IRS Form W-4 Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate

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IRS Form W-4 Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate

What Is W-4 Form?

IRS Form W-4, Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate, also known as the IRS Employee Withholding form, is a document completed by employees to let the employer know how much money to withhold from their paychecks for federal taxes. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recommends submitting a new IRS W-4 Form each year and whenever your financial or personal situation undergoes changes.

The latest version of the form was released in 2019. All previous editions are rendered obsolete with the appearance of the new version. A fillable W-4 Form is available for download below.

W-4 Form due date depends on the payroll period. Employers must implement a new form by the start of the first payroll period. For example, if you give your employer an employee's withholding allowance certificate form on August 10 and you are paid on the 15th and the 30th of each month, the employer has to implement the form no later than the September 15 payroll. It can be done earlier, but no law requires it.

There is no time limit for the form, it remains in effect until the employee decides to change it. It must be kept in the employee's payroll folder as verification of the amount of the federal income tax withheld.

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What Is W-4 Form Used For?

Your employer will ask you to fill out IRS W-4 Form at hire, when you get a new job before the first paycheck is given. The correctly completed form will determine how much tax the employer will withhold from the paycheck. The employer must send the money it withholds from the paycheck to the IRS. If you accurately complete your W-4 tax withholding form, you can have less balance due at tax time and prevent the overpayment of taxes, thus saving more money during the year. If you do not withhold enough tax, you might owe a large sum to the IRS.

IRS W-2 Vs. W-4 Form

IRS Form W-2 is a tax form required by the IRS to report an employee's taxes and annual income. Unlike Form W-4, an input document, Form W-2 is an output document, i.e. it is provided to the employee by the employer to give a summary of gross pay for the year. It contains information on how much money was withheld from the employee's gross pay for deductions, for example, local and state taxes.

How to Fill Out W-4 Form?

  • You can adjust the withholding if you have multiple jobs or a working spouse to make sure enough tax is withheld;
  • There is a possibility to claim exemption from withholding if you had a right to get a refund of all federal income tax withheld because you did not have a tax liability and you expect to receive a refund of all federal income tax;
  • If you receive a large amount of nonwage income, for example, dividends or interest, make sure you do not owe additional tax. You can use the calculator at the IRS official website to determine your tax withholding accurately;
  • If you are a nonresident alien, before you complete the form, consult with Notice 1392, Supplemental Form W-4 Instructions for Nonresident Aliens;
  • The form includes three worksheets - Personal Allowances Worksheet, Deductions, Adjustments, and Additional Income Worksheet, and Two-Earners/Multiple Jobs Worksheet. You can use them instead of a calculator to determine the number of withholding allowances you need to claim.

W-4 Form Instructions

  1. Enter your full name and your social security number;
  2. Check the box to show your filing status - single, married, or married, but withhold at a higher single rate;
  3. State if your last name differs from the name on the social security card;
  4. Write down the total number of allowances you want to claim and the additional amount you want to be withheld from each paycheck;
  5. Claim exemption from withholding if you meet the necessary conditions for the exemption;
  6. Sign and date the form.

The employer has to write down its name and address, the first date of employment, and the employer identification number (EIN).


IRS W-4 Related Forms:

Download IRS Form W-4 Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate

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