Get the full form with the instructions and worksheets. You’ll need the worksheets to calculate your allowances so you won’t have too much money withheld from your paycheck.
If the last name you entered is different from the last name on your Social Security card, check the box on Line 4. Your employer will continue to withhold taxes under your old name until you show them your new Social Security card. [4] X Trustworthy Source Internal Revenue Service U. S. government agency in charge of managing the Federal Tax Code Go to source
If you don’t have a Social Security number yet, apply for one using the form available at https://www. ssa. gov/forms/ss-5. pdf. You may want to make a copy of this form for your employer once you complete it, so they have it for their records.
If you’re concerned that you won’t have enough tax withheld, you can check the “Married, but withhold at higher Single rate” box. You might want to do this if, for example, you and your spouse plan to file separate tax returns.
You may be eligible for additional credits or allowances, depending on your annual income as a couple. It can help to look at your tax returns from the previous year to figure out how much you’re going to make. If you and your spouse each have dependents and your income is relatively substantial, work with an accountant to make sure you both fill out your W-4s appropriately. Having too much withheld is like giving a free loan to the government, while having to little withheld could result in a big bill at tax time.
Typically you can only claim the allowances on Lines C and D if your spouse does not work and you only have one job.
If you’re not sure whether you’re eligible for the child tax credit, read the publication at https://www. irs. gov/forms-pubs/about-publication-972. If you’re not eligible for the child tax credit, you may still be able to claim allowances for any children on Line F. [10] X Trustworthy Source Internal Revenue Service U. S. government agency in charge of managing the Federal Tax Code Go to source
You can download Publication 505 from the IRS website at https://www. irs. gov/pub/irs-pdf/p505. pdf. Make sure the copy you download is valid for the current year. Review the information in the publication, then fill out Worksheet 1-6. It will tell you what number you should put on Line G.
If you and your spouse both work, and your combined income exceeds $52,000, you may want to make additional adjustments to make sure enough tax is withheld from your paychecks. Otherwise you could end up with a big bill at tax time. Instead of making adjustments, you also have the option of tinkering with your allowances. For example, you may choose not to claim allowances for dependents, even though you have children. More tax would be withheld from your paychecks, but you likely wouldn’t have to worry about paying too little. [13] X Research source
You should be able to make a reliable estimate of your total joint deductions by looking at the tax returns you and your spouse filed last year. Work with an accountant if you’re not sure how being married would impact any deductions you took while single.
Before you fill out this worksheet, you may want to have documents handy that you can use to estimate your income and your spouse’s income from all jobs.
You don’t have to include all allowances for which you’re eligible to use the worksheet. If you decided not to claim an allowances for the purposes of withholding, you can leave it off here as well.
You can use the income from your previous year’s tax return to help you, but make sure you’re estimating wages for the current year. If your pay has recently increased, take that into account. If the total allowances you claimed from the personal allowances is less than the number that corresponds to your lowest paying job in Table 1, claim “-0-” allowances on your W-4. For example, suppose you claimed 2 personal allowances. Your lowest paying job pays $35,000 a year, which corresponds to the number “4” on the table. Since 2 is smaller than 4, enter “-0-” on your W-4. Then continue the worksheet to calculate any additional withholding.
For example, if your wages from your highest paying job are $75,000 and you plan to file jointly with your spouse, you would enter $500 on Line 7. As with Table 1, this table is divided with figures for taxpayers who are married filing jointly and for all other taxpayers. While the dollar amounts are the same, the pay ranges are different – so make sure you’re using the right one.
For example, suppose you entered $500 on Line 7. You get paid every week, so you would divide $500 by 52. Round the result to the nearest whole dollar to get $10. Enter that amount on Line 9 of the worksheet.
This additional withholding should mean that you don’t owe any additional taxes when you file your return. If you do owe taxes, or if you are due a sizable refund, you may want to revisit your W-4s and tweak your withholding.
