before.

States taxes changed too, but that does not surprise me as much as the federal does.

On a reasonable middle-class income (somewhere between 50K and 100K), my FICA, Federal withholding and state withholding all went down. Added up, it's about $40/month less.

Very strange...everyone I've spoken with where I work had their stuff go up (i.e. less money in the actual check). I make less than those numbers you quoted, Brian.

Luckily, its not like I'm living paycheck to paycheck and I'm going to have to radically change my lifestyle over $80 or so per month. I'll have less money saved.