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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteTo fill out a W-4 for a new job, use the current IRS Form W-4, complete Steps 1 through 5, sign it, and give it to your employer. The form tells your employer how much federal income tax to withhold from your pay; it does not set Social Security or Medicare withholding. Your entries guide withholding during the year but do not guarantee a particular refund or final tax bill. Get the current 2026 Form W-4 and instructions from the IRS.
Before you start: use the current form
The current IRS form is the 2026 Form W-4, Employee’s Withholding Certificate. It uses filing status and dollar entries in numbered steps—not the old allowances approach. Read the instructions that come with the form, complete it for your new employer, and submit the signed certificate. If you do not provide a properly completed W-4, your employer applies the IRS default withholding treatment. Too little withholding can mean tax due when you file and may result in a penalty; too much may mean a refund. Neither outcome is certain until your tax return is prepared.
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Have your personal information and an estimate of relevant household income and deductions at hand. If you have other jobs or a working spouse, include them in your decision rather than treating the new job in isolation.
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How to complete each W-4 step
Step 1: Enter personal information and filing status
Fill in the identifying information requested and select the filing status you expect to use on your tax return. The status affects the standard deduction and tax rates used in the withholding calculation. Choose based on tax-return filing rules, not relationship status alone; if you are unsure which status applies, consult the IRS’s filing-status guidance or a tax professional.
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Step 2: Account for multiple jobs or a working spouse
Complete Step 2 if you have more than one job at the same time, or if you are married filing jointly and both spouses work. Submit a separate W-4 to each employer. Choose one of the form’s three approaches: the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator, the Multiple Jobs Worksheet, or the checkbox for a household with exactly two jobs. The checkbox is easiest when the two jobs have similar pay, but can be less accurate—and may withhold more than necessary—when pay differs substantially. If you use the checkbox, check it on the W-4 for the other job too.
The IRS says the multiple-job adjustment generally produces the most accurate withholding when completed on the highest-paying job’s W-4. If you use the other steps to make the adjustment, generally put the Step 3 through Step 4(b) entries on that highest-paying job’s form and leave those entries blank or zero on the other forms, as applicable.
Step 3: Enter eligible dependent and other credit amounts
Enter the dollar amount calculated under the form’s instructions for eligible dependent credits, plus other eligible credits if applicable. Step 3 asks for an amount, not a count of dependents or old-style allowances. Enter only credits you reasonably expect to claim and follow the form’s eligibility instructions; filling in a W-4 does not establish that you qualify for a tax credit. A Step 3 amount generally increases take-home pay during the year and may reduce the refund you otherwise would receive.
Step 4(a): Account for other income
Use this line for estimated income not from jobs or self-employment, such as income described in the form instructions. It can increase withholding from your wages to account for that income. The instructions also explain estimated tax payments as an alternative.
Step 4(b): Account for deductions
Use the Deductions Worksheet to determine whether to enter qualifying deductions beyond the basic standard deduction. The 2026 form includes tax-year-specific deductions, so use its current instructions rather than carrying forward figures from an older form.
Step 4(c): Request extra withholding per paycheck
Enter an additional dollar amount to withhold from each paycheck. This is not an annual total. Extra withholding reduces take-home pay and may increase a refund or reduce tax owed at filing. Use the IRS worksheet or estimator to arrive at an amount if you need help; do not assume a guessed figure will produce a particular result.
Step 5: Sign and date the form
Sign and date the certificate, then give it to your employer. An unsigned W-4 is incomplete.
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| Approach | When it may fit | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Step 2 checkbox | A household with exactly two jobs and similar pay, when simplicity matters. | Check it on both jobs’ W-4s. It may be less accurate, or withhold more than necessary, if pay differs substantially. |
| Multiple Jobs Worksheet | When you want to calculate the adjustment using the form’s worksheet rather than the checkbox. | It requires you to follow the worksheet and account for the jobs together. |
| IRS Tax Withholding Estimator | When pay differs, there are multiple income sources, or you want a more tailored calculation. | It needs current income and withholding information; it cannot estimate future income for a job you have not started or have not yet received a paycheck from. |
For married couples filing jointly, consider both spouses’ wages together and submit a W-4 to each employer. Do not complete each form as though the other spouse’s job did not exist.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.When to use the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator
The estimator can help when you start or change a job partway through the year, work only part of the year, have multiple jobs, experience a household change, receive dividends or other income without regular wage withholding, or want a more precise withholding calculation. Have recent pay stubs available, especially if you are changing withholding midyear. Based on your inputs, the estimator can produce a prefilled W-4.
For information on what the tool can and cannot calculate, see the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator FAQs and the estimator page. The estimator concerns federal income tax withholding; changing your W-4 does not change ordinary Social Security or Medicare withholding. IRS estimator material discusses separate treatment of Additional Medicare Tax in its calculations.
Review your W-4 after changes
You can give your employer a new W-4 when your circumstances change. Review your withholding each January and after a new job, a major income change, marriage, divorce, a child’s birth or adoption, or a home purchase. If you change your form during the year, the IRS advises reviewing it again late in December for the following year. See IRS Topic No. 753 and About Form W-4 for additional guidance.
Common W-4 mistakes to avoid
- Entering a number of dependents in Step 3 instead of the eligible credit dollar amount.
- Claiming credits without checking whether you expect to qualify for them.
- Ignoring another job or a working spouse’s wages when completing Step 2.
- Using the two-job checkbox for a household with more than two jobs, or assuming it works equally well when pay differs greatly.
- Entering an annual figure in Step 4(c) instead of an additional amount for each paycheck.
- Expecting the W-4 to change Social Security or Medicare withholding, or to guarantee a refund or amount due.
Special cases and separate forms
Nonresident aliens should follow Notice 1392, Supplemental Form W-4 Instructions for Nonresident Aliens, rather than relying only on this general walkthrough. Self-employment income, investments, credits, deductions, or a midyear job change can make withholding more complicated; the IRS estimator or professional tax guidance may be appropriate. The W-4 covers federal withholding only. Follow separate state and local instructions for any state or local withholding forms your workplace requires.
For further detail on withholding and additional amounts, consult IRS Publication 505.
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