Tax Help - Figuring Out Those W-4 Allowances

If you're being claimed as a dependent by someone else, working more than 1 job or receiving unearned income, the number of allowances you may claim when filing your W-4 will be affected. Generally, if you're single, work 1 job, and no one can claim you as a dependent, you can claim Single with 1 allowance. The status (Single or Married) is indicated on line 3 of Form W-4. The number of allowances you claim is entered on line 5.

Am I exempt from withholding?

You can claim exemption from withholding if you didn't have a federal income tax liability last year and don't expect to have one this year. You can't claim exemption from withholding if:



you can be claimed as a dependent by another person.

your total income is expected to be more than $900 and is expected to include more than $300 of unearned income (for example, interest and dividends).

Note: Being a student doesn't automatically qualify you to be exempt from withholding. You still must meet the other requirements. If you meet the requirements to file exempt, simply write the word "exempt" on line 7 of Form W-4 and file it with your employer.

Someone Claims You as a Dependent

Your parents or someone else can claim you as a dependent if you didn't provide more than half your support for the year. If someone else will claim you as a dependent, then you're not entitled to claim an allowance on line A of the personal allowances worksheet on Form W-4.


Withholding When Working More Than 1 Job

If you're working more than 1 part-time job or a full-time job and a part-time job, you may need to compensate for the extra job by altering your withholding. Tax is withheld from your income from any job based only on the income from that job. The income from the part-time job is commonly low enough that the amount withheld will not be enough to cover the tax on that income. If this is the case,be sure to increase your withholdings at your primary job to compensate.

If you have more than one job or you're married and both you and your spouse are working, complete the Two Earner/Multiple Jobs Worksheet on page 2 of Form W-4 to compute what to claim for each job. This can help you avoid a balance due at tax time.

Income Other Than Wages

Perhaps you receive a taxable scholarship, income from investments your grandmother gave you, you won a prize, or you're doing some self-employment work on the side. Your tax liability will include all of these items, so you should factor that in when completing your W-4. For example: You determine that claiming 1 allowance will cover the money you earn from your wages, but some extra income is going to add $200 to your tax liability. The simplest way to compensate for that extra income is have an additional amount withheld from each paycheck. You get paid every other week, and $200 over 26 weeks makes an additional $8 each pay period. Enter $8 on line 6 to cover the tax on that extra income.

The worksheets provided with Form W-4 are designed to help you compute the exact amount of withholding you require. Be sure to use them to verify you are on the right track with your withholding. Check with a tax professional for help with your W-4 if you have questions.