Step 1: Enter Personal Information
(c)(Required)
Complete Steps 2–4 ONLY if they apply to you; otherwise, skip to Step 5. See page 2 for more information on each step, who can claim exemption from withholding, when to use the estimator at www.irs.gov/W4App, and privacy.

Complete this step if you (1) hold more than one job at a time, or (2) are married filing jointly and your spouse also works. The correct amount of withholding depends on income earned from all of these jobs. Do only one of the following. (a) Use the estimator at www.irs.gov/W4App for most accurate withholding for this step (and Steps 3–4); or (b) Use the Multiple Jobs Worksheet on page 3 and enter the result in Step 4(c) below for roughly accurate withholding; or (c) If there are only two jobs total, you may check this box. Do the same on Form W-4 for the other job. This option is accurate for jobs with similar pay; otherwise, more tax than necessary may be withheld . . . . . ▶ TIP: To be accurate, submit a 2021 Form W-4 for all other jobs. If you (or your spouse) have self-employment income, including as an independent contractor, use the estimator. Complete Steps 3–4(b) on Form W-4 for only ONE of these jobs. Leave those steps blank for the other jobs. (Your withholding will be most accurate if you complete Steps 3–4(b) on the Form W-4 for the highest paying job.)

Step 3: Claim Dependents
If your total income will be $200,000 or less ($400,000 or less if married filing jointly):

Step 4 (optional): Other Adjustments

Step 5: Sign Here Under penalties of perjury, I declare that this certificate, to the best of my knowledge and belief, is true, correct, and complete.
MM slash DD slash YYYY

Employers Only

General Instructions

Future Developments

For the latest information about developments related to

Form W-4, such as legislation enacted after it was published,

go to www.irs.gov/FormW4.

Purpose of Form

Complete Form W-4 so that your employer can withhold the

correct federal income tax from your pay. If too little is

withheld, you will generally owe tax when you file your tax

return and may owe a penalty. If too much is withheld, you

will generally be due a refund. Complete a new Form W-4

when changes to your personal or financial situation would

change the entries on the form. For more information on

withholding and when you must furnish a new Form W-4,

see Pub. 505, Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax.

Exemption from withholding. You may claim exemption

from withholding for 2021 if you meet both of the following

conditions: you had no federal income tax liability in 2020

and you expect to have no federal income tax liability in

2021. You had no federal income tax liability in 2020 if (1)

your total tax on line 24 on your 2020 Form 1040 or 1040-SR

is zero (or less than the sum of lines 27, 28, 29, and 30), or

(2) you were not required to file a return because your

income was below the filing threshold for your correct filing

status. If you claim exemption, you will have no income tax

withheld from your paycheck and may owe taxes and

penalties when you file your 2021 tax return. To claim

exemption from withholding, certify that you meet both of

the conditions above by writing “Exempt” on Form W-4 in

the space below Step 4(c). Then, complete Steps 1(a), 1(b),

and 5. Do not complete any other steps. You will need to

submit a new Form W-4 by February 15, 2022.

Your privacy. If you prefer to limit information provided in

Steps 2 through 4, use the online estimator, which will also

increase accuracy.

As an alternative to the estimator: if you have concerns

with Step 2(c), you may choose Step 2(b); if you have

concerns with Step 4(a), you may enter an additional amount

you want withheld per pay period in Step 4(c). If this is the

only job in your household, you may instead check the box

in Step 2(c), which will increase your withholding and

significantly reduce your paycheck (often by thousands of

dollars over the year).

When to use the estimator. Consider using the estimator at

www.irs.gov/W4App if you:

1. Expect to work only part of the year;

2. Have dividend or capital gain income, or are subject to

additional taxes, such as Additional Medicare Tax;

3. Have self-employment income (see below); or

4. Prefer the most accurate withholding for multiple job

situations.

Self-employment. Generally, you will owe both income and

self-employment taxes on any self-employment income you

receive separate from the wages you receive as an

employee. If you want to pay these taxes through

withholding from your wages, use the estimator at

www.irs.gov/W4App to figure the amount to have withheld.

Nonresident alien. If you’re a nonresident alien, see Notice

1392, Supplemental Form W-4 Instructions for Nonresident

Aliens, before completing this form.

Specific Instructions

Step 1(c). Check your anticipated filing status. This will

determine the standard deduction and tax rates used to

compute your withholding.

Step 2. Use this step if you (1) have more than one job at the same time, or (2) are married filing jointly and you and your

spouse both work.

Option (a) most accurately calculates the additional tax

you need to have withheld, while option (b) does so with a

little less accuracy.

If you (and your spouse) have a total of only two jobs, you

may instead check the box in option (c). The box must also

be checked on the Form W-4 for the other job. If the box is

checked, the standard deduction and tax brackets will be

cut in half for each job to calculate withholding. This option

is roughly accurate for jobs with similar pay; otherwise, more

tax than necessary may be withheld, and this extra amount

will be larger the greater the difference in pay is between the

two jobs.

▲! CAUTION

Multiple jobs. Complete Steps 3 through 4(b) on only

one Form W-4. Withholding will be most accurate if

you do this on the Form W-4 for the highest paying job.

Step 3. This step provides instructions for determining the

amount of the child tax credit and the credit for other

dependents that you may be able to claim when you file your

tax return. To qualify for the child tax credit, the child must

be under age 17 as of December 31, must be your

dependent who generally lives with you for more than half

the year, and must have the required social security number.

You may be able to claim a credit for other dependents for

whom a child tax credit can’t be claimed, such as an older

child or a qualifying relative. For additional eligibility

requirements for these credits, see Pub. 972, Child Tax

Credit and Credit for Other Dependents. You can also

include other tax credits in this step, such as education tax

credits and the foreign tax credit. To do so, add an estimate

of the amount for the year to your credits for dependents

and enter the total amount in Step 3. Including these credits

will increase your paycheck and reduce the amount of any

refund you may receive when you file your tax return.

Step 4 (optional).

Step 4(a). Enter in this step the total of your other

estimated income for the year, if any. You shouldn’t include

income from any jobs or self-employment. If you complete

Step 4(a), you likely won’t have to make estimated tax

payments for that income. If you prefer to pay estimated tax

rather than having tax on other income withheld from your

paycheck, see Form 1040-ES, Estimated Tax for Individuals.

Step 4(b). Enter in this step the amount from the Deductions

Worksheet, line 5, if you expect to claim deductions other than

the basic standard deduction on your 2021 tax return and

want to reduce your withholding to account for these

deductions. This includes both itemized deductions and other

deductions such as for student loan interest and IRAs.

Step 4(c). Enter in this step any additional tax you want

withheld from your pay each pay period, including any

amounts from the Multiple Jobs Worksheet, line 4. Entering an

amount here will reduce your paycheck and will either increase

your refund or reduce any amount of tax that you owe.

If you choose the option in Step 2(b) on Form W-4, complete this worksheet (which calculates the total extra tax for all jobs) on only ONE Form W-4. Withholding will be most accurate if you complete the worksheet and enter the result on the Form W-4 for the highest paying job. Note: If more than one job has annual wages of more than $120,000 or there are more than three jobs, see Pub. 505 for additional tables; or, you can use the online withholding estimator at www.irs.gov/W4App.

Step 4(b)—Deductions Worksheet (Keep for your records.)
Privacy Act and Paperwork Reduction Act Notice. We ask for the information on this form to carry out the Internal Revenue laws of the United States. Internal Revenue Code sections 3402(f)(2) and 6109 and their regulations require you to provide this information; your employer uses it to determine your federal income tax withholding. Failure to provide a properly completed form will result in your being treated as a single person with no other entries on the form; providing fraudulent information may subject you to penalties. Routine uses of this information include giving it to the Department of Justice for civil and criminal litigation; to cities, states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. commonwealths and possessions for use in administering their tax laws; and to the Department of Health and Human Services for use in the National Directory of New Hires. We may also disclose this information to other countries under a tax treaty, to federal and state agencies to enforce federal nontax criminal laws, or to federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies to combat terrorism. You are not required to provide the information requested on a form that is subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act unless the form displays a valid OMB control number. Books or records relating to a form or its instructions must be retained as long as their contents may become material in the administration of any Internal Revenue law. Generally, tax returns and return information are confidential, as required by Code section 6103. The average time and expenses required to complete and file this form will vary depending on individual circumstances. For estimated averages, see the instructions for your income tax return. If you have suggestions for making this form simpler, we would be happy to hear from you. See the instructions for your income tax return.