How to File a Business W4 Form
Every person who is employed must fill out a W4 form, called the Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate. The W4 lets your employer know how much of your paycheck to withhold for taxes. The amount of withholding is based on your marital status and the number of dependents you claim on your taxes. Business owners are required to keep completed W4 forms on file at all times.
- Difficulty:
- Easy
Instructions
Things You'll Need
- Adobe Acrobat installed on your computer
- Printer
- Blank W4 forms and instructions
- Blue or black ballpoint pen
- Calculator
-
Distribute W4 Forms to Your Employees
-
1
Download blank W4 forms from IRS.gov to keep on hand at your place of business (see Resources below). New employees need to fill out a W4 form before they can start receiving paychecks. Your computer must have Adobe Acrobat installed in order to download and print tax forms.
-
2
Give new employees who are United States citizens a full set of W4 forms and instructions when they begin their employment at your company. Confirm that they understand the language used on the forms and know how to read the withholding tables.
-
3
Refer any nonresident aliens who you may employ to IRS Form 8233 Instructions before they complete a W4 form. Withholding information for non-US citizens may differ from that of US citizens. A copy of Form 8233 Instructions may be found on the IRS website (see Resources below).
-
4
Allow current employees to file a new W4 form if their marital status or the number of their dependents changes. Getting married or having a baby are events that may make people decide to change their withholdings.
-
5
Impress upon your employees that it is very important to fill out the W4 legibly and accurately. People who are not truthful in the number of exemptions they claim may face fines by the IRS.
-
6
File your employees' completed W4 forms away in a safe place where they can be updated as needed.
Fill Out W4 Forms Correctly
-
1
Read the instructions to the W4 form completely before beginning to enter information. The instructions include worksheets that can help you decide how many deductions you can take (as long as they are allowable).
-
2
Fill out the "Personal Allowances Worksheet" before you fill out the W4. This will help you figure out the number of dependents you have in order to determine how many allowances you can claim. A dependent is someone, usually a child, whom you support financially.
-
3
Print your name, address and social security number in blue or black ink on lines 1 and 2 of the W4. Write carefully so that your information can be easily read. Check off whether you are married or single on line 3.
-
4
Enter the information from the "Personal Allowances Worksheet" onto line 5. If you want an additional amount of money withheld from your paycheck, enter it on line 6. If you are exempt from all withholdings, write "exempt" on line 7.
-
5
Sign your name on your W4 and give it to your employer.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Business owners are not required to file their employees' W4 forms with the IRS in order to begin the withholding process. The completed forms serve as proof that the employer is withholding taxes from their employees' paychecks and must be given to the IRS for review if requested.
