How to Change Federal Withholding

Federal withholding is an amount of money that is held from a paycheck, pension disbursement or other source of income. This amount is then applied toward the income tax of the payee. Withholding too little can cause the taxpayer to owe taxes back at the end of the year; withholding too much causes the disbursement amount of the paycheck or payment to be smaller than necessary. Changing withholding is as simple as filling out IRS Form W-4.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• IRS Form W-4

1. Obtain a copy of IRS Form W-4. It is available at www.IRS.gov (see Additional Resources) or by telephoning [phone].

2. Follow the instructions and complete form W-4. To withhold less, either decrease the number of allowances on line 5 or decrease the additional amount being held on line 6. To withhold more, increase the number of allowances on line 5 or increase the additional amount held on line 6.

3. Sign and date your W-4, and then return it to your employer. Federal law no longer mandates that W-4 forms be sent to the IRS, but they must be available for inspection if necessary.

References

• IRS Publication 919 -- How Do I Adjust My Tax Withholding?

Resources

• IRS Form W-4