My employer mistakenly put 2 dependents on my W4 instead of 1 so what do I do to correct this so I can get the correct amount of money back on my taxes when I file !

[naenae9797]

I worked two jobs for the same amount of time last year and for the first job I will be getting back $756.30 with 1 dependent but on the second job they mistakenly put on my W4 that I have 2 dependents instead of 1 so on my W2 it says I will only be getting back $88 but that isn't right it should be the same as the other job how do I get this corrected before I file my taxes ?

[TomYoung]

You are wrong in your analysis and there's no way that "fixing" last year's W-4 will change a thing.

Even in a situation where you worked two jobs, got two identical W-2's - same wages, same withholding - the way the income tax return works from a "mechanical" perspective means that the 2nd W-2 entered will result in less of a refund change than the 1st W-2.  And in your case the 2nd W-2 seems to have reported the same income as the first one but less withholding.  So, everything else being equal you'd expect that you wouldn't get the same "increase" in your refund as you saw when you entered your 1st W-2.

There's absolutely nothing you can do about that now.  What's done is done because all the W-4 does is affect your withholding for the year, and the year is over.

Tom Young

[naenae9797]

Well someone at Jackson Hewitt said that it can be corrected when I file my taxes and I am supposed to get back more since I have 1 dependent and I just might end up owing a little but I get back more

[TomYoung]

It all comes out in the wash.  

Your refund or the amount you owe is the difference between your income tax liability, (i.e., tax calculated on your taxable income), and the amount you've had withheld.  You got a slightly higher paycheck because less tax was withheld so you'll have a slightly lower refund.  It's simple math.  

Changing LAST YEAR's W-4 can't change anything because that year is over and done with.  Changing THIS YEAR's W-4 is all you can do.

[fanfare]

You can't change a previous W-4. You can instead give your employer a new W-4 but that only will affect future paychecks.