re: Are Federal Tax Underpayment Penalties a Big Deal?

My interest and other income, with no withholdings, went up considerably this past year. Had to pay about $3K fed. Same situation will likely repeat this year.

To avoid the risk of penalties, I considered doing quarterly payments, but instead just jacked up my withholdings from my paycheck to cover the extra tax so I don't have to remember to make the quarterly payments throughout the year.