How do you properly fill out your W4s?
Form W-4 is Employee's Withholding
Allowance Certificate. Attached to this form is the Personal
Allowances Worksheet, which you should keep for your records. This
Worksheet gives you information for box 5 on Form W-4.
On line A, enter 1 for yourself if
no one is claiming you as a dependent.
On line B, enter 1 if you're single
with only 1 job, or you're married, only 1 job, and your spouse
doesn't work, or wages from your second job or your spouse's wages
or the total of both are $1,500 or less.
On line C, you can enter 1 for your
spouse or enter 0 if you're married and either your spouse works or
you have more than one job.
On line D, enter any dependents,
other than yourself or your spouse, that you'll be claiming on your
tax return.
On line E, enter 1 if you're filing
as head of household on your tax return.
On line F, enter 1 if you'll be
claiming a credit for at least $1,800 of child/dependent care
expenses.
On line G. if you'll be claiming the
child tax and/or additional child tax credit, enter 1 for each
eligible child plus an additional 1 if you have 6 or more eligible
children and your total single income is between $61,000 and
$84,000 ($90,000-$119,000 if married).
On line G, if your total single
income is less than $61,000 ($90,000 if married), enter 2 for each
eligible child and then minus 1 from that figure if you have 3 or
more eligible children.
Line H is a total of lines A through
G. It should be noted that the amount on line H may be different
from the number of exemptions that you actually claim on your
return.
Go from here to the W-4 unless
you're planning to itemize or claim adjustments to income and want
to reduce your withholding accordingly or if you have more than one
job or you and your spouse both work and your combined earnings
exceed $40,000 ($25,000 if married) and need an additional amount
withheld. In either case, you should complete the Deductions and
Adjustments Worksheet or the Two Earners/Multiple jobs
Worksheet.
On Form W-4 in box 1, fill in your
first name and middle initial.
In the next box goes your last name.
Box 2 is for your social security number.
To the left of box 3 is a line for
your home address (house number and street name). Check the choice
in box 3 that applies: single, married, married but withhold at
higher single rate. (Note: In some cases, such as both spouses are
working, married people don't have enough tax withheld at the
married rate. So they either can have their tax withheld at the
higher single rate or they can have an additional amount withheld
in box 6.)
To the left of box 4 is a line for
your city/town, state, and zip code. Check box 4 if your last name
differs from that shown on your social security card. It also is
noted there that you have to call 1-800-772-1213 for a replacement
card.
In box 5, enter the total number of
allowances that you figured on line H of the Personal Allowances
Worksheet or on line 10 of the Deductions and Adjustment Worskheet
or on line 3 of the Two-Earners/Multiple Jobs Worksheet.
Only fill in box 7 by writing in the
word "exempt" if you had no tax liability last year and were
refunded all of your withheld federal income tax and the same will
occur this year.
Then all you have to do is sign and
date the form on the line between boxes 7 and 8.
