You should never pay the company you're working for any taxes up front right? For example being told we need to pay income tax before we can claim or a check

[xmasbaby0]

Huh?   Please provide more details----your post is unclear.  Who is saying you need to pay tax up front and pay the tax to who?   Pay in order to get what check?

[DawnC]

No, you do not prepay income taxes - you employer withholds a portion of the income you have earned for tax purposes.   Who told you that?

[xmasbaby0]

If you are an employee, you fill out a W-4 for your employer that lets them know how much tax to withhold from your paychecks.  The employer withholds some of your pay and in January they give you a W-2 to use when you file your tax return -- to show the IRS how much you earned and how much tax you already had withheld.  Depending on whether too much or too little was withheld you might get a refund or you might owe at tax time.

The employer will withhold for Social Security, Medicare, federal and maybe state tax if you are in a state with a state income tax.