I have a CPA. When your household income is north of $200K a year, you can bet you’re writing a check to the IRS. I don’t quibble stroking a check for three or four grand, that’s just the cost of being in a higher bracket. People only end up with a zero‑tax bill when their taxable income drops low enough after deductions. And I own everything outright...no mortgage, no car notes, nothing. So yeah, writing a $3–4K tax check doesn’t faze me. That’s what happens when your income stays high. Zero‑tax bills only happen when the numbers shrink, not because someone is a a genius.