Federal W-4 Form

The purpose of the W-4 form is so your employer can withhold the correct federal income tax from your pay.  If too little tax is withheld, you will generally owe tax when you file your tax return.  If too much tax is withheld, you will generally be due a refund.

The IRS W-4 provided FAQs on the 2020 Form W-4 on their website.

Before completing a W-4, please carefully read the instructions that are included with the form and complete the steps as follows:

• Step 1 is for employee personal information – Required to be completed
• Step 2 is for households with multiple jobs – Optional; Completion will ensure more accurate withholding
• Step 3 is used to claim dependent tax credits – Optional; Completion will ensure more accurate withholding
• Step 4 is for other adjustments – Optional; Completion will ensure more accurate withholding
• Step 5 is the employee signature – Required to be completed

Payroll staff cannot offer advice on how to fill out the W-4.  You will need to speak with a tax advisor.

Student employees can receive assistance from KU Legal Services.

All employees are encouraged to perform a "paycheck checkup" to review the accuracy of their current income tax withholding.  To conduct the checkup, the IRS provides a Tax Withholding Estimator tool.  To effectively use the estimator, it is helpful to have a copy of your most recent paystub and tax return.