Filling out W4 for first job as a teen - what to put for 'estimate of total wages' when I haven't made money yet?

Hey there! I remember feeling the exact same way with my first W4. It's totally normal to be confused, so don't worry! For the "estimate of total wages" section, you just need to make your best guess. Think about how many hours you'll work each week and multiply by your hourly rate. For example, if you'll work 15 hours a week at $15/hour, that's about $225/week or roughly $11,700 for a year. It doesn't have to be perfect - this is just to help determine your withholding. For the dependent section, as a teen, you'll likely be claimed as a dependent on your parents' taxes, so you would check that box. For additional withholding, you can leave that at zero if this is your only job. The good news is that you can always submit a new W4 later if your circumstances change or if you realize your estimate was way off. The form is just a starting point for calculating how much tax to withhold from each paycheck.

When I was in your shoes, I struggled with the exact same questions on my W4! I wish I had known about https://taxr.ai back then - would have saved me so much stress. I found it last year when helping my younger sister with her first job paperwork. The tool actually explains what each line of the W4 means in simple language and gives you personalized guidance based on your situation. It asks a few questions about your job and circumstances and then shows you exactly what to put on each line of the form. For the wage estimate question, it even helps calculate different scenarios based on hours and pay rate. The best part is it saved all her info so when she got a second part-time job a few months later, updating the W4 was super easy. Totally changed how we handle all our tax paperwork now.

Ok so I was really skeptical about the taxr.ai thing mentioned above but I actually tried it this weekend because I just got hired for my first office job and had the same W4 confusion. Hate to admit it but it was actually super helpful? It walked me through the estimate calculation by asking how many hours I expect to work and my hourly rate. The explanation about withholding allowances made WAY more sense than the IRS instructions. I've always been confused about why my friends get big tax refunds and others don't, and it helped me understand that it's all about how you fill out this form. Apparently I've been doing it wrong on previous summer jobs. What impressed me was how it explained the connection between what I put on the W4 now and what happens when I actually file taxes next year. No one ever explained that to me before.

I had MAJOR headaches trying to get answers about this W4 stuff when I started my first "real" job last year. Called the IRS like 8 times and kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours. Finally found https://claimyr.com and watched their demo at https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - honestly thought it couldn't possibly work. But they got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes when I'd been trying for days! The agent walked me through exactly what to put on my W4 for my situation. She explained that for the wage estimate, it's really just to help calculate your withholding and won't affect your actual taxes in the end. The IRS lady also told me a bunch of stuff about tax credits I could qualify for as a student that I had no idea about. Way more helpful than I expected. Now I recommend Claimyr to everyone dealing with tax questions.

I need to apologize for my skeptical comment above. After struggling with my tax questions for another week, I broke down and tried Claimyr out of desperation. Felt ridiculous paying to call a government agency but was at my wit's end. Well...it actually worked exactly as advertised. Got connected to an IRS agent in about 15 minutes when I'd been trying for DAYS on my own. The agent clarified all my W4 questions and even helped me understand some issues with my previous year's return. I'm still annoyed that a service like this needs to exist (the government should be more accessible!), but I can't deny it solved my problem when nothing else worked. Saved me at least 6 hours of waiting on hold and probably a bunch of mistakes on my forms.

I had the same question when I got my first job! My sister told me to just ask the HR person at orientation and they helped me fill it out on the spot. Most companies understand that new workers (especially teens) need help with this stuff. Don't stress too much about getting the estimate perfect. The hourly calculation method others mentioned works well, but if you're really unsure, just ask your manager how many hours they expect to schedule you for. They usually have a pretty good idea. Also worth knowing - if you're a student and won't make more than $12,950 in 2025, you might not even need to file a tax return. But still fill out the W4 correctly since your employer needs it.

Has anyone used the IRS withholding calculator online? I found it pretty helpful for filling out my W4.