• Having a CPA do my taxes was worth it (got some very good advice).
• Estimated tax payments would prevent year-end headaches.
• Writing large checks to the government isn’t fun.
• E-filing is way easier and better for the environment than printing and mailing in forms (next year I will be e-filing).

I stopped by my CPA’s office this morning to pick up my taxes. Unexpectedly, I owe $3,800 to the feds and $500 to the state I live in. At the beginning of 2007, I changed my withholdings with the expectation of offsetting the taxes I would owe. It appears those changes didn’t do as much as I expected them to. I did a few rough calculations before sending my paperwork and tax-related materials off to the CPA and my math showed that I would owe very little, if anything. I must have miscalculated or forgot to include something. To be sure, I checked over the forms tonight when I got home from work and they all appear to be correct.

This is not the first year that I’ve owed a sizable amount to the IRS. Although I have the money to pay the taxes, it still hurts a little to part with it. The main reason I end up owing each year is due to the income I make on the side from Web development work and several Web sites I run. I could lessen the sting each April by making quarterly payments, but I’d rather make the money work for me during the year in a high-yield savings account. I may have to rethink this strategy.

I need to make some time to meet with my CPA to see what steps I can take to reduce my tax bill in the future.

If anyone out there has some tips or ideas, I’d like to hear from you.