Confusion about completing W-4 for a new third job

[JohnduBois]

Good afternoon,

I'm completing the W-4 for a new job I'm starting near the end of November, and I'm getting very confused by it. Here's my situation:

My wife is employed full-time. Her employment situation has remained constant all year and is not changing.

I am currently employed full-time, but am starting a new job. I will remain employed at my current job, but on an inconsistent part-time basis (think 2-4 days a month during the school year and 4-5 days a week during school breaks). This will be our second highest paying job this year, but will be the third highest paying job in 2024.

I am about to start working in a job that will be our highest paying job in 2024, but will be our lowest paying job in 2023. This job, which is what I'm completing the W-4 for, is paid weekly during the school year, but not at all during school breaks.

Does anyone have any advice at all about how to approach this W-4 this year, or any of our W-4s next year? This feels like I'm making it way more complicated than it needs to be, but maybe it's actually complicated?

[Anonymous_]

Have you tried the withholding estimator?

https://www.irs.gov/individuals/tax-withholding-estimator

[JohnduBois]

The withholding estimator will probably help a lot next year (although I understand the form may change and the estimator may not be effective?)

For this year, I don't know how to make the estimator count the fact that I'm reducing hours so dramatically at the job I currently have, although with it only being five weeks with the new job situation in 2023, maybe I just want to let it assume I'm still working full hours at that job and get it back on my return.

[xmasbaby0]

You may be overthinking what you are doing for 2023 at least, since according to you, you will not start that job until later in November with only a few paychecks to go in 2023.   For 2024, forget stressing over the not getting paid during school breaks, etc.-- what matters is how much you earn during the tax year from January to December, regardless of when you receive those paychecks.

https://www.irs.gov/individuals/tax-withholding-estimator

https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw4.pdf