IRS Withholding Calculator

If you are an employee, the IRS Withholding Calculator can help you decide if you should update your Form W-4 with your employer.  This helps prevent having too much or too little federal tax taken out of your paycheck. 

Who Should use the Withholding Calculator?

This tool is helpful for:

• Employees who want to adjust their withholding to reduce a large refund or avoid owing money at tax time
• Employees whose situation is more complex than the standard W-4 worksheet, such as:
  • Working more than one job
  • Married couples where both spouses work
  • Filing as Head of Household
  • Families with multiple children eligible for the Child Tax Credit 
• Employees who receive additional income (not from wages) and prefer to have taxes withheld from their paycheck instead of making estimated tax payments

Tips Before You Start

For the most accurate results, have the following ready:

• Your most recent pay stub
• Your latest tax return
• Estimates for any missing information (the accuracy depends on the details you enter)