How do I re-calculate my W-4?

My husband just got a raise, and we file jointly. How do we change our W-4 to match the new income?

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  • Henry
    Henry FreeTaxUSA Agent Posts: 89
    edited October 2023 Answer ✓

    Hi there!

    If you've had a change in your circumstances that will have an affect on your taxes (such as getting a raise, marriage, divorce, a new baby, etc), then it's a good idea to take another look at your withholding. The IRS has a great tool that you can use to estimate how much you should have withheld. It is available here:

    https://www.irs.gov/individuals/tax-withholding-estimator

    After you use the estimator, you can determine if you need to increase your withholding. If so, you can update your W-4 through your employer.

    How you'll want to fill out your W-4 will depend on your situation. If you want to reduce what you might owe when you file your tax return and possibly get money back as a refund, then you could reduce the number of dependents that you claim in Step 3 or add an extra amount to withhold on line 4c.