Withholdings

Forum|Forum|2 years ago
May 29, 2024
1 reply
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My husband and I file married jointly and we both work full-time and he also has another part-time job. We have 0 dependents and 0 allowances and have owed the past two years. How can we adjust our W-4s to prevent owing?

Ask the Experts - W-4 II - May 2024

Jennifer_A

Employee Tax Expert

Owing on the tax return for multiple tax years is a good indicator that income withholding should be adjusted. The first thing to do is to see if you can find a copy of your current W-4 with your employer. Sometimes this information can be found on the paystub or through an online employee portal. Then, compare this W-4 with a W-4 from our calculator paying special attention to the section about additional withholding (line 4(c). If the W-4s are different, use the one that creates the most withholding or has additional withholding. Monitor your paystubs for changes and track them for two or three months to see if there enough taxes being withheld. If not, you may need to see if you have any other forms of income where no tax is being withheld. If the only source of income is from the paystubs, you can break it down by employer. Maybe one employer is simply not withholding enough despite updating the W-4. If that is the case, it would be a good idea to talk with HR. The key during this transition is to keep tab on the paystubs until the end of the year so that your don't owe again.

Glad to be of service! Jennifer A.