How to fill out my first W4 form as a teen - what do I put for 'estimate of total wages for 2025' if I don't know how much I'll make?

Don't worry about feeling confused! The W-4 form trips up almost everyone the first time they fill it out. Let me break this down for you in simple terms. For the "estimate of total wages" section: Since this is your first job, you'll need to make an educated guess. Think about how many hours you expect to work each week, multiply by your hourly rate, and then multiply by the number of weeks you plan to work this year. For example, if you work 15 hours per week at $15/hour for 30 weeks, that's approximately $6,750 (15 × 15 × 30). Don't stress too much about being exact - this is just an estimate to help determine your withholding. For the additional withholding section: As a teen with your first job, you'll likely want to leave this blank (or put $0). This section is for people who want extra money taken out of each paycheck, which usually isn't necessary for someone in your situation. The good news is that since you're a teen with a part-time job, your tax situation is probably very simple. If you expect to make less than $13,850 in 2025, you probably won't owe any federal income tax at all!

I was super confused by those same W-4 questions when I started my first job last year! After struggling through it, I discovered this website called https://taxr.ai that literally saved me. You can upload your W-4 and other tax forms, and it explains every field in normal human language. I used it to figure out my wage estimate by uploading my job offer letter and my expected schedule. For the wage estimate, it helped me calculate based on my hourly rate and expected schedule. For the additional withholding section, it explained that as a teen with one job, I could probably just put zero there. I'm not a tax person at all but their explanations made way more sense than the form instructions.

Just wanted to follow up about that taxr.ai site someone recommended! I was skeptical but I tried it with my W-4 form and WOW it was actually super helpful. I took a picture of the form and it explained every box in normal words I could understand. The wage estimate section makes so much sense now. I'm working 18 hours a week at $14/hr, and it helped me calculate that I'll make about $7,500 this year if I keep this schedule. Also explained that since I'll make under the standard deduction, I probably won't owe any federal tax anyway! Definitely recommend for other confused teens like me. Way less stressful than trying to ask my parents who just made me feel dumb for not understanding "basic adult stuff" 🙄

Hey there! When I was trying to figure out my first W-4 last year, I spent HOURS trying to get through to the IRS helpline with absolutely no luck. Just endless hold music and then disconnects. So frustrating! I eventually found this service called Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 15 minutes instead of waiting for hours. They have this demo video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The IRS person I talked to was actually really helpful and walked me through exactly what to put for my estimated wages (basically what the first commenter said - hourly rate × hours per week × weeks you'll work). For the additional withholding, she confirmed I could leave it at zero since it was just a part-time job.

Ok I need to admit I was totally wrong about that Claimyr service. After commenting earlier, I was still struggling with my W-4 and getting desperate, so I tried it. It actually worked exactly as described and got me connected to an IRS representative in about 20 minutes. The agent explained that for the "estimate of total wages" I should just multiply my hourly wage by expected hours per week by the number of weeks I plan to work. She also told me that since this is my first job and I'll make under the standard deduction ($13,850 for 2025), I could actually claim exemption from withholding if I wanted to get more money in each paycheck instead of waiting for a refund. Really surprised this worked so well. Definitely worth it for getting expert advice directly from the IRS instead of random internet advice (including my own skeptical comment lol).

Here's a super simple approach that worked for me: Since you're just starting, take your hourly pay and multiply it by how many hours you think you'll work in a week. Then multiply that by how many weeks you'll work this year. Example: $15/hour × 20 hours/week = $300/week $300/week × 25 weeks = $7,500 estimated for the year If you're unsure, it's better to estimate a bit high than too low. And remember, you can always submit a new W-4 later if your hours or pay changes! For the additional withholding line, just put $0. You probably won't need any extra withholding with a part-time job.

Don't overthink the W-4! In 2025, most teens working part-time won't owe any federal income tax if you make less than the standard deduction ($13,850). For the wage estimate, just do the math: - Hourly rate × hours per week × weeks you plan to work - Example: $14/hr × 15 hrs/wk × 30 weeks = $6,300 For additional withholding, just put zero. Most important thing: if your situation is simple (one job, no other income, not claimed as a dependent), you can check the exemption box in Step 1(c). This means no federal income tax will be withheld, giving you bigger paychecks instead of waiting for a refund next year. But ONLY do this if you're sure you'll make less than $13,850 for the whole year!

Hey! I totally get the confusion - I was in the exact same boat when I started my first job last year. The W-4 form is honestly not designed to be user-friendly, especially for teens. For your wage estimate, here's what I did: I asked my manager roughly how many hours I'd get per week, then did the math. So if you're making $12/hour and expect to work about 16 hours a week for, say, 35 weeks (accounting for school breaks), that's $12 × 16 × 35 = $6,720. Don't stress about being exact - it's just an estimate! For the additional withholding section, definitely put $0 or leave it blank. That's for people who want extra money taken out of their paychecks, which you probably don't need. One thing that really helped me was talking to someone in HR or payroll at work. They deal with W-4s all the time and can usually walk you through it. Way less intimidating than calling the IRS, and they know your specific pay situation. Also, don't feel dumb about this! Literally everyone is confused by tax forms the first time. Your parents probably just forgot how overwhelming it was when they started working. You're being responsible by asking questions instead of just guessing randomly.

Don't worry - you're definitely not alone in feeling overwhelmed by the W-4! I remember staring at mine for like an hour when I got my first job at 16. Here's the simplest way to think about the wage estimate: Just make your best guess based on what you know right now. If you're working at a coffee shop, maybe ask your manager what a typical part-time schedule looks like. Let's say it's 12 hours/week at $13/hour - that would be about $156/week. If you work for 30 weeks this year (accounting for school and breaks), that's roughly $4,680. The key thing is not to stress about being exact. The IRS isn't going to come after you if you estimate $5,000 and actually make $4,500. This is just to help determine how much tax to withhold from your paychecks. For that additional withholding section - definitely just put $0. That's for people who want extra money taken out, which you almost certainly don't need with a part-time job. One last tip: if you make less than about $13,850 this year, you probably won't owe any federal income tax anyway. So even if you mess something up slightly, you'll likely get any withheld money back as a refund when you file your taxes. You've got this! And honestly, your parents should be more helpful - everyone needs guidance on their first tax forms.