Access the Form W-4 from the IRS website.
What is a Form W-4?
Form W-4 (Employee’s Withholding Certificate) is an IRS form that employees complete to show how much federal income tax to withhold from each paycheck. The information on Form W-4 ensures that their employee tax withholding is accurate, to avoid overpaying or underpaying federal taxes throughout the year.
Form W-4 includes:
- Personal information
- Multiple jobs or a working spouse
- Dependent claims
- Other income and deductions
- Additional withholding
What should I do in Wave once my employee completes their W-4?
Once you have your employee’s completed Form W-4, you can enter their tax details in Wave. Learn how to add or edit employee tax details.
What if my employee doesn’t fill out Form W-4?
As employees are hired, employers are required to complete the employee’s tax profile during onboarding. If an employee does not fill out Form W-4, their employee tax profile will be incomplete. Incorrect details may lead to incorrect employee or employer tax remittances.
Why would I need to update my employee’s tax details?
Employees may need to update Form W-4 following life changes or employment shifts. Common reasons include:
- Marriage or divorce: Marital status affects filing status and withholding.
- Birth or adoption: New dependents may reduce tax liability.
- Death of a spouse or dependent: Reduces dependent count and affects filing status.
- Starting a new job or holding multiple jobs: Income changes require updated withholding.
- Spouse starting or stopping work: Dual incomes must be considered when calculating withholding.