Win $100! What I wish I knew the first time I filled out a W-4

[ErickaY]

This sweepstake has ended

Thank you so much to everyone that participated! It was so great to hear about all of your experiences.  A winner was randomly selected and has been contacted to claim their prize.

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Hello community members!

Welcome back to our returning members! For first-time visitors, welcome to the TurboTax + Mint Community. We’re so glad to have you here!

When you get your first job you are provided with a form to fill out. The infamous W-4! Did you automatically know how to fill it out? Was it confusing? Is there something you know now that you would have liked to know then? If so, we have another opportunity to win a $100 gift card. We want to hear from you!

Reply to this post telling us what thing you wish you knew about starting your W-4 paperwork. Sharing this with the Community could earn you a gift card!

Simply reply to this post with something you wish you knew about filling out your first W-4. On July 27th, 2022, a winner will be randomly selected from this thread.

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We will be hosting the What I Wish I Knew The First time I Filled Out A W-4 sweepstakes to give you, and others, the opportunity to share your plans. One lucky winner will be chosen randomly to receive a $100 gift card.

• WHAT: Sweepstakes for a $100 gift card
• WHEN: Entries will be accepted from July 13th, 2022 through July 27th, 2022 at 5:00 pm Pacific Time
• HOW: Enter by adding a comment to this post telling us how you plan to spend your return. If you are the winner, we will send you a private message. The winner will be selected at random on July 27th, 2022.

[Ncbrooks80]

I wish I knew to not claim all my kids until tax time so I could of had more taxes taken out for tax season

[TaylorGirl]

I plan on spending my refund on debt and my daughter. And lawyer fees.

[Rjenni007]

I wish I knew how to help my young adult children with the W4 to take out enough money without them owing taxes in the end. If I get a refund, it will pay off debt and fix needed items in the house and car. 

[Lrayburn1]

I wish I had understood more about how that W4 form impacted my tax return. I wish I had understood that the point was to kind of "break even"...to get as much in my paycheck for living expenses yet also have paid in enough so that I didn't have to come up with a chunk of money at tax time.

[LuluP]

I wish I knew I had more than one option when filling out my first W4 and how those options would impact me at tax time. I plan to use my return to pay down a loan. 

[Vikki_Santa]

Wow, I really didn't realize how my 2021 W-4 effected my payroll week to week. I wish I knew to check mid year online through the IRS to see if enough taxes were coming out of my pay. Now I know I can check online anytime to see if enough taxes are coming out of my pay. If not I can change my W-4 any time I want through my employer. I can even write in on a W-4 if I want more money to come out of my payroll to cover taxes so I don't owe at the end of the year. I don't want too much coming out but I don't want to be caught not paying enough at the end of the year. Not Checking my W-4 in 2021 was a costly mistake. 

[Nisharenee2]

I wish the w4 would give you more information on if someone else was trying to claim a dependent you claimed and I wish I knew how to fix it 

[kittyhellthunder]

Wow, I really didn't realize you need to make to file taxes to get child tax credit in kansas Nearly all families with kids qualify. Some income limitations apply. For example, only couples making less than $150,000 and single parents (also called Head of Household) making less than $112,500 will qualify for the additional 2021 Child Tax Credit amounts. if i won i will get school supplies for my 2 kids cuz we are homeless and no money school is starting soon and that would be the smart thing for me to do so i will

[Snookums179]

Honestly this is the first time I’ve even heard of a W-4 and I’m unsure why cuz I have been doing my own taxes for a few years now! But if I win the 100 dollar sweepstakes’s I’ll pay my storage units 

[mh431]

What I Wish when filing my W4 that I can claim exemption for half the tax year

[Leedeschammp]

Back in 2003 I give birth to my son in December I was able to claim him on my taxes, I did not realize what to claim on my W4. Thankfully the following yr the HR person helped me fill out my W4 yrs later I knew what to do when I had more children! Sadly this yr I missed being able to claim my son on my taxes because he turned 18 but still in high school, turbo tax said I wasn’t able to claim child tax credit so now I had to amend my return. Still waiting in my money!! Hopefully before school starts!!!! 

[Imhere]

I wish I knew that middle class paid 40% in taxes. If I really thought about that, I would've been more serious  about ways to find more deductions in my taxes to keep the money I worked hard for at an earlier time.

Depending on the amount, I plan to save/invest my return.

[kvanryn]

I wish I knew that I should claim so I don't get a refund. I don't want Uncle Sam using my money for free!

[Trackpro16]

I wish I knew how many dependents to claim between my husband and The total number of allowances because I don’t want to owe at the end of the year at tax season, not even my co-workers knew. 

[ErickaY]

Hello everyone,

This sweepstakes has ended but be on the lookout for our next one! 

We will be picking a winner and reaching out to them by the end of the day. 
Thank you to all who participated.