Husband's pay varies

Forum|Forum|2 years ago
May 29, 2024
2 replies
30 views

I just got married one year ago. My husband has been working agency jobs and his pay is not the same throughout the year. We are thinking about filing jointly this year. How do we fill out our W4?

Ask the Experts - W-4 II - May 2024

Cindy4 12

Employee Tax Expert

It is generally better to file jointly when you are married. You can, however, fill your W-4s out and select to have withholding done at the higher single/married filing separately rate. This may be best with the "unknown" element involved in your husband's earnings.

If you have a pretty solid estimate of what his earnings may be based on past experience or other factors, you can try this withholding calculator.

The main consideration is: Do you like to let the government hold your money all year and get a larger refund, or do you prefer to keep your money in your bank and get a small refund or maybe owe just a small amount?

It may not be possible for you to complete the worksheet in step 2(b) of the W-4 for multiple jobs to get the amount to enter in step 4(c) for extra withholding to avoid a tax bill at the end of the year, without knowing your husband's earnings. At the very least check the box in step 2(c).

Hope this helps!

Cindy

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