admin
175 Comments
Oct 18, 2016
You must pay tax to the IRS but your W-4 form lets you decide when to pay it.
When beginning a new job, you may remember your employer handing over a W-4 form (along with the pile of other paperwork) to fill out. Your W-4 form determines how much tax is withheld from your income based on how many allowances you claim.
You can claim a certain number of allowances depending on your life situation. Allowances conclude how little or how much your employer will withhold from your paychecks throughout the year for taxes. In other words, the size of your tax refund or tax due to the IRS after filing your taxes. You can claim as little as zero allowances or as many as apply to you and your tax situation. The ideal situation is to break even.
How many allowances should you claim?
The details to your specific situation (such as your filing status, number of children, etc.) will determine how you complete your W-4.
If your parents claim you:
If you’re being claimed as a dependent on someone else’s tax return, you’ll most likely want to claim zero allowances. This is because your parents are claiming you as an exemption, rather than you claiming yourself.
If you’re single:
- and working one job: If you definitely want a refund, claim zero. However, you will have more tax withheld from each paycheck, meaning less take-home pay. Claim one allowance and you will most likely see a refund after filing your tax return, without having the maximum tax withheld from your pay. Claiming two allowances will most likely get you the closest to your tax obligations, but when everything is said and done you may end up owing the IRS a small amount.
- and working two jobs: If you work two jobs and are filing as single, ideally you would claim one allowance at each job. If you already claimed zero at one job, claim two allowances at the other job. If you want a larger refund when tax season rolls around, claim one allowance at one job and zero at the other.
If you’re married:
- with no kids: Claim two allowances if your spouse does not work. If your spouse does work, each of you should claim one allowance.
- with kids: If you’re married with one kid, you and your spouse combined should generally claim three allowances. For each additional child, add one allowance. That being said, if you’re married with two kids, you and your spouse would claim a total of four allowances, meaning each of you would ideally claim two allowances on your W-4 forms.
If you’re head of household:
- You can claim additional allowances if your filing status is head of household. Therefore, if you’re single with two kids and eligible for the head of household filing status, you would claim four allowances on your W-4.
Claiming less allowances is always an option.
Your W-4 form may be the only leeway that the IRS gives you. Take advantage of that. You get to decide how much or how little you pay them throughout the year. The actual total tax you pay does not change; just pay now or pay later. If your circumstances have you adding up a high amount of allowances, you can always claim less and get more of a refund after filing. Some taxpayers actually prefer to pay more over the course of the year instead of getting more in their paychecks. You can even claim zero allowances so that the maximum is withheld. In most cases, this will guarantee you a tax refund from the IRS since more than necessary was withheld throughout the year.
Are you still confused?
Allowances can be difficult to determine. When in doubt, follow the W-4 worksheets available to you. They’re not required (you don’t even need to give them to your employer) but they’re there to help you. Everyone should complete the Personal Allowances Worksheet on the first page of the W-4. Those who plan to itemize deductions should complete the Deductions and Adjustments Worksheet on page 2 and those with two jobs or a spouse who works should complete the Two-Earners/Multiple Jobs Worksheet.
If you still need help, the IRS Withholding Calculator tool will help you determine your allowances.
When you file your return, make sure your withholding more or less lines up with your tax obligations. If you have a big tax bill after filing, you’ll want to lower the amount of allowances on your W-4 for next year.
You Can Adjust Your W-4 Allowances
Remember to adjust your W-4 if there are major changes in your life. If you get married or divorced, or gain or lose a dependent, you will need to update the number of allowances you claim. Likewise, if you become or cease to be someone else’s dependent you will likely have to change your withholding. Your W-4 changes will go into effect immediately for the following pay period and can be done as often as necessary.
Withholding is something everyone needs to pay attention to. Whether you’re looking ahead to the upcoming tax season or filing back tax returns online, it’s important to choose wisely.
Not happy with your refund amount after filing your taxes? Think about changing the number of allowances on your W-4.
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175 Responses to “What Are Allowances on a W-4?”
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Comments(175)
Chris
Oct 12, 2013
You said “generally” regarding married with one child claiming 3 and married with two children claiming 4. Can you give me some examples that would be exceptions to those rules? I’m married with one child and one on the way in February. Our joint incomes will be around $200k. Thanks!!!
rachel norkett
Oct 27, 2014
married but separated got 3 to claim on my taxes this year. 2700 a month. what can I expect to get back on my taxes?
admin
Oct 31, 2014
Hi Rachel,
Your refund amount depends on a number of different variables. I suggest creating an account and entering your information. Before having to pay anything, you will be able to see the estimated refund amount that you can expect to receive.
Michael
Nov 3, 2014
Hello, I am not married but I pay 100% of the rent and live with my fiance and my newborn son. What allowances should I claim if any? Am I eligible to file as head of household?
admin
Nov 4, 2014
Hi Michael,
I suggest claiming one or two on your W-4 form.
The general rule is that the more allowances you claim, the less withholding you’ll have taken out of your paycheck. By following the directions on the Personal Allowances Worksheet of your W-4, you will calculate the maximum amount that you can claim. However, you can always claim less than that to ensure that enough will be withheld from each paycheck. If you claim zero, you’ll have the maximum amount taken out. If you claim a larger number, you’ll have less taken out. The absolute ideal scenario is to have your tax liability (or refund) at the end of the year be as close to zero as possible.
I also suggest taking a look at the IRS Withholding Calculator. It only takes a few minutes to complete and will give you the most accurate amount of allowances to claim in order to reach that break-even point at the end of the tax year.
Generally, you can claim head of household only if you are unmarried and pay more than 50% of the costs of keeping up a home for yourself and your dependents or other qualifying individuals.
James
Nov 8, 2014
Let’s say I changed my allowances to a big number jus to get less tax taken out of my check. Is that gonna end up biting me in the ass? I my mom still carried me on her takes.
admin
Nov 19, 2014
Hi James,
Updating your W-4 to claim a large number could cause you to owe the IRS at the end of the tax year.
The general rule is that the more allowances you claim, the less withholding you’ll have taken out of your paycheck. By following the directions on the Personal Allowances Worksheet of your W-4, you will calculate the maximum amount that you can claim. However, you can always claim less than that to ensure that enough will be withheld from each paycheck. If you claim zero, you’ll have the maximum amount taken out. If you claim a larger number, you’ll have less taken out. The absolute ideal scenario is to have your tax liability (or refund) at the end of the year be as close to zero as possible.
Jane
Nov 19, 2014
I got married this summer. I work 2 part time jobs and my husband works 1 full time job. How many allowances should we put? I currently have 2 myself and my husband has 1. Should we change anything? Thanks!
admin
Nov 24, 2014
Hi Jane,
I suggest you each claim one on your W-4s. Since you are employed at two jobs, you can claim zero on one of your W-4s and one on the other.
Kay
Nov 21, 2014
If I have Myself, a child, daycare expenses, and the child tax credit, do I have to claim all of these? I don’t want to have to pay at tax time, and is getting to big of a tax refund bad?
admin
Nov 24, 2014
Hi Kay,
You definitely can claim less on your W-4.
The general rule is that the more allowances you claim, the less withholding you’ll have taken out of your paycheck. By following the directions on the Personal Allowances Worksheet of your W-4, you will calculate the maximum amount that you can claim. However, you can always claim less than that to ensure that enough will be withheld from each paycheck. If you claim zero, you’ll have the maximum amount taken out. If you claim a larger number, you’ll have less taken out. The absolute ideal scenario is to have your tax liability (or refund) at the end of the year be as close to zero as possible.
Deepak
Nov 21, 2014
Hi
I need some help in updating my allowances. I am married and I am the only person working in my house. I don’t have any kids. So what should I be putting in allowances so that I just pay what I owe as federal taxes?
I tried filling up the allowances calculator. It was showing up as 25 allowances. Not sure if I missed something there. I am quite confused.
Thanks.
admin
Nov 24, 2014
Hi Deepak,
I suggest claiming one or two on your W-4 form.
The general rule is that the more allowances you claim, the less withholding you’ll have taken out of your paycheck. By following the directions on the Personal Allowances Worksheet of your W-4, you will calculate the maximum amount that you can claim. However, you can always claim less than that to ensure that enough will be withheld from each paycheck. If you claim zero, you’ll have the maximum amount taken out. If you claim a larger number, you’ll have less taken out. The absolute ideal scenario is to have your tax liability (or refund) at the end of the year be as close to zero as possible.
I also suggest taking a look at the IRS Withholding Calculator. It only takes a few minutes to complete and will give you the most accurate amount of allowances to claim in order to reach that break-even point at the end of the tax year.
Kristin
Nov 24, 2014
Hello,
I am single with 2 children. I live with my fiance, who claims the children on his W-2. I have started a new job and was wondering if I can I claim 3 on my W-4?
Thank you!
admin
Dec 17, 2014
Kristin,
The amount that you claim on your W-4 is just to control the amount that is withheld from each of your paychecks throughout the year. If you look at a W-4, you will notice that there is a worksheet on the top of your form. This is to give you an estimate in how many allowances you should claim to get as close as possible to not owing the IRS or receiving an enormous refund. This top portion does not need to be given to your employer or even filled out for that matter.
Keep in mind that you can generally choose the amount of allowances you claim on your W-4 but the more you claim, the less is withheld from your paychecks and the higher your chance of owing at the end of the year.
shalonda
Dec 2, 2014
Hi, I just got a divorce, and I have a daughter in college and a son in high school what number of allowance do I claim
admin
Dec 17, 2014
Hi Shalonda,
I suggest claiming no more than three allowances to avoid owing the IRS.
The general rule is that the more allowances you claim, the less withholding you’ll have taken out of your paycheck. By following the directions on the Personal Allowances Worksheet of your W-4, you will calculate the maximum amount that you can claim. However, you can always claim less than that to ensure that enough will be withheld from each paycheck. If you claim zero, you’ll have the maximum amount taken out. If you claim a larger number, you’ll have less taken out. The absolute ideal scenario is to have your tax liability (or refund) at the end of the year be as close to zero as possible.
Since you have not provided your income or if you will be filing as head of household, I also suggest taking a look at the IRS Withholding Calculator. It only takes a few minutes to complete and will give you the most accurate amount of allowances to claim in order to reach that break-even point at the end of the tax year.
Michael
Dec 2, 2014
Here is my question:
I am married and have two little kids at home. My wife does not work, and I work only one job. When I answer the questions verbatim on the W-4 form, I wind up with “7” allowances. Is this correct?
Line A: 1 (for me)
Line B: 1 (for me)
Line C: 1 (for my spouse)
Line D: 2 (for my kids)
Line G: 2 (for my kids again)
———-
Total: 7
Is that right? This confuses me greatly. I would rather get a small refund at the end of the year instead of owing money, but I want to try to come as close to the zero mark as possible still.
admin
Dec 11, 2014
Hi Michael,
The general rule is that the more allowances you claim, the less withholding you’ll have taken out of your paycheck. By following the directions on the Personal Allowances Worksheet of your W-4, you will calculate the maximum amount that you can claim. However, you can always claim less than that to ensure that enough will be withheld from each paycheck. If you claim zero, you’ll have the maximum amount taken out. If you claim a larger number, you’ll have less taken out. The absolute ideal scenario is to have your tax liability (or refund) at the end of the year be as close to zero as possible.
Teshawna
Dec 4, 2014
Hi!
I am single, my parents claimed me on taxes for 2013, I have one job, and I do NOT having any children. I landed a new position (with higher pay) January 2014 and decided to complete the W4 form. On the form, I entered $15 for the “Additional Amount Withheld” and 0 for the allowances. My question is if $15 being withheld every time I am paid?
Thanks!
admin
Dec 17, 2014
Hi Teshawna,
By entering $15.00, that amount will be withheld from each paycheck. Keep in mind that you can update your W-4 at any time with your pay roll department and it will go into effect the pay period immediately following.
CMM
Dec 5, 2014
Hello.
Divorced in November of 2014. Validating my W-4 with my Company. I am head of my household and have (2) children.
Each tax year I get to claim 1 child as my dependent. Question is: What should be my total # of allowances i am claiming? 3 or 4? or should it just be 0?
Also, should i include additional amount from paycheck? if so, what is the average for $70k/annually?
admin
Dec 17, 2014
Hi CMM,
The general rule is that the more allowances you claim, the less withholding you’ll have taken out of your paycheck. By following the directions on the Personal Allowances Worksheet of your W-4, you will calculate the maximum amount that you can claim. However, you can always claim less than that to ensure that enough will be withheld from each paycheck. If you claim zero, you’ll have the maximum amount taken out. If you claim a larger number, you’ll have less taken out. The absolute ideal scenario is to have your tax liability (or refund) at the end of the year be as close to zero as possible.
I also suggest taking a look at the IRS Withholding Calculator. It only takes a few minutes to complete and will give you the most accurate amount of allowances to claim in order to reach that break-even point at the end of the tax year.
Harrison
Dec 6, 2014
I recently picked up a job and the guy who helped me had me file 2 was that the right thing. Im single one job
admin
Dec 17, 2014
Hi Harrison,
I would suggest updating it to one. Claiming two just means that less is withheld from each paycheck and your refund will be less at the end of the year (or you may owe the IRS).
The general rule is that the more allowances you claim, the less withholding you’ll have taken out of your paycheck. By following the directions on the Personal Allowances Worksheet of your W-4, you will calculate the maximum amount that you can claim. However, you can always claim less than that to ensure that enough will be withheld from each paycheck. If you claim zero, you’ll have the maximum amount taken out. If you claim a larger number, you’ll have less taken out. The absolute ideal scenario is to have your tax liability (or refund) at the end of the year be as close to zero as possible.
Paul
Dec 11, 2014
Good morning,
I’m currently married with two kids and I’m the only one working in my household. How many allowances should I claim?
admin
Dec 17, 2014
Hi Paul,
The general rule is that the more allowances you claim, the less withholding you’ll have taken out of your paycheck. By following the directions on the Personal Allowances Worksheet of your W-4, you will calculate the maximum amount that you can claim. However, you can always claim less than that to ensure that enough will be withheld from each paycheck. If you claim zero, you’ll have the maximum amount taken out. If you claim a larger number, you’ll have less taken out. The absolute ideal scenario is to have your tax liability (or refund) at the end of the year be as close to zero as possible.
I also suggest taking a look at the IRS Withholding Calculator. It only takes a few minutes to complete and will give you the most accurate amount of allowances to claim in order to reach that break-even point at the end of the tax year.
ND
Dec 11, 2014
HI
I curently have a part time job claiming 1 and a full time job claiming 2. I am married and no kids yet. Little bit confused, am i doing it right with the withholding numbers ? Please advise. Thanks.
ND.
admin
Dec 22, 2014
Hi ND,
The general rule is that the more allowances you claim, the less withholding you’ll have taken out of your paycheck each pay period. By following the directions on the Personal Allowances Worksheet of your W-4 Form, you will calculate the maximum amount that you should claim. However, you can always claim less than that to ensure that enough will be withheld from each paycheck. If you claim zero, you’ll have the maximum amount withheld. If you claim a larger amount, you’ll have less withheld. The absolute ideal scenario is to have your tax liability (or refund) at the end of the year be as close to zero as possible.
O.F
Dec 17, 2014
Hi, I am really confused. I am college student with a little side job and my mom still claims me on her tax. However I have a son and I want to claim him on my form. what number should I put as my allowances? and he would count as my dependent right?
admin
Dec 22, 2014
Hi O.F.,
Unfortunately, since your mom is claiming you on her taxes, you are not able to claim your child on your own taxes. This would not coincide with the IRS’ guidelines for claiming a dependent. However, you do have several options.
1. You can have your mom not claim you on her taxes and you file your own. This will then allow you to claim your son as a dependent.
2. With your permission, your mom can claim you AND your son on her taxes.
M.M.G
Dec 28, 2014
Hi,
My wife and I both have a full time job and a part-time job, I’m claiming 2 on my full time and 0 in my part time, my wife is claiming 1 on her part time and 1 on her full time. Is this the right way to do it? we afraid that we will have to pay large amount of money when doing our taxes, please help. Thank you.
admin
Dec 30, 2014
I would suggest that you each claim one at your full-time and zero at your part-time, assuming that it is only you two in the family with no dependents.
Diana
Jan 5, 2015
Hey I really need your help, me and my husband got married in august, I am not a citizen yet, I am in the process of getting my green card through marriage,
so I don’t work and my husband has 1 job
but my husband owe taxes, around 600 dollars since 2012…. and he doesn’t know how to pay it off and wanted to get the amount that he needs to pay taken out of his taxes this year
so in the W4 how many allowances ? We updated for 2… should we claim less? thank you so much
admin
Jan 16, 2015
Hi Diana,
I would suggest that he claims zero then. This will allow for the maximum amount to be withheld from each of his paychecks. With this option, he will have the highest refund (or smallest amount owed) possible.
Jassidy
Jan 6, 2015
I’m a single parent , 1 job, with 2 kids I’ll be claiming, what should I claim?
admin
Jan 16, 2015
Hi Jassidy,
The general rule is that the more allowances you claim, the less withholding you’ll have taken out of your paycheck each pay period. By following the directions on the Personal Allowances Worksheet of your W-4 Form, you will calculate the maximum amount that you should claim. However, you can always claim less than that to ensure that enough will be withheld from each paycheck. If you claim zero, you’ll have the maximum amount withheld. If you claim a larger amount, you’ll have less withheld. The absolute ideal scenario is to have your tax liability (or refund) at the end of the year be as close to zero as possible.
In order to do this, I suggest taking a look at the IRS Withholding Calculator. It only takes a few minutes to complete and will give you the most accurate amount of allowances to claim in order to reach that break-even point at the end of the tax year.
Joseph
Jan 7, 2015
I didn’t know what I was doing when filled out the w4, I ended up choosing 2 allowances when I’m a single dependent with no kids. Should I have chosen 0? I’m guessing i’m going to owe the irs come tax time? I already sent the w4, is there a way I can change the allowance?
admin
Jan 16, 2015
Hi Joseph,
You can update your W-4 at any point and it should go into effect immediately. Keep in mind that updating the W-4 will not affect your withheld amount prior to the change. That being said, I would suggest claiming one or zero when filing as single with one source of income and no dependents.
CMC
Jan 7, 2015
Hello,
My husband and I both work full-time and have no children. I just changed my W-4 form to allow 1 allowance today. Will this be okay? Should my husband do the same? I did this in 2013 but changed it back to 0 because I did not want to owe the IRS, but I could use the extra cash monthly since we have a house payment as of last summer.
Thank you!
admin
Jan 15, 2015
Hi CMC,
I do suggest that you each claim one with no dependents and one source of income each.
DeeJay
Jan 23, 2015
what happens if you get married and for some reason your w-4 didn’t get changed to “married” in the Taxable marital status spot…. I just noticed it. Will I get in trouble? They haven’t said anything yet and its been a few years. Does it effect the amount of tax that is being withheld? We claim 0.
admin
Feb 11, 2015
Hi DeeJay,
As long as you reported this change on your actual taxes, you won’t be in any sort of trouble with the IRS. The W-4 form is only to serve as an estimate of how much should be withheld from your income throughout the year. However, I do highly suggest updating this with your employer as soon as possible so that the correct amount of taxes are being withheld from your paychecks.
PR
Jan 23, 2015
Hi,
I have 1 full-time job and 1 part-time job. My wife is currently working part-time. I have 2 allowances for full-time, 0 for part-time and my wife has 2 for her part-time job. Is this “correct”? Thanks!
admin
Feb 11, 2015
Hi PR,
The general rule is that the more allowances you claim, the less withholding you’ll have taken out of your paycheck each pay period. By following the instructions on the Personal Allowances Worksheet of your W-4 Form, you will calculate the maximum amount that you should claim (Keep in mind that this worksheet will not be given to your employer or the IRS). However, you can always claim less than that to ensure that enough will be withheld from each paycheck. If you claim zero, you’ll have the maximum amount withheld. If you claim a larger amount, you’ll have less withheld. The absolute ideal scenario is to have your tax liability or refund, at the end of the year, be as close to zero as possible.
Kerby
Jan 25, 2015
Hi so I tryna figure out what to claim ony W4 form I have two kids one of them I’m
Paying child support and work live with my girlfriend we file separate but we alternate years we claiming our son on taxes but I would like to know what should I claim on my W4 form as dependent allowances not sure if choosing 0, 1 or 2 same time I don’t want to owe back nothing
admin
Jan 28, 2015
Hi Kerby,
The general rule is that the more allowances you claim, the less withholding you’ll have taken out of your paycheck each pay period. By following the instructions on the Personal Allowances Worksheet of your W-4 Form, you will calculate the maximum amount that you should claim (Keep in mind that this worksheet will not be given to your employer or the IRS). However, you can always claim less than that to ensure that enough will be withheld from each paycheck. If you claim zero, you’ll have the maximum amount withheld. If you claim a larger amount, you’ll have less withheld. The absolute ideal scenario is to have your tax liability (or refund) at the end of the year be as close to zero as possible.
Crissy
Jan 27, 2015
On my W-4, I have claimed three allowances but my pay check reveals “999” allowances. Therefore, no money has been withheld. Why does my pay check show “999??”
admin
Jan 28, 2015
Hi Crissy,
I strongly suggest checking with your pay roll department as soon as possible as there seems to be a mistake on their part. As long as this is updated in a timely fashion, there will not be much of a difference come tax time.
Cathy
Jan 29, 2015
I am single and working. I claimed a 1 on my allowance. I did not have any money deducted monthly. Do we need to do that?
admin
Feb 11, 2015
Hi Cathy,
It is possible that your income is not high enough to deduct taxes. However, I do suggest still checking your your pay roll department to make sure that a mistake was not made.
Cynthia
Feb 3, 2015
Hello,
I just got married and need to update my w4 for my employer. I earn almost double what my husband earns bc my job is a full time job and his is a part time job. Not sure how many allowances we should put. Since he earn a lot less right now he put zero allowances. Should he leave it at zero and me put 2 allowances? or should we each put 1?
admin
Feb 11, 2015
Hi Cynthia,
I would suggest that you keep it as is with you claiming two and your husband claiming zero.
The general rule is that the more allowances you claim, the less withholding you’ll have taken out of your paycheck each pay period. By following the instructions on the Personal Allowances Worksheet of your W-4 Form, you will calculate the maximum amount that you should claim (Keep in mind that this worksheet will not be given to your employer or the IRS). However, you can always claim less than that to ensure that enough will be withheld from each paycheck. If you claim zero, you’ll have the maximum amount withheld. If you claim a larger amount, you’ll have less withheld. The absolute ideal scenario is to have your tax liability or refund, at the end of the year, be as close to zero as possible.
Ashlie
Mar 1, 2015
Hi, I am single with two kids ages 5 and 2. I want to know how many allowances I should claim on my W-4. I want a decent paycheck but will also prefer a bigger refund, what should I do?
admin
Mar 2, 2015
Hi Ashlie,
Ages 5 and 2…You must be a busy mom! If you’re claiming both children on your tax return and head of household filing status, then claiming 4 allowances on your W-4 should give you the perfect balance between the size of your refund and your tax withheld. If you’re claiming both children on your tax return but do not qualify for head of household filing status, then you should claim 3 allowances on your W-4.
Shawn
Mar 1, 2015
Hi.. I am single with two foster children who has been in my home for over six months… This year I was able to claim them.. However I claimed two on my allowances. How should this have been handled. I’m confused…
admin
Mar 2, 2015
Hi Shawn,
Filling out a W-4 can be confusing. If you are claiming the two children on your tax return, then 2 allowances on your W-4 should mean you receive a tax refund when filing your taxes. If you would like less tax withheld from your paychecks, you can change this number to 3 (however, you should expect to receive a smaller refund). If you have any further questions, feel free to ask!
Ray
Mar 13, 2015
Hi I am single with one job no kids and nobody can claim me on their taxes. And on my w4 I claimed 2 allowances I work alot of overtime should I go back and claim 1 instead of 2? I just want it to where when I work overtime all of my money doesn’t get deducted.
admin
Apr 6, 2015
Hi Ray,
Filling out a W4 can seem confusing. The amount of taxes withheld from your paychecks and the size of your refund is dependent on the number of allowances you claim on your W4. I would suggest claiming 1 on your W4.
Heather
Apr 7, 2015
I currently have no federal tax being with held from my checks but still had to pay taxes back last year. My husband and and I file married joint. Should I only be claiming myself and let him claim our daughter since he is making 2$ more then me? Will this allow taxes to be taken out if I am only claiming myself?
admin
Apr 29, 2015
Hello Heather,
The first thing to keep in mind is that when you are filing a joint return, you and your spouse are considered one tax entity to the IRS. Therefore, you are responsible for his income reported while he is responsible for your income reported. Your AGIs are also the same when filing this way. That being said, you may want to update your W-4 form with your employer so that you are claiming less allowances. The more allowances that you claim, the less income will be withheld per paycheck. This will cause you to incur less of a refund after filing or, in your case, owe the IRS.
Alina
Apr 7, 2015
Hello:
I work full time and my husband has Social Security due to disability and does not work. Do I withhold 2 or 1?
admin
Apr 29, 2015
Hello Alina,
Choosing how many allowances to claim on your W-4 can seem a bit tricky. The choice is up to you depending on your income, filing status, etc. If you Claiming two allowances will allow you to have a bit more of your income available to you throughout the year, however may result in you owing the IRS or having a slightly smaller refund after filing. On the other hand, if you claim one allowance, more of your income will be withheld from each paycheck while your refund may increase a bit.
Ness
Apr 8, 2015
Hi, I am a 20-year-old single mom and beginning a new job this upcoming weekend (and I’ve paperwork to fill out, including withholding forms). My parents did not — and will not, again, for this year — claim me on their taxes; they did, however, claim my son on their 2014 taxes, and may/may not claim him, again, for this year. What number should I claim?
admin
Apr 29, 2015
Hi Ness,
Claiming two allowances would be a safe route to take to ensure you won’t owe the IRS come tax season. If you feel you need more money throughout the year in each pay check, you can update your W-4 with your employer to claim more allowances. Depending on other credits and deductions that you will be reporting, claiming more than two allowances shouldn’t cause you to owe the IRS at the end of the year.
Kimberly Clark
Apr 9, 2015
Hello,
I am married, with one child. Both my husband and I have full time jobs. Right now I claim 0 for state and 1 for federal. Should I change this or keep as is? I would like to get alittle more in my paycheck, but I don’t want to owe when it comes tax time.
admin
May 1, 2015
Hi Kimberly,
The ideal situation is to break even come tax time and not owe a huge amount to the IRS while still being able to see a bit more throughout the year as well. In your case, it looks like you’ll be able to claim the child tax credit which means that claiming two allowances instead of one would allow you to see more money each pay period while not having to dish over a hefty amount to the IRS at the end of the tax year. Just be sure to double check the child tax credit requirements!
Ashley Walker Dillon
Apr 9, 2015
I am single with a daughter i just recently got one job as i was filling out the w-4 form my child qualifies for child tax credit i am also the head of house hold no one claims me but i claim my child during tax time what should i put?? i was very confused so i put 4 just so i can hurry with the process and get the job but somehow after reading all these comments it looks as if i need to find a way to change my w-4 how do i go about that? should i have put 1 or 2,,, i dont want to owe irs
admin
Apr 28, 2015
Hi Ashley,
Congratulations on the new job! Since you are filing as head of household and claiming your daughter as a dependent, claiming four on your W4 was not a terrible decision. By claiming four (as opposed to one or two), you will be able to take home more of each paycheck throughout the year but possibly owe (or break even) come tax time.
That being said, you can choose to update your W4 at anytime with your payroll department and it should go into effect immediately for the next pay period. Claiming one or two will allow for a larger refund at the end of the tax season with less to take home from each paycheck throughout the year.
Anna
Apr 14, 2015
Hi! I am married and have two kids. I currently only claim 1 for myself on my w4 and my husband does the same for himself. What should we claim to maximize our take home pay?
Thanks,!
admin
Apr 27, 2015
Hi Anna,
The most financially beneficial thing to do would be for the spouse who earns the higher income to claim themselves and the dependent children while the other spouse claims one for themselves. This will allow for you both to bring home a bit more each pay period while owing little to nothing after filing for the year.
Iulia Ivascu
Apr 15, 2015
My employer send me P60 End of Year Certificate and my Final tax code is OT W1M1, that means I am not able to use Personal Allowance. What this means and why I do not have the right to decrease my taxes using a personal allowance?
Kind Regards
admin
May 1, 2015
Hi Lulia,
According to your tax code, you are currently on a non-cumulative tax code program with your employer. This means that your tax is calculated on your earnings in one individual pay period. The alternative is having a cumulative tax code which indicates that your tax is calculated on a year-to-date basis. With your current tax code, it is typical to be paying more tax than necessary. The next step would be to speak with your payroll department about whether or not this is accurate and how to proceed.
Marc
Apr 17, 2015
Hello,
I am starting a new job after being with my former employer for 10 years, so I am going through the W4 process. My wife and I have been married 4 years. She had twins from a previous marriage, and she claims them on her taxes. Up until I got married I always claimed 0 allowances. Now that I am married should I just claim 1 on my W4 and make sure my wife is claiming 3?
I work full time and she works part time.
Any help would be great,
Thank You
admin
Apr 29, 2015
Hi Marc,
Congratulations on the new job! The W4 process can seem confusing after so many years and a few lifestyle changes. If you are filing a joint tax return, I would suggest that the spouse with the higher income claim the majority of allowances. This just tends to be more financially beneficial. You can also split the allowances so that you are both claiming two. When filing a joint tax return, one thing to keep in mind is that you and your spouse are identified as one tax entity.
Maya
Apr 20, 2015
Hi,
Me and my husband work full-time jobs and have one child 7 years old.
What number of allowances should each of us claim?
admin
May 4, 2015
Hello Maya,
If you are planning on filing a joint return, I suggest that the spouse with the higher income claim 2 allowances while the spouse with the lower income claim 1 allowance. By claiming this amount, you will ensure that enough is being withheld from each paycheck throughout the year so that you won’t owe the IRS a large amount come tax time (or even increase you refund amount). Also be sure to look into whether or not you qualify for the Child Tax Credit when filing your tax return.
Evette
Apr 21, 2015
Hello,
My husband and I both claim 0 on our W4. My husband is retired and works a part time job. I am retiring this year and would like to know how I should fill out my W4 for my retirement. We pay dearly each year claiming 0 on our W4. I would like to add some allowances in order to make more throughout the year, but due to us already paying each year, I am apprehensive. Please advise.
admin
May 11, 2015
Hi Evette,
Claiming zero allowances throughout the year on both W-4 forms should allow for a refund. If you would like to see more money in each paycheck, you can claim a higher amount of allowances. Being as you typically owe the IRS come tax time, you should double check that you both are claiming ‘married’ on your W-4 form because this will also allow for a bit more each paycheck along with claiming more allowances.
I would also suggest filing a joint tax return with your spouse and looking into any deductions that you can claim throughout the year to report on your tax return.
Sam
May 9, 2015
Hi,
We are having a lot of life changes, including going from two full incomes to one so I can be the stay at home parent to our two children after we move. In the previous jobs, we both claimed “0”, but with the mid-year move and going to only one income, how many deductions do you recommend to maximize our take home pay without having to pay out next year?
Thanks.
admin
May 14, 2015
Hi Sam,
Congratulations on the move!
Seeing as you both claimed zero allowances on your W-4 forms, I can assume that you received a refund (or owed a small amount to the IRS) since you had the maximum amount withheld from your paychecks throughout the year. In order to bring a bit more of his paycheck home, I suggest that your husband update his W-4 form to claim three allowances. This should still allow for an adequate amount to be withheld to cover what you would owe in taxes over the year while still seeing a bit more take-home pay from his checks.
Eve
May 11, 2015
Hello,
I have a position where I am paid a large 20K+ bonus a few times a year. I’ve heard it is common to adjust your W-4 for paychecks during the time when that bonus is paid to a higher withholding amount. Someone suggested I claim 5 allowances. I am married, my husband is not currently working, and I have an additional family member as my dependent; however, I do not intend to claim 5 throughout the year as I will surely owe the IRS at the end of the year.
I only plan to claim 5 for one or two paychecks when my bonus comes in and then adjust back.
Can you shed some light on how this works, what I can expect if I do claim 5 and what that might look like at the end of the year?
Thank you!
admin
May 12, 2015
Hi Eve,
Congratulations on the bonus!
When it comes to updating your W-4 form, you can do so as often as necessary. That being said, updating your W-4 form for 1-2 paychecks per year will not drastically impact your refund or tax due when you file. Let’s use your situation as an example: Let’s assume that you are currently claiming 3 allowances and you choose to update that to 5 allowances, you should see more money in your paycheck this coming pay period because less is being withheld. Once you adjust your W-4 form back to 3 allowances again, your paycheck will reflect that in the following pay period and allow less take-home-pay since more is being withheld to cover taxes.
In other words, the more allowances you claim, the more money you receive throughout the year (in your paychecks) and the less you will see in a possible refund from the IRS after filing your taxes.
Also keep in mind that you will be able to claim those dependents mentioned when filing your tax return. This will help to lower the tax due (or increase your refund) also.
Doug
May 15, 2015
First year after divorce… thought I should adjust my withholdings to reflect that I won’t owe tax on the portion of my income that goes to spousal support. I adjusted my allowances from 1 to 3, expecting it to lower the taxes they are withholding. The following paycheck, they withheld MORE tax…not less.
Now I’m confused…
admin
May 20, 2015
Hello Doug,
You had the right idea to update your W-4 form. Claiming more allowances will typically cause less to be withheld from your paycheck. However, after a divorce, you updated your filing status to single as well. This change will also affect how much money is withheld from your paychecks. With a single filing status, more is withheld than if you were to have a married filing status.
To avoid a hefty tax bill this year, I suggest claiming one allowance with a single filing status. If you are planning on claiming any dependents when you file your taxes, add one allowance for each.
Tony
May 19, 2015
Hello,
This is my first time filing out a W-4 Form. I am single. I’m 24 years old. I have no kids-no dependents. My single mom didn’t file me as dependent on her Taxes. I still live at home with my mom. This is my first part-time job while going to school full-time.
I don’t want to pay all my taxes at the end of the year. I rather have the government take money out of my paycheck every month then pay a huge tax amount at the end of the year. I’m not sure how much refund I should receive since this is my first W-4. What allowances should I write in box 5 on my W-4? What should I put down in box 7 on my W-4? 1? 0?
admin
May 19, 2015
Hi Tony,
When completing a W-4 form, you want to make sure that you are allowing enough taxes to be withheld throughout the year so that you won’t end up owing the IRS a huge chunk of money in the long run. The way to do this is to claim as little allowances as your financial situation will allow. Based on what you’ve stated above, you’re best bet is to claim zero or one allowance. If you claim zero, this will allow for the maximum amount to be withheld from each paycheck. This will most likely result in a refund for you come tax time. If you choose to claim one allowance, you will see a bit more in each paycheck but will still have a sufficient amount being withheld. This may result in a smaller refund for you.
I don’t suggest claiming anymore than two allowances as that may cause you to owe the IRS after filing.
Good luck with school and the new job!
Belle
May 21, 2015
Hi,
I’m married, file jointly, we both work one full time job, no kids. what do i put? M1? M0? We want to have refunds at tax time
admin
May 22, 2015
Hi Belle,
Since you would like to receive a refund after filing, I would recommend claiming the lowest amount of allowances possible. If you claim zero with a married filing status, you will have the maximum amount being withheld from your paychecks throughout the year. A refund will be issued if too much is withheld for taxes. For most people, zero allowances results in a refund.
Now, if you feel that you are not receiving enough money in your paychecks, you can always adjust your W-4 form to one allowance. This will allow for a bit less to be withheld but you will still have a substantial amount allotted for taxes.
Eric
May 23, 2015
Hello,
I recently divorced and have 2 children who live with my ex wife. I do keep them with me a minimum 2 nights a week every week. I changed my filing status to
Single and 1 dependent for myself, however since I’m paying a lot of child support, I would like to claim 2 more allowances on my W4 to get more from my checks. As for the filing of my tax return, I would not claim them, she would. Just wondering if I can safely add 2 more allowances on my W4, one for each child, for withholding purposes throughout the year.
admin
May 26, 2015
Hello Eric,
Child support can be a hefty expense so it’s understandable why you would want less tax withheld from your paychecks. It is 100% up to you if you would like to update your W-4 form to add more allowances. However, keep in mind that if too little is withheld from your paychecks throughout the year, you may be faced with an amount due for taxes when you file. You won’t be faced with any penalties or fees, though as long as you pay your tax bill on time.
JIMMY
Jun 5, 2015
I am single. I’m 23 years old. I have only one dependent which is my little sister, 11. I do not want too much money withhold from my weekly checks and still want to receive a decent refund. what number should i put for allowance on my W-4?
Thanks,
admin
Jun 22, 2015
Hi Jimmy,
If you are sure that your sister is a qualifying dependent and that you will be claiming her on your tax return, then you should claim two allowances on your W-4 form. This should allow for enough tax to be withheld so that you don’t owe the IRS after filing your tax return.
Krissy
Jun 18, 2015
I’ve always claimed zero before, but I’ve claimed my sister the last two years (and will keep doing so in the future) on my taxes. Is claiming 2 on my w4 ok? Or will it make me owe a lot?
admin
Jun 22, 2015
Hi Krissy,
If you are sure that your sister is a qualifying dependent and you will be claiming her on your tax return then claiming two allowances would be your ideal decision- one for her and one for yourself.
Jose
Jun 24, 2015
hello, I have one seasonal job, my parents claim me in their taxes, how many allowances should I claim on my W-4?
admin
Jun 26, 2015
Hi Jose,
Seeing as your parents will be claiming you on their taxes, I suggest claiming zero allowances on your W-4. If you are required to file a tax return, this should allow for you to see a small refund from the IRS.
Kisha
Jun 25, 2015
Hi, I’m single, one job, and a kid. I used the w-4 assistant and it said I have 6 allowances. How many allowances should I actually claim. Please help!
admin
Jun 26, 2015
Hi Kisha,
One thing to keep in mind is that the IRS withholding allowance tool and the instructions right on the W-4 itself will help you calculate the maximum amount of allowances you could claim on your W-4. This calculation is not the amount that will ensure you do not owe money to the IRS. Based on your situation explained above, I suggest claiming two or three allowances. You should claim three allowances if you are filing as head of household. This will allow you to see a bit more in each paycheck while also having the IRS withhold a sufficient amount to cover taxes.
Kisha
Jun 29, 2015
When I select head of household it gives me 7 allowances. Should I still claim 3? Thanks.
Matthew
Jul 6, 2015
Hi, I’m married. Me and my wife both work full time. I make more than her. She has 1 daughter (12years old). My wifes allowances is set to 2 and mine is 0. Should I change mine to 1?
admin
Jul 6, 2015
Hi Matthew,
If your financial situation allows you to comfortably claim zero allowances with enough take-home-pay from each paycheck, then I would suggest sticking with zero allowances. This will most likely result in a refund after filing your tax return for the year. If you want to see a bit more in each paycheck throughout the year, claiming one allowance won’t cause you to owe the IRS an insane amount come tax time. Generally, it will just be less of a refund issued.
Matthew
Jul 6, 2015
Thank you very much for the reply. 🙂
Trinath
Jul 15, 2015
Hi,
I am single,one job,international student,my W4 shows federal as 3 allowances and state as 3 allownace ? Is there any mistake in my W4.please suggest me.
admin
Jul 17, 2015
Hi Trinath,
With one job and a single filing status, you may want to claim zero or one allowance so that you don’t end up owing the IRS after filing your tax return.
Myra
Jul 23, 2015
Hi,
23, single, 2 jobs. I just received my first check from my second job and they didn’t take any taxes from my check. I don’t want to end up owing at the end of the year. What should I do?
Thank You!
admin
Aug 6, 2015
Hi Myra,
There could be a few reasons why taxes are not being withheld from your paycheck. It will depend on your specific tax situation. Some of the reasons why this could be happening are:
1. You could have claimed exempt on your W-4.
2. You could not be earning enough from that place of employment to qualify to have taxes withheld.
3. Your employer could have made a mistake.
Whatever the reason is, it is highly recommended that you touch base with your employer. They should be able to fully explain the reasoning behind it.
flav
Aug 3, 2015
I have recently taken a new job in Georgia, I am a non resident alien authorized to work
I am a single and this new job is my only one source of income…
I am filling the W4 form at my job online and their paperless form brings me to the following allowances:
Line A: Enter 1 for yourself if no one else can claim you as a dependent (I have this selected as 1)
Line B: Enter 1 if you are single and have only one job (I have selected this as 1)
So now my total allowances (Line H) is 2
I see you suggest having the total allowances as 1, given my choices and my situation, is there a way to bring my total on line H to 1 or should it be 2?
Thanks!
admin
Aug 3, 2015
Hi Flav,
If you take a look at a copy of the W-4 form, you will notice that you are only required to submit the bottom portion to your employer. The Personal Allowance Worksheet is for your own personal reference. You can claim one allowance on Line H. The reason I suggest claiming one allowance to someone in a similar tax situation as yourself is so that you can ensure that enough taxes are being withheld from your paychecks throughout the year and you will not end up owing the IRS after filing for the year.
flav
Aug 4, 2015
Hi,
with my employer, I have to fill the form electronically and line H is computed automatically based on previous lines.
Plus they make you agree at the end that all the documents are filled to the best of your knowledge
i was wondering if i had filled them incorrectly to begin with, which led me to 2.
would like to see if you though so too
thanks
kendra
Aug 7, 2015
Hi, I am married with 2 kids. I am getting a bonus at work and would like to change my tax status on W4 to exempt? Can i get in trouble for this?
admin
Aug 20, 2015
Hi Kendra,
Claiming exempt on your W-4 would allow for no taxes to be withheld from your paycheck. Keep in mind that if you claim exempt and have any prior year tax liability owed, your employer will be required to automatically withhold taxes anyways. That being said, you won’t exactly get ‘in trouble’ but you will still be liable for the tax that was not paid on your income. This could cause you to not be eligible to be issued a refund from the IRS. Be careful when claiming an exemption on your W-4. It could result in a large tax bill for you. As an alternative, you may just want to increase the amount of allowances you are claiming if you are claiming the minimum amount right now. For example, if you are only claiming one allowance right now, you can update your W-4 form to claim three, seeing as you have two dependent children.
evelyn
Feb 15, 2016
i worked at this job for 17 months i filed my income tax last year and everything worked out fine recently i went to file the lady that did my income tax told me that my job did not take out any federal taxes out of any of my checks i was dumbfounded so she advised me to talk with my boss i always claim just myself since my children are grown and no longer in my home so i talked to my boss about the situation and she said that she take care of it meaning she will contact payroll…what can payroll do to correct this situation …can they correct this problem and send me the correct w2 so that i can file or will i have to pay back the irs this should have never happened in the first place never have i ever went through this before
admin
Mar 3, 2016
Hi Evelyn,
Unfortunately, this is a significant mistake made on your company’s part. One thing to keep in mind is that the amount of overall tax you are responsible for is the same. The only difference is that this year, it was not taken out little by little from your paychecks. Instead, you received more take-home pay. On the negative side, you will need to pay all of your tax liability at once. Your payroll department won’t be able to do much (unless the W-2 was actually misprinted and you were having taxes withheld from your checks). I suggest double checking your pay stubs from the year to make sure that they weren’t withholding taxes.
Although this was not the best outcome for tax time, it was not your mistake. The IRS has payment plans that you can qualify for so that you’re not faced with paying a large amount in one installment. You can check those out HERE. For next year, keep an eye on pay stubs each paycheck to make sure that your company is abiding by your W-4 withholding amount.
Paulina
Feb 16, 2016
I made a mistake and claimed 2 allowances when it should have been 1. How can I fix this for last year’s taxes?
admin
Feb 16, 2016
Hi Paulina,
Unfortunately, you can only update your W-4 to have an effect on your income going forward. Any updates you make will not affect your past tax withheld. That being said, the tax amount that you are liable for is the same whether you pay it after filing for the year or you have smaller amounts withheld form each paycheck. Just keep this in mind for this current tax year. You can update your W-4 form whenever necessary but you cannot go back and change what already was withheld.
Selena
Feb 29, 2016
Hi, so I’m refilling out my W-4 because of changes in my life. On the personal allowance worksheet I came out with 6 because; 1- I claim myself 2- I’m single with one job 3- I have one dependent 4- I’m filing head of household 5- the child tax credit state ” if your income will be less than $70,000, enter “2” for each eligible child…” But I don’t understand because I never read that when I filed out last year and I was not head of household so I just thought automatically “2”.. Should I claim “4” for me and my dependent along with head of household andbeing single with one job. Or would claiming “6” be right? I don’t mind if less is given back in taxes.
admin
Mar 23, 2016
Hi Selena,
If you follow along with the Personal Allowances Worksheet, you will calculate the maximum amount of allowances that you can claim on your W-4 according to IRS rules. However, it also states on the W-4 form that you can claim less in order to allow your employer to withhold more taxes from your paychecks. Claiming 6 allowances will is not a guarantee that you won’t owe the IRS after filing.
Terra
Mar 4, 2016
If I want to get a little more cash in my check for a few months can I claim higher than 2 then switch it back later?
admin
Mar 18, 2016
Hi Terra,
You can update your W-4 form as you see it necessary, penalty-free. If you decide to update your allowances, remember to go back later down the line to reassess the amount you are claiming. You don’t want to forget as you could potentially end up with a pretty hefty tax bill.
Casey
Mar 7, 2016
I am married, file jointly, and have 3 kids. I’ve been having too much tax withheld and want to change my w-4. I worked the IRS withholding calculator, and it said to claim 15 allowances. Is that correct? I don’t want to owe taxes at the end of the year.
admin
Mar 29, 2016
Hi Casey,
When following along with the Personal Allowances Worksheet of the W-4 form, you will calculate the maximum amount of allowances that you could claim based on IRS rules. However, the IRS allows you to claim less than that and in no way holds you to claiming such a high number of allowances. If you prefer to have more withheld from your paychecks throughout the year instead of having a large tax bill after filing, then you’ll want to claim less allowances. I typically suggest that a married couple split allowances equally (if they are earning about the same amount of money) or the spouse earning the higher income claim the majority/all of the allowances for the household. This would of course depend of whether or not you are filing a joint return or married filing separately.
Ian
Mar 31, 2016
I am single. I have one kid. I’m head of the house hold. I’m claiming 7 on federal exemption. Will filing 7 keep me safe from paying taxes or will I be paying taxes. My tax payer told me to claim 7? I’m really confused on how it works. I need more answers
admin
Apr 4, 2016
Hi Ian,
I see how your tax preparer calculated 7 allowances using the Personal Allowances Worksheet located on Page 1 of your W-4 Form. The IRS states that you are not required to use this worksheet and can always claim less than that. The worksheet helps you to calculate the maximum amount you can claim based on IRS rules. This will not necessarily prevent you from owing the IRS after filing. In fact, the more allowances you claim on your W-4, the less is withheld from your paychecks to cover your tax liability. The less allowances you claim, the more is withheld for taxes. You will owe if too little is withheld and be issued a refund if too much is withheld. Claiming zero allowances allows you to have the maximum amount of income withheld from your paychecks. Taxpayers will claim zero if they want the minimum tax bill/maximum refund after filing for the year.
Sierra Eiden
May 5, 2016
I am single, almost 19 and my dad still claims me as a dependent on his taxes. He told me to switch from exempt to single and 3, not sure if I should do that or not. I’m starting communtity college in the fall and he kept talking about tax liability? I make around 10 dollars an hour and work 30-39 hours a week. Need help on what I should file as
admin
May 31, 2016
Hi Sierra,
Your father can claim you as a dependent until you are 19 years old OR 24 years old if you are a full-time student. You mentioned that you are starting college in the fall. If you are considered a full-time student, then your father can most likely continue to claim you as a dependent on his tax return.
When it comes to your W-4 form, you have the leeway to claim as little or as many allowances as you see fit (within reason) according to your tax situation. It is important to keep in mind that the more allowances you claim, the less income is withheld from your paychecks to be applied toward taxes owed. The less allowances you claim, the more income is withheld. If too little is withheld throughout the year, then you will owe the IRS after filing. If too little is withheld, then you will be issued a refund. Either way, the same amount of tax is due to the IRS.
Agustin
May 18, 2016
Hello,
I am married and my wife and I have full time jobs, how should I claim?
Best,
admin
May 23, 2016
Hi Agustin,
I suggest completing the W-4 form according to the personal allowances worksheet and also working with the multiple earners worksheet on page 2 of the W-4 form. After you have calculated your amount of allowances, keep in mind that the more allowances you claim, the less is withheld from your income to cover taxes owed. The less allowances you claim, the more is withheld. If too little is withheld, then you will have a tax amount due after filing. If too much is withheld, you will be issued a tax refund from the IRS. You can adjust your W-4 allowances as you and your wife see fit. The amount of tax will remain the same. You are more in control of when you will pay it (throughout the year or after filing for the year). Typically, the spouse earning the higher amount will claim the majority of allowances.
Scott
May 24, 2016
Hi, I am married and my wife does not work. I have the maximum amount of taxes taken out of my check each week. However, I am looking to have less taken out. I am filling out a W4 and a G4 form. I live in Georgia, so I have to do both state and federal. I am looking to up my allowances to 10 for a couple months while I work overtime and then change it back to 2. Would this greatly affect me when I go to file my taxes? I’ve heard of people doing this to maximize the amount they get on their paycheck. Especially while working overtime.
admin
May 31, 2016
Hi Scott,
It is common for taxpayers to update their allowances when they are expecting an increase in pay/bonus. Claiming 10 allowances for one or two paychecks will not significantly affect your final tax due or your refund come tax time. However, claiming 10 allowances for a couple of months could cause you to go from being issued a refund from the IRS to having a tax bill after filing for the year. This, of course, depends on several different factors including credits, deductions, your income, etc. Be sure that when you adjust your W-4 form, you keep a close eye on your pay stubs/statements. Very little income (if any at all) will be withheld if you claim 10 allowances. Since you are currently claiming zero allowances, you may want to look into claiming one or two allowances to start. You can always update your W-4 form as you see fit.
Tammy Lacy
Jun 21, 2016
I’m head of household. I had 3 dependents on my W-4 and both are in high school. They do not work so why can’t I claim them? I support them. We should be able to claim them on taxes. Please get back with me.
admin
Jun 21, 2016
Hi Tammy,
Based on the information you’ve provided me, you should be able to claim your two children as dependents. The rules to claiming a qualifying child dependent, according to the IRS can be found HERE. There are exceptions, however, if you meet the tests shown, you can most likely claim your children as dependents.
Elsie
Jul 18, 2016
Hi,
I am single and have no kids or dependents. I have 1 full time job and 2 per diem positions. What you suggest I claim on my w4 for each position? I want to strike the right balance of taxes withheld and not oweing each year. Thanks.
admin
Jul 19, 2016
Hi Elsie,
It is common for taxpayers in your position to claim one allowance at their higher earning job while claiming zero allowances for the remaining positions. However, the best thing to do is complete the personal allowances worksheet on page 1 of your W-4 form as well as possibly completing the worksheet on page 2 for multiple jobs. You can take a look at the W-4 online at home prior to completing it under pressure in your place(s) of employment.
Marisel
Nov 3, 2016
Hello,
My husband passed away Nov 2015. In Oct 2016 I changed my status from married to single. When I got my pay check in Nov, there was a deduction of $153; yikes. I feel like I just got a pay cut. My question is with “allowances”…I have it as zero. I have 2 kids, my mom lives with us, I pay mortgage and all the expenses in the house. Should I put something under allowances? I am already afraid that I might end up owing IRS in April 2017. Any help u can provide. PLEASE HELP.
admin
Nov 8, 2016
Hi Marisel,
I am so sorry for your loss.
When it comes to taxes, going from filing a joint tax return to filing as single can decrease your tax benefits substantially. The IRS allows taxpayers to file as ‘qualifying widow with dependent child‘ as long as they meet certain requirements. For 2016, these are as follows:
– You were entitled to file a joint return with your spouse for the year your spouse died. It doesn’t matter whether you actually filed a joint return.
– Your spouse died in 2014 or 2015 and you didn’t remarry before the end of 2016.
– You have a child or stepchild for whom you can claim an exemption. This doesn’t include a foster child.
– This child lived in your home all year, except for temporary absences. There are also exceptions for a child who was born or died during the year, and for a kidnapped child.
– You paid more than half the cost of keeping up a home for the year.
For more information, you can take a look at our FAQ page or contact our tax team HERE.
Kevin
Nov 9, 2016
So I’m single and not married…what happens if i claim 10
admin
Nov 14, 2016
Hi Kevin,
The IRS will typically not penalize a taxpayer for claiming more allowances than necessary. Here’s how allowances work. The more allowances you claim, the less tax is withheld from your paychecks over the course of the year. This option can sometimes lead to not withholding enough income and in turn, owing the IRS after filing taxes for the year. The less you claim, the more tax is withheld from your pay. This might lead to receiving an IRS refund after filing if too much was withheld from your income over the year. The ideal is to owe nothing or very little. This means that you were getting the most out of your paychecks. Based on your tax situation, claiming 10 allowances will give you a substantial amount of take home pay throughout the year but most likely have you owing the IRS after filing.
Mat
Jan 16, 2017
Hello,
I am married with full time job. I made a mistake and put 2 for number of allowances and now I owe a lot of money. Can I change it now on my W-4 for this year or its late?
Thanks
admin
Jan 17, 2017
Hi Mat,
You can update your W-4 whenever you see it necessary throughout the year. Although you can’t backtrack and apply your updated W-4 to prior months, your payroll department should put your updates into effect for the following pay period.
Also, keep in mind that the amount of tax you pay to the IRS for the year remains the same. Your W-4 just determines when you will pay it; in smaller amount from your paychecks or in one payment after filing.
Alan
Apr 13, 2017
Hi, My wife and I both have full time jobs and 2 kids. we always file marred jointly. How should we claim them in our W4? just want to make sure im doing it right. thanks
admin
May 11, 2017
Hello Alan,
The way you fill your W-4 is entirely your decision. As per the post, “If you’re married with one kid, you and your spouse combined should generally claim three allowances. For each additional child, add one allowance. That being said, if you’re married with two kids, you and your spouse would claim a total of four allowances, meaning each of you would ideally claim two allowances on your W-4 forms.” If you need additional help you may contact your Payroll Department to better advise you.
Jennifer
Apr 14, 2017
My husband works and makes under $60K, I am a stay-at-home mom and we have two kids. For 4 months my husband has been claiming 0 but we want to update it so that he can have more take home pay as we got $5k back in a refund last year. The IRS calculator is telling us that the estimated tax for 2017 has already been withheld in those first 4 months that that for the remainder of the year we should claim 12 allowances on his W-4. Does that seem correct to you?
admin
May 10, 2017
It is best if you consult with your payroll department for a more accurate amount of allowances to claim your W-4.
Ann Toepke
May 29, 2017
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May 29, 2017
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May 29, 2017
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Kyle Smith
Jun 6, 2017
I am married, no kids, both of us work. The suggestion here is saying we should each claim 1 allowance is that correct? And then should we withhold any additional amount on top of that? Thank you?
admin
Jun 6, 2017
A good tool to use is the IRS Withholding Calculator which will help you determine the number of allowances you should claim. You can also consult with your payroll department for advisement as well if you are still unsure of the number you would like to claim.
Andy
Jun 12, 2017
I married in January of this year and have not yet had time to change my filing status with my employer and had actually forgotten. My wife was attending college during that time and we actually lived separately because of the distance of her college and my work. We are now living together and we both work without any kids. So my first question is if I notify my employer now will that be an issue? My second question is my wife is a nonresident alien and I was wondering how we should file? Also, I don’t know if this matters but I also have a rental property and we rent a living space together.
admin
Jun 12, 2017
Using the IRS Withholding Calculator Tool will better assist you in determining the number of allowances you should claim. You should also get in touch with your payroll department, as they can better advise you on your personal situation.
Celeste
Aug 1, 2017
Hello –
I am a single mother and also claim head of household on my taxes. I have one dependent and pay over $2000 in child care expenses during the year. I am also eligible for the Child tax credit. What number should I claim on the W-4 form?
admin
Aug 2, 2017
From the situation that you have outlined as well as the instructions on the W-4, the number of allowances you may want to claim would be around 6-7. However, please be aware that when claiming a high number of allowances, less of your income gets withheld, which may result in a tax liability at the end of the year.
Mehendi
Aug 10, 2017
I am married and working. My spouse is working too and we don’t have any kids/dependents here as we are hold a work visa. we both live separately due to job locations and have our own rented apartments and household expenditures being managed ourselves. I have kept my W4 score as 1. we want to file separate returns, can we use the head of household exemption or any other?
admin
Aug 10, 2017
Because you are married, you will be unable to qualify for a filing status as head of household. You can either file a joint return or file married filing separately. You may want to reconsider the number of allowances that you would want to claim on your W-4. The fewer allowances claimed will result in more of your income withheld for taxes. Just from what you have outlined the least amount of allowances you may want to claim is possibly 2-3.
Eddy
Oct 23, 2017
Hi
I want to congratulated in your article very clear and right to the point. This is the first time someone published a great article about tax season and also I would like to take the time to ask you in this forum something about my tax deductions.
I have three children with my partner but we are not married in US. We just married in Ecuador. Since 2014 when I started having my first baby. I always filled my taxes as a Single and claimed my son as Head of Household. I did not join my partner in my taxes due some friends advice is better to do taxes separately. Then, I continue doing the same with my second son as a single with 0 depended in my paycheck. but This year my third some came with some disability and everybody is telling me to add my third some to my taxes but I’m not sure if I have to do it due my third son is receiving a lot of benefits from the government (Medicaid) due my partner applied for him and she applied as a single Mon.. she stated if I claim my son I will have to pay all the medical bills or he will no continue receiving all his benefits and the will cut some of them. (respiratory equipment, nursing care, medicine). Is that true? I should get married with my partner and add all my three children as dependent in my check and tax season or I should continue as Head as Household.
Please advise.
Thanks
admin
Oct 26, 2017
Medicaid benefits are related to the amount of income that you earn, so these may get reduced or absolved if you make over a certain amount when claiming the dependent on your return. It may be best to consult with your local tax accountant for more advisement on this situation. Generally when claiming allowances, if you are unsure you want to be conservative with the amount you wish to take.
Luz
Oct 27, 2017
hi im having trouble im new at this and have nobody to help me im single no kids no nothing nobody claims me and i dont know what to put on my w-4 i dont know if to put 1 allowance or 0 also on the additinal amount i dont know what to put please help hope you respond soon
thank you
admin
Oct 27, 2017
Claiming two allowances on your W-4 would be for the best, when you are single with one job and not being claimed as a dependent. It’s always best to speak with your payroll department, however, when you are unsure, or if your situation changes.
brittany
Nov 13, 2017
Im single with one child, i work full time what should i claim? i want to actually get money back around tax time and i dont want to have to pay anything either . i originally put 5 on my taxes and my family is telling me to switch it asap
admin
Nov 14, 2017
Using the IRS provided withholding calculator tool, you will be able to determine a number of qualified allowances that you can claim on your W-4. From the situation that you have outlined, it seems that you qualify to claim between 3-4 allowances.
Johnathan O’Neal
Jan 24, 2018
I work 2 jobs and I’m single. What should I claim on my w-4 form. I do not care about getting a refund I just want to break even.
Tanya
Jan 25, 2018
Hello I am a single mother of three with one job, a college student, and the head of household. I want to claim one allowance, so that I can get a nice refund but also not have too much money taken out of my paycheck. do you think that’s a good idea or should I claim more than one such as four or five?
Karen
Feb 2, 2018
I file single. I claim 5 and have run into some trouble with that, as I end up owing at the end of the year. I initially switched from 0 to 5 several years ago after a recommendation so I’d get more in my check. I have waited far too long to change it back and now I have to. Can you tell me what the $$ and/or % difference will be in my take-home pay (or how I can figure it out) based on my bi-weekly pay stub/check? I guess maybe the better question is, for each number claimed is there a $$ amount or percentage of time kind it generally is? Thank you!
admin
Apr 2, 2018
Karen,
Contact your Payroll Department for details about the breakdown.
SIRAJUL HAQ PAYAB
May 23, 2018
Hi Friends,
I have 4 kids and my wife, I am head if household.
what should be the number of my allownces Please?
Thanks
Carla
Jun 29, 2018
Hi there! So I live in Georgia and when I first completed my G-4 I was single only claimed 1. Now I am married with a child and need to update my G4 so that less state tax is being taken out each month. How can I safely do this without causing too much of a penalty to myself in the end? I don’t mind a little state tax coming out each month but I do want to reduce this amount by increasing my allowances. I am not sure how to fill out the sections on the form. By the way, I love this blog!
Sarah
Jul 2, 2018
Hi – I currently claim HOH & 2 allowances, it’s myself and my 20 yr old son who lives with me and a FT student. I did the IRS calculator and it recommended changing to Single and 18 allowances. I’m not sure what to do, that doesn’t seem right.
What would you recommend?
Thank you.
Sharenda
Aug 30, 2018
Hi I am a single parent of 3 I am working a full-time job and I just found out that my job has not been taking taxes out of my checks which I recall completing during the hiring process. I informed my boss that it was not to my knowledge that taxes weren’t being taken out of my checks and the only thing she said to me was ” Go to irs.gov and look up the tax calculator and it will tell you based on your status if you will need to pay into any taxes.” That is not the reply I was expecting. This would mean that we are independently contracted through her but basically self employed. What do I do? I do not want to owe the irs.
Shannon
Sep 1, 2018
Hi,
I am single and file as Head of household with 2 toddlers ..and just looking into going back to my old part time job which will only make me about $3000 maximum for the remainder of 2018 as well as POSSIBLY going back to an Independant Contractor job as well which will be very occasional if i do take shifts off and on (10-15 hours a month but MUCH higher per hour than the main employee job)
Last year i only made $1495 at the employee job the entire year due to all of my pregnancy/newly diagnosed health issues.
I was wondering if i should just put EXEMPT for either job for 2018 since it is so late in the year and i know i will not make even close to $6000.
However my main question is for once 2019 starts and doing my W-4’s for here on out.
Right now the allowance sheet is saying to claim 8 just for the child credit alone for my two children and then another 3 for myself,HOH and for making less than $6000 for the year (11 seems like wayyy too much)
IF i put anything near this , should i put most of the allowances at the long term wage job and then 0 or 1 for the 1099 company?
Or should i put most of the allowances at the 1099 job and then put about 4 at my regular wage job?(that seems to be the general consensus i see for HOH with 2 children)
Christie Parkmond
Oct 11, 2018
I just started a job .I’m filling head of household. I have 3 kids Do I was seeing how many allowance do I calim.
kayla
Oct 11, 2018
I am single with 1 child fulltime and a part-time job. What determines Head of Household? how many allowances should I claim?
Aaron Pritchard
Nov 13, 2018
Was curious I’m claiming 2 right now for the 2018 year I’ve made to much already for my federal and state can I change my claim number to 9 now and not get penalized before the 2019 year please let me know thank you!
Gregory Lemons
Nov 15, 2018
Claiming 3 on my tax return but i dont have any kids. What should i expect back from the irs?
Robby
Dec 9, 2018
I am 70 ,widowed, and working what should I claim ad my deduction…single one?