How to Fill out The W-4 Form for Dummies

The employee’s withholding allowance certificate undergoes changes because of the new requirements. The format of W-4 2018 is also changed. Thanks to that, the recently hired employees will have to complete the updated variant of the template. Those who have already submitted the form, should double check their allowances to correspond the new requirements. For example, the people who have changed the marital status or have got the second job should complete the sample and calculate the allowances again. If your spouse has started working, you need to edit your W4 sample.

This document is necessary for the employer to know how much money to withhold for tax and what each employee gets from it.

What Is The Difference between An Old W4 and The New One?

Since the updated form was released everyone wants to know what are the changes and how they influence the taxation process. The template comprises a detailed paragraph for the families who have Child Tax Credit. The standard deduction increased, tax rates and brackets changed and some personal exemptions were removed. There is no need to worry about the changes, as the blank contains a detailed explanation and instructions for every item. Any tax withheld can be counted with an online calculator on the IRS website. It is updated according to the latest requirements. Do not try to count all yourself as incorrect data may cause providing the sum that is much higher or lower than the correct one.

Some Tips for Successful W 4 Form Completion

To know how to fill out the form, read the following guide:

1. Click at “Start Now” and the document will be opened.
2. Read all the instruction attentively.
3. Make all the calculations beforehand to save time and avoid mistakes.
4. Include your personal information and contact details together with the social security number. If the user does not want to have any social withholdings, they just need to put a checkmark in front of the first point.
5. Other users should specify the total number of allowances and their marital status.
6. The second part of the sample is a worksheet that contains the list of allowances, where everyone should select one or several items. Your choice will be connected with your and your spouse income and a dependent child or children you have.
7. Select all necessary items and include to the template your signature.
8. Next, the document can be downloaded to your computer in the current format or printed.