Form W-4

Form W-4, the Employee’s Withholding Certificate, tells your employer how much federal income tax to withhold from each paycheck. The IRS says: “Complete Form W-4 so that your employer can withhold the correct federal income tax from your pay.” The current version is the 2026 form.

The form has five steps:

• Personal information, including filing status (single, married filing jointly, or head of household).
• Multiple jobs or spouse works, so withholding reflects all your household’s jobs.
• Dependants: for income of $200,000 or less ($400,000 jointly), $2,200 per qualifying child under 17 and $500 per other dependant.
• Other adjustments: other income, deductions beyond the standard deduction, and extra withholding.
• Sign.

The IRS recommends completing a new W-4 each year and when your personal or financial situation changes.

Example: a married couple on $90,000 with two children who enter $4,400 in Step 3 would see federal withholding fall from $6,440 to $2,040 over 2026, or about $169 less per bi-weekly paycheck.

Try W-4 choices in the US paycheck calculator before you hand the form in.