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Federal withholding

In My federal withholding box on my W-2 it says zero and I'm trying to understand. Does that mean I'm going to have to pay...? I do have two dependents, a 17-year-old and a 14-year-old and then I'm going to claim my 19-year-old as well... So what does that mean for me?

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Federal withholding

If box 2 of the W-2 has $0 or blank then your employer did not withhold any federal taxes from your wages in 2024.  This can be caused by how you completed the W-4 that you gave to your employer.

 

You may or many not owe any federal income taxes on your 2024 tax return.  The only way to find out is to complete your tax return using all the forms W-2 and 1099 that you will receive in 2025.

Federal withholding

You will not know what it means to you until you enter all of your information into the software.   We do not know what you have in box 1---which is really important.   If you earned a low amount of income, then the employer did not withhold federal tax, based on the W-4 you provided to them that indicated how many dependents you have and the anticipated child tax credit you may be getting.  Enter all of your information including the W-2 exactly as it appears.

 

Enter your dependents in MY INFO.    As for claiming the 19 year old----does the 19 year old meet the criteria to be claimed?     The two younger children should make you eligible for the child tax credit.  You cannot get the CTC for the 19 year old, but you might be getting a $500 credit for other dependents for the 19 year old.

 

 

IRS interview to help determine who can be claimed:

https://www.irs.gov/help/ita/who-can-i-claim-as-a-dependent

 

 

 

WHO CAN I CLAIM AS A DEPENDENT?

 

You can claim a child, relative, friend, or fiancé (etc.) as a dependent on your 2024 taxes as long as they meet the following requirements:

Qualifying child

  • They're related to you.
  • They aren't claimed as a dependent by someone else.
  • They're a U.S. citizen, resident alien, national, or a Canadian or Mexican resident.
  • They aren’t filing a joint return with their spouse.
  • They're under the age of 19 (or 24 for full-time students).
    • No age limit for permanently and totally disabled children.
  • They lived with you for more than half the year (exceptions apply).
  • They didn't provide more than half of their own support for the year.

Qualifying relative

  • They don't have to be related to you (despite the name).
  • They aren't claimed as a dependent by someone else.
  • They're a U.S. citizen, resident alien, national, or a Canadian or Mexican resident.
  • They aren’t filing a joint return with their spouse.
  • They lived with you the entire year (exceptions apply).
  • They made less than $5050 in 2024 (not counting Social Security)
  • You provided more than half of their financial support.

 

 

**Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to offer the most correct information possible. The poster disclaims any legal responsibility for the accuracy of the information that is contained in this post.**
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