W4

[Jossyyjoee]

What should I claim on my w4? 
I claimed 2, and I just received my first paycheck and it totaled out to Zero net pay. 
I am a new mom so I decided to go back to work since I have bills to pay. I currently live with mom and I am a single mother, and I just work 15 hours a week, what should I claim on my w4 so my wages don’t all get withheld. 
thank you in advance! 

[xmasbaby0]

https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tools/calculators/w4/ 

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

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

[pk]

@Jossyyjoee , please use the  calculators / info . provided by my colleague  @xmasbaby0   to try out even  the "what-if " situations.

However, I don 't  understand how your Net-Pay become  ZERO with the required withholdings  (  Fed. Tax, Sate Tax and FICA ) .   Are you  also doing some voluntary contributions like  IRA, Pension, HealthCare / HSA/HRA etc. etc.

Don't understand .

[Jossyyjoee]

[VolvoGirl]

You better talk to your payroll dept and see why they are taking out CA income tax.  Does California have a lien on your  pay for back taxes or something?  

[Jossyyjoee]

Every time I ask anything about my Paycheck they say to contact a tax advisor, that’s why I came here to see if anyone helps. I shouldn’t have, I just moved back to California. Im just as confused because my IRS account says I owe 0.  

[VolvoGirl]

No one can help you but your work or California.  They should know why they are taking so much out for California.   Ask California state  (not the IRS) why.  Create an account at California FTB Franchise Tax Board

https://www.ftb.ca.gov/myftb/index.asp 

[xmasbaby0]

You are looking in the wrong place.   The IRS is only concerned with federal tax.  The state of CA is where the money went.  Do you owe back taxes or child support in the state of CA--is there some reason the state of CA would be garnishing your wages?  And have you asked the employer why so much to CA?

[Opus 17]

It appears that your employer is withholding CA tax incorrectly.  Something got entered wrong in their computer system.  Give them a new Federal W-4 and a California form DE-4 and ask them to update their payroll system.

https://www.ftb.ca.gov/Pay/withholding/adjust-your-wage-withholding.html

If too much tax is being withheld for California, you will get it back as part of your tax refund at the end of the year.

I don't agree that CA is ordering your employer to withhold more due to a lien or something, if that was the case, your employer would know, and they would probably be required to give you a letter or something.  I think someone pushed the wrong button when entering your payroll information in their computer system. 

[Jossyyjoee]

Thank you, I created an account and have to wait for my PIN now. 

[Jossyyjoee]

Nope I don’t owe anything, at least not that I know of but my last time doing state taxes in California was in 2019, then I moved to Nevada where we’re not required to file state taxes. I moved back to Cali  in January and worked doing Uber eats, this is my first time since I’ve been back working for another employer. So I’m just confused. 

[Jossyyjoee]

Thank you, I will try that for sure! Because I’m sure I don’t owe anything and I can’t afford for them to withhold everything. 

[SteamTrain]

@Jossyyjoee 

Definitely, it could be the initial CA withholding DE-4 you gave them.

_____________

Just guessing, but if you entered an extra withholding amount on line 2 of the first page of the DE-4, then that could be the issue.

Since you just moved back to CA, you may have included your NV income as part of the total 2024 wages calculations on page 4.....don't include any NV income from the time before you moved to CA. That is not CA-taxable since you will be a part-year CA resident, and any income in NV, from before you moved to CA, shouldn't be included in that calculation.  OR don't use the page 4 ( worksheet C) calculations at all, unless you also have second CA job now too....perhaps make sure to leave line 2 on the first page empty (or zero).

_____________

Look at a copy of your original DE-4 if you have it. 

Make a copy of your new DE-4 before you give it to your employer, so that in the future, you know what you've given them.  (could be an extra pay cycle before they can implement it)