Form W-4 is the federal government’s official withholding form to calculate how much income tax should be withheld from an employee’s paycheck. It is a tax withholding form that allows the employee to calculate the number of federal taxes they should be withheld from their paycheck. It is a four-page form that includes a checkbox for a variety of allowances and a calculator to help the employee determine the amounts to withhold from their paycheck.
Form W-4 is the form every employer needs to fill out each year to instruct the IRS on how much of an employee’s income is to be withheld for income tax. The form is simple and straightforward, but it helps provide an employee with more money on their paycheck. Your Form W-4 is the form that will determine the amount of your federal income tax withholding for the year.
What Is Form W-4 Used For?
The United States government’s tax structure is complex, and it can take some time to get accustomed to it. For example, the IRS requires employers to withhold income taxes from wages and then pay all or part of that money to the IRS. The W-4 form is used to tell the employer how much to withhold—a process known as withholding. The IRS uses these statistics to calculate your individual tax liability, and if your tax return is greater than the required average tax withholding, you will get a refund. Form W-4 asks for information about their wages, Social Security benefits, retirement benefits, etc.
How the W-4 Form Changed
The Form W-4 is a full-page form instead of a half-page. However, it is easy to understand. The basic information that you need to provide in the Form W-4 is still the same, such as:
- Your name, address, filing status, and Social Security number.
- Exempt status if you fulfill certain requirements.
Till 2019, Form W-4 only required to input:
- The number of allowances you were claiming.
- To determine the number of allowances, you could employ separate worksheets that a lot of people found complicated.
- Any extra amount you aspired to be withheld from your paycheck.
Form W-4 is a bit more straightforward to understand as each section explains why adjustments are being made. At present, there are 3 main sections used in the form to determine the withholding. You only have to complete the section that applies to your situation.
Final Words
Form W-4 is used to determine how much federal income tax employers should withhold from their employee’s paychecks. The W-4 form is also used to help employees claim tax credits and deductions.
Once you have completed the form, make sure to save a copy of your form and check your math. You should also make backup copies and keep them in a safe place. To know more about Form W-4, attend the Compliance Prime webinar.
