How do I know if my employer is withholding taxes from my paycheck?

You're right to be concerned. Your employer should be providing paystubs that clearly show gross pay, all withholdings (federal, state, local taxes, Social Security, Medicare), and net pay - even for a small business. First step - formally request a paystub from your employer in writing (email or text so you have a record). Say something like "I need documentation of my withholdings for my records." If they refuse, that's a red flag. Second, ask them for a copy of the W-4 you should have filled out when hired. This form tells employers how much to withhold. If you never completed one, they shouldn't be withholding at all. Third, you can create an account on the IRS website and view your wage and income transcript. However, this won't show real-time information - only what's been reported so far. If your employer is deducting money without proper documentation, they might be committing tax fraud. Small businesses must follow the same payroll tax laws as large companies.

Been in this exact situation before with a painting contractor! After months of confusion, I finally discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) which literally saved me from a massive tax headache. It's a tool that analyzes your specific employment situation and tells you exactly what should be happening with your taxes. I uploaded a picture of one of my checks and answered a few questions - it immediately flagged that my "withholdings" didn't match normal percentages and gave me a detailed breakdown of what should actually be withheld from my paychecks. Turns out my boss was taking out money but not sending it anywhere! The best part was it generated a professional letter I could show my employer outlining the exact tax requirements for my situation. Once I showed him that letter, magically my next paycheck came with a proper paystub!

I was super skeptical about taxr.ai when I first read about it here, but my situation with my landscaping job was getting worse. My boss kept giving me different excuses about why he couldn't provide paystubs, so I finally tried it. Holy crap, it was eye-opening! The site analyzed my situation and showed me my boss was withholding about 15% more than he should be. I generated that employer letter they mentioned and texted it to my boss. He called me like 20 minutes later sounding nervous and suddenly had "figured out the paystub system." Got my first real paystub last week showing EXACTLY what's being withheld and where it's going. Turns out he wasn't sending anything to the state tax authority at all! Now I have actual documentation for tax season instead of trying to piece everything together from random checks.

Another option is to contact the IRS directly and ask if your employer has been submitting withholdings under your SSN. I tried calling them for weeks about a similar situation with my former employer and it was IMPOSSIBLE to get through. Finally found this service called Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual IRS agent in less than 20 minutes. They have this cool demo video here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c showing how it works. The IRS agent was able to confirm my employer hadn't submitted ANY withholdings for the past year despite taking money from my checks! Getting that official confirmation from the IRS gave me the confidence to confront my boss with actual facts. It also helped me prepare for the tax bill I was about to get hit with.

I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After posting that skeptical comment, my frustration with my own tax situation got the better of me and I tried it. The service actually works exactly as described. I got connected to an IRS agent in about 15 minutes after trying unsuccessfully for DAYS on my own. After verifying my identity (they asked for my SSN, name, address, filing status, and amount from last year's return), the agent was able to confirm that my employer had only submitted partial withholdings - way less than what was being taken from my checks. This gave me exactly what I needed to approach my employer with proof instead of just suspicions. They've now corrected the issue going forward AND are sending me the missing withholding amount that wasn't properly submitted. Saved me from a potential audit nightmare!

One thing nobody's mentioned yet - you might actually be classified as an independent contractor (1099) rather than an employee (W-2), especially in small landscaping businesses. If that's the case, your boss shouldn't be withholding ANY taxes, but you'd be responsible for paying your own self-employment taxes. Ask your boss directly: "Am I classified as a W-2 employee or a 1099 contractor?" If he says 1099, then he definitely shouldn't be taking money out of your checks. If he says W-2, then demand proper paystubs showing withholdings. Either way, start setting aside 25-30% of your income for taxes just in case. Better safe than sorry when tax time comes around.

You should grab a copy of your Social Security Statement too. Go to https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/ and create an account if you don't have one. It shows your reported income history and estimated benefits. If your employer isn't reporting your income properly, it'll affect your future Social Security benefits.

This situation is unfortunately more common than it should be, especially with small businesses. Here are some immediate steps you can take: 1. **Document everything** - Take photos of your checks and keep a detailed log of hours worked vs. pay received. This will be crucial evidence if you need to file complaints. 2. **Request a meeting** - Ask your boss for a sit-down conversation about payroll. Come prepared with specific questions: "Can you show me how you calculate my withholdings?" and "When will I receive my W-2 for tax filing?" 3. **Know your rights** - Your employer is legally required to provide you with a paystub showing gross pay, all deductions, and net pay. In many states, this is mandated by law regardless of business size. 4. **Contact your state's Department of Labor** - They can investigate wage and hour violations and often have resources specifically for situations like this. Many have anonymous tip lines. 5. **Start setting aside money NOW** - Assume you'll owe taxes on your full gross income and save accordingly. Better to be prepared than caught off guard. The fact that you never filled out a W-4 is a major red flag. Don't let the fear of losing your job prevent you from protecting yourself financially. Your boss's evasive behavior suggests he knows he's not handling this properly.

This is a really concerning situation, and you're absolutely right to question what's happening. As someone who's dealt with payroll issues before, here are some red flags I'm seeing: 1. **No W-4 form** - This should have been the very first thing you filled out when starting work. Without it, your employer has no legal basis for withholding taxes. 2. **No paystubs** - Even the smallest businesses are required to provide documentation of what's being withheld from your pay. The fact that he's just writing personal checks without any breakdown is highly irregular. 3. **Evasive behavior** - A legitimate employer would be happy to explain their payroll process and show you exactly where your tax money is going. I'd strongly recommend starting with the basics: send your boss a text or email requesting copies of your W-4 and paystubs for all pay periods. Having this in writing creates a paper trail. If he can't or won't provide these basic documents, that tells you everything you need to know. Also, start calculating and setting aside about 25-30% of your gross pay for taxes, just in case. You don't want to be stuck with a huge tax bill if it turns out he's been pocketing your withholdings instead of sending them to the IRS. Your instincts are spot on - trust them and protect yourself!