How can I verify my federal income tax is correct on my W2?

[jasonvw]

I had income for Adjunct Professor work at a state college. On my W4 I put Married at 0 however I had only $10 in federal taxes withheld on my W2 compared to the same withholdings of Married at 0 for state which calculates to the correct state income tax withheld. I have contacted the college and multiple additional contacts within the state college system however nobody will respond to my inquiry on the incorrect federal tax withheld. I no longer have access to the professor portal to check my paycheck stubs or any other information. I believe at this time that there was an accounting error and either I did have the correct amount taken out with the incorrect amount displayed on the W2, or the states accounting system did not deduct the correct amount from paychecks and the W2 is reflecting the amount withheld and I owe the remaining amount. Is there a way for me to check how much the federal government received from me in 2024 for taxes?

[VictoriaD75]

The IRS will receive a copy of your W2, however, it should match the document that you received from your employer. Your best course of action is to contact the human resources department and get a copy of your last paystub for 2024. This should show your year-to-date federal income tax withholding. Depending on the total amount of income earned and the information on your W4, it is possible that the withholding entered on your W2 is correct. You can review direct deposit records or similar deposits and compare them to amounts of salary/wages for the adjunct position. This may help you estimate if the withholding amounts seem reasonable. Keep in mind that Social Security and Medicare taxes are separate deductions from federal income tax and are 6.2% and 1.45% respectively.

The calculation of your final amount due on your tax return will be a combination of all sources of income, along with any withholding amounts. Certain types of income are taxed at different rates, such as qualified dividends and long-term capital gains. The IRS provides a withholding estimator to taxpayers to allow them to make estimates of required withholding from all income sources to eliminate or reduce the amount due when you file your taxes. 

IRS Tax Withholding Estimator