How much do they withhold from my paycheck

Withholding is the amount of income tax your employer pays on your behalf from your paycheck. The changes to the tax law could affect your withholding. 

How to Check Your Withholding

Use the IRS Withholding Estimator to estimate your income tax and compare it with your current withholding. You’ll need your most recent pay stubs and income tax return.

The results from the calculator can help you figure out if you need to fill out a new Form W-4 for your employer. Or, the results may point out that you need to make an estimated tax payment to the IRS before the end of the year. 

If you adjusted your withholding part way through 2021, the IRS recommends that you check your withholding amounts again. Do so in early 2022, before filing your federal tax return, to ensure the right amount is being withheld.

Find Your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI)

If you're changing your tax withholding, you'll need to know your adjusted gross income (AGI). You can find your AGI number on your prior year’s tax return. If you don’t have a copy of last year’s tax return, you can get it from a tax return transcript.

TurboTax / Tax Calculators & Tools / W-4 Withholding Calculator

Use our tax withholding calculator to see how to adjust your W-4 for a bigger tax refund or more take-home pay.

Feeling good about your numbers?

Take these steps to fill out your new W-4


  • Download and
    print a
    blank 2022
    W-4 form

  • How much do they withhold from my paycheck


    Fill in the fields using the info from
    the calculator


  • Give it to your employer as soon
    as possible

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Frequently asked questions

One of the biggest changes on the redesigned W-4 form is the elimination of personal withholding allowances. Instead, the form uses a 5-step process and new Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods to determine actual withholdings. In the past, the value of withholding allowances was also tied to personal and dependent exemptions, but those exemptions were eliminated under The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act signed
in 2017.

IRS Form W-4 is completed and submitted to your employer, so they know how much tax to withhold from your pay. Your W-4 can either increase or decrease your take home pay. If you want a bigger refund or smaller balance due at tax time, you’ll have more money withheld and see less take home pay in your paycheck. If you want a bigger paycheck, you’ll have less withheld and have a smaller refund or larger balance due at tax time.

  • Use the W-4 calculator to adjust your withholdings and determine how to fill out your W-4.
  • Once you’re ready to update your W-4, reach out to your employer or download and print a blank
    W-4 form.
  • Submit it to your employer as soon as possible. It could take up to a few weeks for adjustments to be reflected
    on your paycheck.

When you use the redesigned Form W-4, your withholding is based on your expected filing status and standard deduction for the year. The new redesigned Form W-4 makes it easier for you to figure out your withholding, especially if you have income from multiple jobs, itemized deductions, the child tax credit, and other tax benefits.

The W-4 calculator can help you adjust your withholdings to determine if you’ll get a refund or a balance due come tax time. Once you’re happy with your projected outcome, the W-4 calculator will show how to fill out your W-4. Depending on your employer, updates to your W-4 could take a few weeks to be reflected on
your paycheck.

It’s important to remember that getting a tax refund means you paid too much federal income to the IRS during the year, so you are owed money. If you are seeking a bigger refund come tax time, the simplest way is to update your W-4 to have more money withheld from your paycheck. The W-4 withholding calculator can help you determine how to adjust your withholdings. The less your take-home pay, the bigger your refund will be. However, it’s possible to maximize your paycheck amount and still get a tax refund. Learn how

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What percentage is withheld from paycheck?

FICA withholding Both employees and employers pay 1.45% for Medicare and 6.2% for Social Security. The latter has a wage base limit of $147,000, which means that after employees earn that much, the tax is no longer deducted from their earnings for the rest of the year.

What determines how much money is withheld?

How withholding is determined. Three types of information an employee gives to their employer on Form W–4, Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate: Filing status: Either the single rate or the lower married rate. Number of withholding allowances claimed: Each allowance claimed reduces the amount withheld.