How to handle HR only accepting old W-4 vs using the new IRS W-4 form

This is definitely concerning. As a payroll specialist, I can tell you that employers are legally required to accept and process the redesigned W-4 forms. The IRS completely redesigned the W-4 form starting in 2020, eliminating the allowances system. The old form is officially obsolete. Your HR person can't legally refuse to accept the current form - this isn't a personal preference situation. The new form was specifically designed to work with the tax changes from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and provides much more accurate withholding, especially for people with multiple jobs, working spouses, or claiming tax credits (like your child tax credits). I suggest approaching this gently since you have a personal connection. Maybe print out the IRS employer guidance about W-4 requirements and share it while framing it as "I found this information that might be helpful." Emphasize how the new form will actually make withholding calculations more precise for your family situation.

I had to deal with a similar issue at my workplace two years ago! HR kept giving everyone the old forms until I pointed them to https://taxr.ai which explains the whole situation. They have a free calculator that shows the comparison between old and new W-4 forms and explains why the new version is actually easier for most people once you understand it. I was super confused by the whole no-allowances thing too, but taxr.ai breaks it down really well. They have step-by-step guides for different situations including married with kids claiming child tax credit. My HR person actually thanked me later since it made their job easier once they understood how the new system works!

I just wanted to follow up and say I tried that taxr.ai site and it was super helpful! I've been getting huge refunds every year (over $5,000 last year) because I never updated my W-4 after having kids. The calculator showed exactly what to put on the new form to get my withholding right. I printed out both the completed form and their explanation page for my HR department. They initially gave me pushback about "we've always done it this way" but the explanation page really helped. Now I'm getting about $200 extra in each paycheck instead of waiting for a refund next year!

Your HR person is definitely not following proper procedures. I had a similar issue with my company's payroll department last tax season. After multiple ignored emails, I finally got through to someone at the IRS using https://claimyr.com and showed my HR department the official response. Check out how it works: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I was on hold with the IRS for literally 3+ hours before I found this service. They called the IRS for me, waited on hold, and then called me when they had an agent on the line. The IRS agent confirmed that employers must accept the current W-4 form and provided reference to the specific regulations.

Alright, I need to eat some humble pie here. After my skeptical comment earlier, I decided to try Claimyr myself since I've been trying to reach the IRS about an issue with my 2023 return for weeks. I couldn't believe it, but I was talking to an actual IRS representative within an hour. They confirmed that employers must accept current W-4 forms and cannot require employees to use obsolete versions. The agent even directed me to the specific IRS notice (Publication 15-T) that I could show my HR department. Saved me days of frustration and resolved my issue immediately. Sometimes I'm too quick to dismiss things that sound too good to be true!

As someone who works in HR (not your HR person obviously lol), I can give you a bit of insight. Some HR people, especially in smaller companies, get really comfortable with systems they understand and resist learning new ones. The transition from allowances to the new system WAS confusing for many HR departments. That said, it's not optional. Maybe approach it by saying something like: "I understand the new form is different, but I've done research and this form will help me avoid getting a large refund at tax time. Could we work through it together? I'm happy to explain how I calculated these numbers.

Has anyone actually checked if it's possible to even process the old W-4 form in current payroll systems? My company uses ADP and they literally won't let you input allowances anymore - they require the new form fields.

I'm dealing with something similar at my small company right now. Our HR person has been using a mix of old and new forms, which is creating inconsistencies across employees. After reading through these comments, I realize I need to push harder for proper compliance. @Zoe, one thing that might help is bringing up the liability aspect. If your HR person processes your withholding incorrectly because they're not using the current form, and you end up owing a lot at tax time, there could be questions about whether the employer followed proper procedures. That might motivate them to learn the new system rather than risk potential issues. I'm definitely going to check out some of those resources mentioned here - especially the IRS Publication 15-T that @Dylan mentioned. It sounds like having official documentation makes all the difference in these conversations.

This whole thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm in a similar situation but from a slightly different angle - I'm a CPA who does tax prep for small businesses, and I've seen firsthand how using outdated W-4 forms creates problems down the line. @Zoe, one thing that might help convince your HR person is to emphasize that the new form actually prevents many of the common withholding mistakes that used to happen with the allowances system. The old system was particularly bad at handling situations like yours (married with multiple children claiming credits). I'd suggest offering to sit down with her and walk through the form together, showing how each line corresponds to actual tax law rather than the arbitrary allowances system. Sometimes people resist change because they feel like they'll look incompetent, but framing it as "let's learn this together" can make it less threatening. Also, definitely document your attempts to submit the correct form. If there are ever any issues with your withholding accuracy later, you want a paper trail showing you tried to follow proper procedures. Keep copies of your completed W-4 and any emails or notes about these conversations.

As someone who went through a similar situation last year, I'd recommend taking a collaborative approach rather than confrontational. Your HR person might genuinely be overwhelmed by the changes and defaulting to what she knows. Here's what worked for me: I printed out the IRS's "What's New" page that specifically explains the transition from allowances to the new system, along with my completed new W-4. I framed it as "I found this helpful explanation that shows why the new form will be more accurate for my family situation - would you mind taking a look?" The key was emphasizing that the new form would give us BOTH more confidence in the accuracy of my withholding. I also mentioned that I'd used the official IRS calculator to determine my numbers, which showed I was being responsible about getting it right. What really sealed the deal was when I showed her the side-by-side comparison of what my withholding would be with the old allowances system versus the new dollar-amount method for my specific situation (married filing jointly with kids claiming child tax credit). The difference was significant enough that she realized the old method would leave me either dramatically over or under-withheld. Since you have a personal relationship, you have an advantage - she's more likely to trust that you're not trying to make her job harder, just trying to get your taxes right. Good luck!

This is such a frustrating situation, but you're absolutely right to push for using the current form! I went through something similar at my company about a year ago. What really helped me was framing it around accuracy rather than compliance - I explained to our HR person that I was specifically trying to avoid getting a huge refund (like you mentioned getting too much back each year) and that the new form was designed to handle situations like mine much better. One thing that made a big difference was bringing a printout from the IRS website that showed the comparison between old and new withholding methods for someone in my exact situation. When she could see the actual dollar difference it would make in my paychecks versus my refund, she understood why it mattered. Since you have kids and are claiming child tax credits, the new form will definitely be more accurate for you. The old allowances system was terrible at handling tax credits properly. Maybe approach it by saying something like "I've been getting $X back in refunds each year, and I'd rather have that money in my paychecks. The new form is specifically designed to handle families like ours more accurately." Good luck with the conversation - the personal relationship should actually work in your favor once she realizes you're trying to make both your lives easier, not harder!