NEW YORK (Money Magazine) -- Q: My husband and I always seem to owe on our taxes. What can we do? -- J.B., Indianapolis
A: Assuming you have the correct amount of money withheld from your paycheck (use the withholding calculator at irs.gov to check), chances are you either have sizable investment income or you're getting hit with the alternative minimum tax (AMT), says New York City CPA Ryan Himmel.
If you get lots of income from interest, capital gains, and dividends, paying estimated quarterly taxes will at least prevent you from getting surprised in April.
If the AMT is the culprit, you have less wiggle room.
Send The Help Desk your tax questions
You could adjust your withholding, or bumping up your charitable contributions might help.
And you can always up your 401(k) deferrals, which will cut your federal tax burden and boost your retirement savings too. 
What measures -- spending cuts, tax hikes, or both -- are needed to tame the budget deficit? Money magazine looks at how we got here and how big our debt really is.
Politicians are arguing fiercely over the proper size of the government. Money magazine looks at the facts -- how much we spend and what we spend it on.
| Overnight Avg Rate | Latest | Change | Last Week |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 yr fixed | 3.80% | 3.80% | |
| 15 yr fixed | 3.09% | 3.11% | |
| 5/1 ARM | 2.65% | 2.69% | |
| 30 yr refi | 3.77% | 3.86% | |
| 15 yr refi | 3.09% | 3.21% |
Today's featured rates:
.
