Filling out W-4

[user17783033841]

My husband and I, both make decent money, we do have debt so we're paying a lot on that, my husband works 3- 12 hour shifts at $28/hour and I work 5- 8 hour shifts at $26/hour, I will also be starting a per diem job at $20/hour, unknown amount of hours per week, as it's as needed. What should we both be putting for tax withholding? We do not rent, or own, we live with family. We have a car payment, Credit cards and medical bills. We are now double covered with health insurance so hoping to cut back on those costs. 

[mbpeddie]

The best option for you would be to add up your income from your husband's job and yours and what you estimate you will be making at the new job depending on the number of hours you plan on working.

Enter these amounts in the TurboTax W-4 calculator and it will estimate how much you should have withheld from your pay and you can print a W4 to give to your employer.

[user17783033841]

OK I did that and it states I'll owe like $900 and if I take out more from my paycheck I'll owe more... how does that work?

[Loretta P]

1. When you walk through the W-4 Calculator 2026 you will be entering your wages & your husband's wages. 
2. It will also ask you to enter all expected income from other sources (retirement, investment interest/dividends, stock sales, etc.). 
3. You will then answer questions to indicate if you are itemizing your deductions or using the standard deduction.
4. The calculator will also have you enter information or answer questions about any possible tax credits you may qualify for.  

If you entered all this information and the calculator advised you would owe $900 at the end of the year, one option is to divide the $900 by the number of pay periods left between now and the end of the year.  That amount is how much additional you want your employer to withhold from your check so that hopefully you will owe nothing at the end of the year.  

The IRS W-4 guidelines/FAQ suggest the easiest way to increase your withholding is to enter the additional amount in Step 4(c) of the new W-4 forms that you would like your employer to withhold from each paycheck.

Helpful links:

FAQs on the 2020 Form W-4 

W-4 Calculator 2026