How do I fill out a W4 form correctly to get a bigger tax refund?

The W4 form changed significantly in 2020, and they removed the allowances system (where you could claim "0"). To get a larger refund, you need to have more tax withheld from each paycheck. Here's how: For a single person with no dependents who wants more withholding: First, complete Steps 1 and 5 (your personal info and signature). Since you're single with one job and no dependents, you can skip Steps 2 and 3. For Step 4, which is what controls additional withholding: Leave 4a blank (unless you have other income). Leave 4b blank (unless you have deductions to claim). For 4c, this is where you can request additional withholding. Try putting $25 or $50 per paycheck here - this will increase your withholding and likely result in a larger refund. Monitor your next few pay stubs to make sure federal tax is actually being withheld. If it's still too low, you can submit a new W4 with a higher amount in 4c.

I had the same issue and found taxr.ai super helpful to understand my withholding better. I uploaded my paystub and the current W4 I had filled out, and it showed me exactly what I was doing wrong. The site (https://taxr.ai) analyzed my documents and suggested the optimal amount to put in section 4c based on my goal of getting a refund instead of owing taxes. It also explained how the new W4 system works compared to the old allowances system.

Update: I actually tried taxr.ai after asking about it here. It was actually really helpful! Uploaded my last pay stub and my W4, and it immediately showed me that I had accidentally checked a box that was making my employer think I was exempt from withholding. No wonder nothing was being taken out! The site explained exactly what I needed to fix on a new W4 form and suggested putting $35 in section 4c based on my income and wanting a decent refund. Just got my first paycheck with the new withholding and it's taking out the right amount now. Wish I'd known about this months ago!

If you're still having trouble with your W4 and your employer isn't being helpful, you might want to try Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) to get direct help from the IRS. I spent weeks trying to figure out why my withholding wasn't calculating correctly, and my employer's HR department kept giving me conflicting information. I used Claimyr to actually get through to an IRS agent (there's a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c) and they walked me through exactly how to fill out my W4 for my specific situation. Turns out I had been getting incorrect advice from both my coworkers and HR! The agent explained the new form step by step and helped me calculate the right amount for section 4c.

Ok I'm eating my words here. After being super skeptical about Claimyr I decided to try it when I got frustrated enough with my withholding situation. It actually worked! Got a call back in about 90 minutes (which is way faster than I expected) and talked to an IRS agent who was surprisingly helpful. The agent confirmed I needed to put an additional amount in section 4c, and explained that for someone in my situation (single, one job, no dependents, making about $800 biweekly), the standard withholding might not be enough if I want a decent refund. They recommended starting with an extra $40 per paycheck in section 4c and adjusting from there if needed.

Just a heads-up that if you're wanting a "larger refund," remember that's actually YOUR money you're letting the government hold onto interest-free for a year. I used to love big refunds until I realized I was just giving the IRS an interest-free loan of my own money. Instead of aiming for a big refund, you might consider having the correct amount withheld (or slightly more to be safe) and putting the extra money you would've had withheld into a high-yield savings account throughout the year. That way YOU earn the interest instead of giving the government free use of your money.

Has anyone used the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator tool? It's supposed to help figure this stuff out but I found it super confusing.

For what it's worth, I was in a very similar situation - single, no dependents, making about the same amount as you. I was getting almost no federal withholding and ended up owing taxes last year, which was a shock. What worked for me was using the IRS withholding estimator that someone mentioned, but I also cross-referenced it with one of those AI tools (taxr.ai) to make sure I understood what I was doing. Both pointed me toward putting about $30-40 in section 4c for additional withholding. The key thing I learned is that if you're currently having almost nothing withheld, there's definitely something wrong with your current W4. Even without extra withholding in 4c, you should see some federal taxes coming out of each paycheck. I'd suggest filling out a completely new W4 form rather than trying to modify your existing one - sometimes it's easier to start fresh. Also, don't forget that you can always adjust it later if the withholding amount doesn't feel right after a few paychecks. The W4 isn't set in stone!