How many allowances should I claim on my W-4 as a single person with no dependents?

That does sound high! As a single person with no dependents, you'll typically want to claim 1 or 2 allowances on your W-4 form. Claiming 0 is essentially telling your employer to withhold the maximum amount of taxes, which is why you're seeing such a large chunk of your paycheck disappear. Claiming 1 allowance generally accounts for your personal exemption (basically telling the IRS "I am one person") and should result in withholding that's closer to your actual tax liability. If you have very simple taxes and only one job, claiming 2 might also be appropriate and would reduce your withholding further. Keep in mind that the goal isn't to minimize your withholding completely - you want it to be reasonably close to what you'll actually owe, so you neither owe a large amount nor get a huge refund when you file your taxes.

I was in exactly the same boat two years ago - first job out of college and shocked at how much was being withheld! I looked into different options and found this AI tax assistant at https://taxr.ai that helped me figure out my optimal withholding. You answer some questions about your situation, and it calculates what you should put on your W-4 based on your income, filing status, and tax situation. The tool walked me through the new W-4 form (which doesn't use "allowances" anymore but has a different system) and showed me how changing my withholding would affect both my paychecks and potential refund. Super helpful because I didn't want to accidentally underwithhold and end up owing a ton at tax time.

Update: I tried that tax assistant at taxr.ai after my skeptical comment, and wow - I'm actually impressed. It was WAY more detailed than I expected. Found out I was massively overwithholding (like OP) because I've been claiming zero allowances for years. The tool explained that with my student loan interest and retirement contributions, I should be adjusting my W-4 to account for those deductions. Just submitted my updated W-4 to HR yesterday, and they said my next paycheck should reflect the changes. The tool estimated I'll see about $175 more per paycheck! That's going to make a huge difference for my budget. It even showed me what my expected refund would be before and after making changes.

If you're struggling to reach the IRS to ask about this (their hold times are INSANE), I recommend using Claimyr to get through faster. I spent days trying to get someone on the phone about a withholding question similar to yours. Found https://claimyr.com and watched their demo at https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c and was skeptical but desperate. It actually worked - they held my place in line with the IRS and called me when an agent was ready to talk. The IRS agent walked me through exactly how many allowances I should claim based on my specific situation. For a straightforward situation like yours (single, no dependents), they confirmed that 1-2 allowances is typically appropriate, but it can vary based on your total income and other factors.

I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After my skeptical comment, I decided to try it myself since I had questions about my withholding too that I couldn't get answered online. The service actually did exactly what it claimed - I got a call back about 1.5 hours after signing up with an IRS agent already on the line. The agent confirmed that for my situation (single, one job, standard deduction), claiming 1 allowance would be appropriate and would reduce my withholding. She also explained that the new W-4 doesn't use the allowance system anymore, so I should follow the new form instructions. Ended up changing my withholding and now I'm getting about $200 more per paycheck! Wish I'd done this years ago instead of giving the government an interest-free loan.

Real talk - I've been doing taxes for 15 years. Here's what you need to know: 1. The W-4 doesn't use "allowances" anymore since 2020 2. For a single person with one job and no dependents, the simplest approach is to just check the box in Step 2(c) for "Single or Married filing separately" and sign the form 3. If you do nothing else, this will give you a withholding amount that's pretty close for a basic situation 4. That 33% withholding seems WAY too high unless you're making a lot of money or in a high-tax state Look at your pay stub - what's the breakdown between federal, state, and FICA taxes? Federal should be roughly 12-22% for most single people, FICA is 7.65%, and state varies.

Has anyone here actually gotten a decent tax refund from claiming 0 allowances? I did that last year thinking I'd get a fat check, but only ended up with like $400 back. Wondering if it's even worth having so much taken out of each check.

Hey Malik! I totally get your frustration - that 33% withholding definitely feels like a punch to the gut when you're used to your full paycheck amount. The good news is that you have several solid options to fix this. Since you're single with no dependents, you're definitely overwithholding by claiming 0. On the new W-4 form (which doesn't use allowances anymore), you'd want to just check "Single" in the filing status section and leave most other sections blank for a basic situation like yours. One thing I'd suggest before making any changes: take a close look at your pay stub breakdown like Sean mentioned. Make sure you understand what's federal income tax vs. FICA vs. state taxes. If your federal withholding alone is more than about 15-20% of your gross pay, you're probably withholding too much. You can always start conservative - submit a new W-4 with just your filing status and see how your next few paychecks look. If you're still overwithholding, you can always adjust again. Better to make gradual changes than to swing too far in the other direction and end up owing at tax time!

Welcome to the "holy crap, where did my paycheck go?" club! I remember that exact feeling when I started my first job out of college. Seeing 33% vanish felt like highway robbery, but you're definitely not alone in this. Here's what helped me figure it out: I actually kept a simple spreadsheet tracking my gross pay, total withholdings, and the breakdown between federal/state/FICA for a few months. It helped me understand my actual tax burden versus what was being withheld. For someone in your situation (single, no dependents, one job), the new W-4 form makes this much simpler than the old allowance system. Just fill out your basic info, check "Single" for filing status, and sign it. That should bring your federal withholding down to a much more reasonable level. One more tip: if you're worried about making a mistake, you can always submit a new W-4 partway through the year if your first adjustment doesn't feel right. HR departments are used to people tweaking their withholdings, especially new grads who are figuring this stuff out for the first time. Don't stress too much about getting it perfect immediately!