I accidentally filed exempt on W-4 and just received my first paycheck.

[ami9090]

Hi all,

Basically I just started my first job as a 16 year old, but when I was filing my W4, I claimed exempt. I understand vaguely that that was not correct, and it did not occur to me until I received my first paycheck today. What should I do to correct this? I'd appreciate any advice.

[xmasbaby0 · Accepted solution]

The year is nearly over so at this point it will not make a difference for 2019--but you can ask your employer to let you correct your W-4 so that you are not claiming exempt any more.  Use "0" or "1" for the number of allowances you claim on your W-4.   If you are a teenager with a part-time job, that you just started,  you are highly unlikely to have a tax liability for this year, so no harm done.

If no tax is withheld -- which is what happens when you claim to be exempt -- then you will not receive a tax refund.  You never get a refund for the Social Security or Medicare withheld, but if you have some federal and state tax withheld, you can get a refund at tax time.