Individuals should review their withholding and avoid having too little (or too much!) federal income taxes withheld from their paychecks. Nobody likes a surprise in April, so it’s best to review your withholding for the year now and take into consideration any life changes; such as marriage, changes in dependents, or changes in income. Having the correct amount taken out helps to move taxpayers closer to a zero balance at the end of the year when they file their tax return, which means no taxes owed or refund due.
What to do if you have any life changes such as changes in marital status, dependents, income, or credit eligibility:
- Use the IRS withholding calculator to help determine the correct amount of tax to withhold.
- Give your employer a new Form W-4, Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate, to change their withholding status or number of allowances. Employers use the form to figure the amount of federal income tax to be withheld from pay. Making these changes in the late summer or early fall can give taxpayers enough time to adjust their withholdings before the tax year ends in December.
There are also a few other resources on the IRS website, such as this article on tax withholding.
Self-employed taxpayers, including those involved in the sharing economy, can use the Form 1040-ES worksheet to correctly figure their estimated tax payments. If they also work for an employer, they can often forgo making these quarterly payments by instead having more tax taken out of their pay.
Feel free to reach out if you have any questions about withholding.