Guides / Your paycheck
The W-4, without the headache
It sets how much federal tax comes out of each paycheck.
Your W-4 tells your employer how much federal income tax to withhold. Too little can mean a bill at tax time; too much means a smaller paycheck all year and a bigger refund.
The basics
- You fill it in when you start a job and can change it any time
- Single filers with one job can often complete just the basic steps
- Extra jobs, a working spouse, dependents and other income change the math
- The IRS Tax Withholding Estimator on IRS.gov helps you check it
When to review it
After a new job, a second job, marriage, a baby, or if last year's refund or bill was bigger than you expected.
General information, not tax advice. Cents and Common Sense isn't paid by any bank, lender or card company.