Extra withholdings on W2 for 1099 tax payments

[chaskavitch]

My husband has a 1099 job, with wildly variable income, in addition to the W2 jobs that we both have.  I use the IRS tax calculator a few times a year to see if we're going to owe a bunch of money at tax time, and I try to balance it out at under $500 back by adjusting my withholdings.

My question is - does it matter that I'm adjusting MY withholdings instead of his, since the earned income is under his name? 

We file MFJ, but the last time I did the calculator I accidentally entered our estimated 1099 income as my income instead of my spouse's, and it changed the total amount of tax due by like $1000, which I was not expecting.  The tax calculator gives suggestions for withholdings for each W2 job, but I've just been adding them together and treating it as a total withholding amount to reach. 

I assumed since it's one pot of income, the taxes were also one pot, but am I wrong? 

[MDM]

You are not wrong, you are correct.

Don't know why there would have been a $1000 change unless your income plus the 1099 income would have put you as an individual above the SS earnings maximum.

[chaskavitch]

Ok, thanks for the confirmation that I'm doing it right!  I didn't want to accidentally pay extra taxes somehow.

[MDM]

Ok, thanks for the confirmation that I'm doing it right!  I didn't want to accidentally pay extra taxes somehow.

As a double check, you could also use the case study spreadsheet. ;)

[chaskavitch]

Ok, thanks for the confirmation that I'm doing it right!  I didn't want to accidentally pay extra taxes somehow.

As a double check, you could also use the case study spreadsheet. ;)

Haha, very true.  I have used it in the past, but it fell by the wayside.  Thanks for the updated link!

[MDM]

Haha, very true.  I have used it in the past, but it fell by the wayside.  Thanks for the updated link!

And thanks in return for prompting me to look closer at the original post in that thread - it had become somewhat outdated and is now current.