Tips for Updating Form W-4 After Doing a Paycheck Checkup

With recent tax law changes, the IRS urges taxpayers to look into whether they need to adjust their paycheck withholding and submit a new Form W-4 to their employer. Taxpayers can use the updated Withholding Calculator on IRS.gov to do a quick “paycheck checkup” to check that they’re not having too little or too much tax withheld at work.

Taxpayers who use the calculator and determine that they need to change their withholding must fill out a new Form W-4, Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate. Employees should submit the completed Form W-4 to their employers.

Here are a few things for taxpayers to remember about updating Form W-4:

The Withholding Calculator will help determine if they should complete a new Form W-4.
The calculator will provide users the information to put on a new Form W-4.
Taxpayers who use the calculator to check their withholding will save time because they don’t need to complete the Form W-4 worksheets. The calculator does the worksheet calculations.
As a general rule, the fewer withholding allowances a taxpayer enters on Form W-4, the higher their tax withholding. Entering “0” or “1” on line 5 of the W-4 instructs an employer to withhold more tax. Entering a larger number means less tax withholding, resulting in a smaller tax refund or potentially a tax bill or penalty.
Taxpayers who complete new Form W-4s should submit it to their employers as soon as possible. With withholding occurring throughout the year, it’s better to take this step sooner, rather than later.

People who have too much tax withheld will get less money in their regular paycheck. If those taxpayers change their withholding and enter more allowances on Form W-4, they’ll get more money in their paychecks throughout the year. Employees who have too little withheld are not paying enough taxes throughout the year, and they may face an unexpected tax bill or penalty when they file next year.

The withholding changes do not affect 2017 tax returns due this April. However, having a completed 2017 tax return can help taxpayers work with the Withholding Calculator to determine their proper withholding for 2018 and avoid issues when they file next year.

No Author Biography has been linked to this Article.

FROM THE ARCHIVES: If You’re Gonna Bet the Farm, Maybe Play Against the House

Danielle N. Gueck-Townsend

December 3, 2023

Attorney Gueck-Townsend provides readers with a primer on evidence needed to prove losses.

Members

Progeny of Law v. Siegel: Sixth and Ninth Circuits Say Right to Dismiss Chapter 13 Case is Absolute, Not Qualified by Section 105

September 26, 2021

By Lawrence R. Ahern III, Brown & Ahern (Nashville, TN) "Equity is not an old man, with a long grey beard, sitting under a tree. Equity has rules."1 Introduction Section 105 When enacted in 1978, the Bankruptcy Code in section 105 included an "all writs" statute for the Bankruptcy Courts: The court may issue any order, process, or judgment that...

Members

Tips and Traps: Issuing A Subpoena for Bank Records

March 10, 2019

By Beverly M. Burden, Chapter 13 Trustee (Lexington, KY) I recently had to issue subpoenas to banks to get the records of a non-debtor (long story involving an attorney’s mishandling of escrowed funds held on behalf of a chapter 13 debtor). Here are some tips for others like me who do not often need to use subpoenas. These tips apply...

Members

Taekwondo Takedown: Chapter 7 Dismissed Over Discretionary Spending

Henry E. Hildebrand, III

September 22, 2024

The debtor’s family expense for nonessential taekwondo training and gym memberships demonstrated an abuse of Chapter 7 and the case would be dismissed unless converted to a Chapter 13.

Members

Happy Thanksgiving

November 19, 2023

As our ‘thank you’ to our loyal readers, we bring you a completely non-password protected issue! ENJOY.

Meet a New Trustee

The Academy

August 4, 2024

Brandi Richardson was appointed as the Chapter 13 Standing Trustee for the Winston Salem Division of the Middle District of North Carolina on October 1, 2023.

Bankruptcy Courts Grapple with the “COVID-19 Discharge” – Appendix B

April 18, 2021

Bankruptcy Courts Grapple with the “COVID-19 Discharge” APPENDIX B Side-by-Side Comparison of 11 U.S.C. § 1328(b)-(i) and 11 U.S.C. § 1141(d)(5)(B)-(C) 11 U.S.C. § 1328(b)-(i) Discharge 11 U.S.C. § 1141(d)(5)(B)-(C) Effect of Confirmation (b) Subject to subsection (d), at any time after the confirmation of the plan and after notice and a hearing, the court may grant a discharge ....

Members

Critical Case Comment–84 Months: Lifesaver or Anchor?

Henry E. Hildebrand, III

February 12, 2023

Section 1329(c), as it currently exists, forecloses the ability of Chapter 13 debtor to modify a confirmed plan to alter the plan payment amount while maintaining an extended plan, previously approved under the CARES Act. (Hanan) In re Nelson, 2022 WL 6795096 (Bankr. E.D. Wis. October 11, 2022) Case Summary Immediately after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress sought...

Members

How Much Is That Doggy in the Window? The One with the PMSI?

Ryan Blay

February 16, 2025

Canine Collateral. Paws and Claws. A legal tail. The puns are endless but Attorney Blay shares how he resolved the growing issue of a debtor’s pet being used as loan collateral while also highlighting the quirks of pet financing in bankruptcy cases.

Members

Fulton’s Aftermath – What Do Chapter 13 Practitioners Need To Know?

January 31, 2021

By Nathan E. Curtis and Peter Francis Geraci, Geraci Law L.L.C. Debtors who are not current on mortgage or vehicle payments may file for Chapter 13 relief and propose to cure arrears, and force creditors to accept future payments. Mortgage creditors must give multiple notices before taking real estate away from a debtor, but vehicle creditors are allowed to repossess...

Members