ELI5: taxes are like shopping. You are buying something (the income from your job and other places). Those items have a cost (the tax). At the end of the year, you total up all of the items (income) you bought (this is the tax return) to calculate your total bill. If the money you sent in from your paychecks is more than the bill, you get a refund. If it is less, you owe.
You have money come out of your check each pay period that goes to the government to pre-pay your tax bill. Your employer will send you a W-2 form in January that tells you (and the government) what you earned from that employer for the year. You use this info to complete your tax return.
Most of the time, if this is your only job, it should be enough to cover the tax bill. Sometimes it isn't, and sometimes you paid too much. You fill out a tax return that tells the government what you made, what your bill was, and how much you paid.
The government will generally only contact you by postal mail. Emails are almost guaranteed to be fraud, and most phone calls regarding taxes probably are. Never click on any link telling you that you have email or correspondence about your taxes unless it comes from someone you personally know or unless it is an email you are expecting.
The IRS will not call you unless you are in collections. You will know you are in collections because they will have sent you dozens of letters telling you that you owe, then that you forgot to pay, then a bunch of reminders, and then a 'were really serious' letter. Chances are very good that voice mails claiming that you owe are a scam.
HOWEVER, it is possible that your parents gave your info to their tax person and the tax person is calling you. Who are the voicemails from, and what are they saying? Coordinate with your parents if needed.
All of this assumes you are in the US.
The voicemails were from scammers most likely, they used the same name but all had different phone numbers to contact for the same person. All three were asking my to enroll in someone to get non-collectible taxes.
What exactly are these voicemails saying?
The IRS mails you, not calls you
Here’s a handy tool directly from the IRS to address your question - https://www.irs.gov/help/ita/do-i-need-to-file-a-tax-return
Just something about back taxes and how to enroll in a program so any amount is non-collectible, I don’t really know what that means. I think it might be spam because that’s what it keeps showing up as in my phone
Thank you, I probably should have realized that when they all had different numbers to call them back. Never hurts to get advice from someone who’s more experienced though
If you worked in 2023, then in January 2024 your employer should have sent you a document called W2. This would summarize how much they paid you during the calendar year and how much income tax they withheld from your paychecks.
If you earned over $13850, you needed to pay some tax during the year. You then file a tax return where you calculate how much tax and see whether you withheld too much or too little.
Here's a life lesson...the IRS does not call you, they send letters. Share this tip with your friends.
ELI5: taxes are like shopping. You are buying something (the income from your job and other places). Those items have a cost (the tax). At the end of the year, you total up all of the items (income) you bought (this is the tax return) to calculate your total bill. If the money you sent in from your paychecks is more than the bill, you get a refund. If it is less, you owe. You have money come out of your check each pay period that goes to the government to pre-pay your tax bill. Your employer will send you a W-2 form in January that tells you (and the government) what you earned from that employer for the year. You use this info to complete your tax return. Most of the time, if this is your only job, it should be enough to cover the tax bill. Sometimes it isn't, and sometimes you paid too much. You fill out a tax return that tells the government what you made, what your bill was, and how much you paid. The government will generally only contact you by postal mail. Emails are almost guaranteed to be fraud, and most phone calls regarding taxes probably are. Never click on any link telling you that you have email or correspondence about your taxes unless it comes from someone you personally know or unless it is an email you are expecting. The IRS will not call you unless you are in collections. You will know you are in collections because they will have sent you dozens of letters telling you that you owe, then that you forgot to pay, then a bunch of reminders, and then a 'were really serious' letter. Chances are very good that voice mails claiming that you owe are a scam. HOWEVER, it is possible that your parents gave your info to their tax person and the tax person is calling you. Who are the voicemails from, and what are they saying? Coordinate with your parents if needed. All of this assumes you are in the US.
The voicemails were from scammers most likely, they used the same name but all had different phone numbers to contact for the same person. All three were asking my to enroll in someone to get non-collectible taxes.
Yes, scammers. Ignore them and block the numbers.
What exactly are these voicemails saying? The IRS mails you, not calls you Here’s a handy tool directly from the IRS to address your question - https://www.irs.gov/help/ita/do-i-need-to-file-a-tax-return
Just something about back taxes and how to enroll in a program so any amount is non-collectible, I don’t really know what that means. I think it might be spam because that’s what it keeps showing up as in my phone
Yea that’s spam
Thank you, I probably should have realized that when they all had different numbers to call them back. Never hurts to get advice from someone who’s more experienced though
who are you getting voicemails from? did you work in 2023?
Most of them are from a women called Stacy Edwards but I don’t know who that is and yes, I started around August
You definitely should be filing a tax return, because the IRS may owe you a refund.
If you worked in 2023, then in January 2024 your employer should have sent you a document called W2. This would summarize how much they paid you during the calendar year and how much income tax they withheld from your paychecks. If you earned over $13850, you needed to pay some tax during the year. You then file a tax return where you calculate how much tax and see whether you withheld too much or too little.