If you’re filling out a Form W-4, you probably just started a new job. Or maybe you recently got married or had a baby. The W-4 also called the Employee’s Withholding Certificate, tells your employer how much federal income tax to withhold from your paycheck. The form was redesigned for the 2020 tax year. The biggest change is that it no longer talks about “allowances,” which many people found confusing. Instead, if you want an additional amount withheld, you simply state the amount per pay period.
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Why Do I Need to Fill Out Form W-4?
As just noted, the form tells your employer how much federal income tax to withhold from your paycheck. You’ll need to complete a new W-4 every time you start a new job. If your new company forgets to give you one for some reason, be sure to ask.
If your employer doesn’t have a W-4 form from you, the IRS requires it to treat you as a single tax filer, which means withholding the highest possible amount from your paycheck for taxes. You can get back the amount you overpay, but only in the new year when you file your tax return.
Do I Need to Submit the New Form W-4?
You should complete the redesigned W-4 only if you started a new job – or if your filing status or financial situation has changed. You do not need to fill out the new form if you have not changed employers. Your company can still use the information provided on the old W-4 form.
How Long Does It Take for W-4 Changes to Be Implemented?
When you submit a W-4, you can expect the information to go into effect fairly quickly. But how long exactly before your paycheck reflects the changes largely depends on your payroll system. Ask your employer when you turn in the form.
How Is the New W-4 Different from the Old W-4?
The biggest change is the removal of the allowances section. You no longer need to calculate how many allowances to claim to increase or decrease your withholding. The new form instead asks you to indicate whether you have more than one job or if your spouse works.
It also asks how many dependents you have and if you have other income (not from jobs), deductions or extra withholding. The new form also provides more privacy in the sense that if you do not want your employer to know you have more than one job, you do not turn in the multiple-job worksheet.
How to Fill Out the W-4 Form
As far as IRS forms go, the new W-4 form is pretty straightforward. It has only five steps. If you are single, have one job, have no children, have no other income and plan on claiming the standard deduction on your tax return, you only need to fill out Step 1 (your name, address, Social Security number and filing status) and Step 5 (your signature).
If you have more than one job or your spouse works, you’ll need to fill out Step 2. If you have children, Step 3 applies to you. And if you have other income (not from jobs), you’ll be itemizing your deductions on your tax return or you want an extra amount withheld (including from other jobs), you can indicate your adjustments in Step 4.
Step 1: Basic Information
This is where you fill out the basic information on the form all about you and your personal data. You will enter your name, address, SSN and filing status. No matter what other portions of the form you must fill out this one is required and should be fairly straightforward unless you’re not sure which filing status to choose.
Step 2: Multiple Jobs or Spouse Works
If your spouse works and you file jointly or if you have a second or third job, you can use either the IRS app or the two-earners/multiple jobs worksheet (page three of the W-4 instructions) to calculate how much extra should be withheld (you put this amount in Step 4).
If there are only two jobs (i.e., you and your spouse each have a job or you have two), you just check the box. (Your spouse should do the same on his or her form or you check the box on the W-4 for the other job, too.)
Step 3: Claim Dependents
You fill this out if you earn $200,000 or less (or $400,000 or less for joint filers) and have dependents. It’s a simple calculation where you multiply the number of children under age 17 by $2,000 and the number of other dependents by $500 – and add the two sums.
Step 4a: Other Income (Not from Jobs)
If you have interest, dividends or capital gains that you’ll owe taxes on, you can indicate the total amount of non-pay income here. Your employer will figure it into how much taxes to withhold from your paycheck.
Step 4b:Deductions
The deductions worksheet requires some math. You’ll also need to know how much you claimed in deductions on your last tax return. If you claimed thestandard deduction, you don’t need to fill this out. If you claimed more than the standard amount, this worksheet will help you calculate how much more. Once you have this amount, you add any student loan interest, deductible IRA contributions and certain other adjustments. You then put this total on the form.
If you get stuck, use the IRS’swithholding app.
Step 4c:Extra Withholding
If you will owe more in taxes than what your salary alone would indicate, you can say here how much more you want to be withheld per pay period. If the extra amount is because your spouse works or because you have more than one job, you enter the amount you calculated in Step 2 – plus any other amount you want to be withheld.
How Does the W-4 Form Differ From the W-2?
Yes, both of these forms start with the letter ‘w,’ but that’s where the similarities end.
Unlike a W-4, a W-2 form is what your employer fills out for all employees and files with the IRS. It shows your annual earnings from wages and tips. It also states the amounts withheld for Social Security, Medicare, state, local and federal income taxes.
Bottom Line
If you aren’t switching jobs or going through life changes, you don’t need to refile your W-4 just because the form has changed. However, all new employees need to fill out a W-4 to avoid overpaying taxes. While the form is more straightforward and doesn’t include allowances like it did in the past, it’s still important to properly and accurately list information on your W-4.
Tax Planning and Your Financial Plan
- Income taxes are just one aspect of tax planning. If you want to preserve what you’ve earned and grow it in the most tax-efficient way, a financial advisor can help. Finding a financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to three vetted financial advisors who serve your area, and you can have a free introductory call with your advisor matches to decide which one you feel is right for you. If you’re ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals,get started now.
- Starting a new job? Even before you fill out your W-4, you can get an estimate for how much your take-home pay will be. Just use our paycheck calculator.
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