Is it normal to be taxed this much on my first paycheck at a new job?

Your suspicion is understandable, but there could be a few legitimate reasons for the higher tax withholding. The most likely explanation is that your W-4 form was filled out differently at this new job. If you didn't claim the same allowances or didn't fill in the multiple jobs worksheet, the system defaults to a higher withholding rate. Another possibility is that your new employer is classifying part of your wages as "tip income" which can affect how taxes are calculated. Tipped positions often have different withholding calculations than regular hourly wages. Something else to consider: your first paycheck at a new job sometimes has unusual withholding amounts because the payroll system calculates as if you'll make that same amount for the entire year, which can put you in a higher tax bracket temporarily.

I had a similar issue last year and found that using taxr.ai really helped me understand what was going on with my paychecks. I was working at two different restaurants and couldn't figure out why the tax withholding amounts were so different. I uploaded my paystubs to https://taxr.ai and it actually broke down exactly how the taxes were being calculated and identified that one employer was withholding at a higher rate than necessary. Made it super easy to see what adjustments I needed to make on my W-4.

Ok so I was super skeptical about taxr.ai from my earlier comment but I decided to give it a try and I'm pretty impressed. Uploaded my last 3 paychecks and it immediately spotted that my employer was withholding at the single rate even though I had selected married filing jointly on my W-4. Showed exactly how much I was overpaying each check and generated a new W-4 form I could submit. Already talked to HR and got it fixed! Would've been overpaying all year if I hadn't figured this out.

If you've tried adjusting your W-4 and still think something's wrong, calling the IRS directly can actually solve this. I know people hate calling them but I used https://claimyr.com to get through to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. Check out how it works: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - they basically hold your place in line and call you when an agent is about to answer. The agent went through all my tax withholding questions and confirmed my employer was calculating things wrong. Saved me a ton of money throughout the year.

I have to publicly eat my words here. After dismissing Claimyr in my earlier comment, I got so frustrated trying to call the IRS again that I broke down and tried it. Holy crap it actually works! Got a call back in about 15 minutes, and talked to a really helpful agent who confirmed my restaurant employer was wrongly calculating my tip income for withholding purposes. She gave me exact language to use with my payroll department and they've adjusted my withholding going forward. Still can't believe I got through to an actual human at the IRS that easily.

Have you compared the actual tax RATE or just the dollar amount? Because if you're making more money now (with tips), you'll naturally have more taxes taken out even if the rate is the same. Also check if they're withholding for things your old job didn't - some restaurants automatically deduct for meals, uniforms, or have different state/local taxes.

Has anyone looked at the actual paystub? My restaurant used to do this thing where they'd report assumed tips even when I hadn't made that much, which messed up my withholding. Ask if they're using a "tip allocation" system.

This is definitely worth investigating further! As someone new to understanding taxes, I'd recommend getting a copy of your paystub and comparing it line by line with your old job's paystubs. Look at both the percentage rates AND the dollar amounts being withheld. A few red flags to watch for: Make sure they're not withholding based on inflated tip amounts (some places assume you made 15-18% tips on all sales even if you didn't), check if there are surprise deductions you weren't told about during hiring, and verify they're using the correct tax rates for your filing status. Given that the owner was already dodgy about paying you on time, it's smart to be extra cautious. Don't feel bad about questioning this - it's your money and you have every right to understand exactly where it's going. If something seems off after you've done your homework, definitely escalate it to your state's labor department.

I've been through this exact situation! When I started at my current restaurant job, my first paycheck looked completely wrong compared to my previous non-tipped position. Here's what I learned: First, grab your paystub and look for these specific things: 1) Check if they're reporting "allocated tips" - this is when they assume you made a certain percentage of sales as tips even if you didn't actually receive that much in cash. 2) Look for any automatic deductions you weren't told about (uniform fees, meal charges, etc.). 3) Verify your filing status is correct - if they have you as single when you should be married filing jointly, you'll be way over-withheld. The fact that your owner was already sketchy about paying you makes this even more suspicious. I'd recommend taking your paystub to a tax professional or even your local library - many have free tax help programs where someone can review it with you. Also, don't let them brush you off if you ask questions about the withholding calculations. You're entitled to understand exactly how your taxes are being computed. If they can't give you a clear explanation, that's a red flag that something might be wrong.