How to Claim a Child on W-4 Forms

Claiming your child on form W-4 is as easy as filling out the worksheet and reading the instructions.

Many taxpayers are intimidated when it comes to dealing with anything that has to do with Internal Revenue Service forms and withholdings. If you find yourself feeling this way about claiming a child on a W-4 form, or you're just not sure how to fill it out, there is no need to panic. Claiming a child on a W-4 is simply a matter of completing the worksheet provided at the top of the form and following the instructions.

Instructions

1. Obtain a copy of form W-4. It can be downloaded from the Internet at IRS.gov, or you can get one from your employer. Most employers have these readily available for their workers to fill out either for the first time or if they want to make changes to the previous form they filled out.

2. Fill out the "Personal Allowances Worksheet" section of the form. When completing line "D," include the number of children you have when calculating your dependents.

3. Print your first name, middle initial, last name and address on line 1 as instructed on the form.

4. Enter your Social Security number on line 2 and check whether you're single or married on line 3.

5. Read line 4 and follow the instructions if your last name is different from the one on your Social Security card.

6. Write in your total number of allowances on line 5. This figure will come from the worksheet you filled out at the top of the page and will include the children you calculated as dependents.

7. Fill out the remainder of form W-4 as instructed and put your signature and date in the correct space.

8. Give the form to your employer, and the company will fill out lines 8, 9 and 10. Your employer will also apply the proper withholdings to your earnings. This calculation will include the children you claimed as dependents on the form.

References

• Internal Revenue Service: Form W-4
• Internal Revenue Service: Forms and Instructions