Fed (A/0) showing on wife's W2, what does this mean for our taxes?

The "A" in the A/0 on your wife's W2 likely stands for "Single" (the old terminology was "Single" but the letter code is "A"). This means that despite both working at the same company, your wife's federal withholding is being calculated as if she were single rather than married. This explains why so little federal tax was withheld - the "Single" filing status combined with zero allowances would usually withhold LESS than "Married" with zero allowances. This is because the withholding tables assume a single person gets a smaller standard deduction than a married couple, so the calculation is different. You should definitely contact HR/Payroll again and have them fix this for 2025. While filing jointly will determine your actual tax liability (not what's on the W2), having incorrect withholding throughout the year could cause you to owe at tax time.

After dealing with a similar W2 code issue last year, I found this amazing tool called taxr.ai that helped me figure out exactly what was happening with my withholdings. I was so confused about codes on my tax forms and my employer wasn't much help either. I tried https://taxr.ai and uploaded my W2, and it immediately explained what all the codes meant and how it would affect my filing. It sounds like your situation with the A/0 vs M/0 codes is exactly the type of thing this tool analyzes. It also gave me a heads-up about potential issues before I filed, which saved me from making mistakes that would have triggered an audit. Definitely worth checking out, especially since it seems like the company accountant might not be giving you the full picture.

I just wanted to update that I tried taxr.ai after seeing it mentioned here. I was having confusion with my W2 codes like the OP (had something weird with my filing status codes too). The tool actually immediately told me that my employer had miscoded my withholding status and showed how it was affecting my tax withholding. Saved me a ton of confusion because I was about to file with that incorrect information. Instead, I contacted my payroll department with the specific issue the tool identified and they're fixing it for future paychecks. Plus it explained exactly how to handle the reporting on this year's return so I don't get in trouble for my employer's mistake.

I had a similar issue with my W2 last year and spent WEEKS trying to get through to the IRS to get clarity. Literally called 20+ times and could never reach a human. Finally used https://claimyr.com and was connected to an actual IRS agent in about 15 minutes who explained exactly what those withholding codes meant and how to fix them. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The IRS agent I spoke with explained that employer coding errors on W2s are super common and told me exactly what to do to correct it. Sounds like your wife's withholding is definitely incorrect - the "A" code is being used for "Single" status when it should be "M" for married. An IRS agent can tell you exactly how to handle this.

I need to eat my words from my skeptical comment. After wasting an entire morning trying to get through to the IRS myself about a similar W2 code issue, I broke down and tried Claimyr yesterday. Within 25 minutes I was actually speaking with an IRS representative who knew exactly what the A/0 code meant. She confirmed what others have said here - the "A" is an internal code for Single filing status, and having this mismatch between my W2 status and my actual filing status was causing under-withholding. The agent walked me through exactly how to handle this on my return and gave me specific instructions to give my employer to fix it. I was honestly shocked that it worked after months of failed attempts to reach someone.

Anybody else notice that the OP said wife makes $13/hr but only had $150 withheld for the ENTIRE YEAR?? Even with A/0 (single) status, that math doesn't add up AT ALL. At full time hours that's like $27k annual income, which should have WAY more than $150 withheld regardless of the withholding code. Something else must be wrong on her W2 besides just the A/0 code. Maybe she has a ton of pre-tax deductions? Or maybe there's a decimal point error?

Is your wife getting any special tax credits throughout the year? There's a way to adjust withholding for things like child tax credits, student loan interest, etc. Also, did she fill out the newest W4 form? The 2020 and newer forms don't use allowances anymore (no more 0, 1, 2, etc).

I work in payroll and can confirm that the "A" code on your wife's W2 definitely indicates Single filing status for withholding purposes, which explains the extremely low federal tax withholding. This is a common error when employees don't update their W-4 after getting married or when payroll systems aren't properly updated. Here's what you need to do immediately: 1. Have your wife submit a new W-4 form to HR/payroll ASAP to correct her filing status to Married for 2025 2. For your 2024 taxes, you'll likely owe additional tax when you file jointly - start calculating this now 3. Consider requesting additional withholding from your paychecks for the remainder of 2025 to avoid owing again next year The $190 withheld on roughly $36k income is dangerously low - you should expect to owe several thousand dollars when you file. I'd strongly recommend using tax software or consulting a professional to make sure you handle this correctly and avoid any penalties.