Is this a normal amount of taxes taken from my paycheck? First time with tax withholding

What you're experiencing is totally normal for a first job after graduation! When you put "0" allowances and "single" on your W-4, you're essentially telling your employer to withhold at the highest possible rate. This is actually a conservative approach that many people use to avoid owing taxes later. The approximately $100 being withheld is likely a combination of federal income tax, Social Security tax (6.2%), Medicare tax (1.45%), and possibly state/local taxes depending on where you live. The federal withholding is calculated based on projecting your salary for a full year, even if you just started. If you want to be more precise with your withholding, the IRS has a Tax Withholding Estimator on their website that can help you figure out the right number of allowances. But honestly, if your goal is to avoid owing money at tax time, your current setup is probably fine - you'll likely get a refund next year.

I had the exact same panic when I started my first "real" job! After months of confusion and overpaying, I found this tool called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that helped me understand my withholdings WAY better than any of those confusing IRS publications. It lets you upload your paystub and explains exactly what's being taken out and why. I was actually able to adjust my withholdings to keep more money in my pocket each month while still not owing anything at tax time. It basically translated all that tax jargon into normal human language and showed me that I was overwitholding by almost $150 each month!

Just wanted to update after trying taxr.ai - it was actually super helpful! My situation was similar to OP (just graduated, first real job) and I found out I was having WAY too much withheld because I didn't understand the new W-4. The breakdown showed me exactly what was happening with each part of my withholding and recommended I add an extra amount on line 4(c) since I have a small side gig. Just filed a new W-4 with my HR department yesterday and my next paycheck should have about $80 more in it! And the tool confirmed I'll still get a small refund next year rather than owing anything.

If you're really worried about it, you might want to talk directly to the IRS. I know that sounds intimidating (and it IS) but after trying for weeks to get through on my own, I found this service called Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual IRS agent in less than 20 minutes. They have a demo video here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I was in a similar situation where I thought I messed up my withholding and was freaking out. The IRS agent walked me through everything and confirmed I was actually doing it right. Saved me so much stress and I didn't have to spend hours on hold or days waiting for email responses.

Alright I have to eat my words. I tried Claimyr because I was getting nowhere with the IRS about my withholding issue. I was absolutely CONVINCED it would be a waste of money, but figured what the hell, I'd already wasted hours on hold. So I tried it yesterday and got connected to an IRS agent in about 15 minutes. The agent confirmed that my withholding was indeed messed up (I had filled out the W-4 completely wrong) and walked me through exactly how to fix it. I was STUNNED. Just had to come back and say this thing actually worked, and saved me from what would have been a huge tax bill next April.

Based on your situation, I'd say just leave it as is for now. Here's why: since you're just starting out, you probably don't have a lot of deductions or complicated tax situations yet. Having too much withheld just means you'll get a refund. Plus, tax withholding is based on your projected ANNUAL income. So if you just started working partway through the year, the system assumes you'll make that same amount for the full year, which might put you in a higher tax bracket than you'll actually end up in.

ppl telling u its normal are right but also ur basically giving the govt free money if u overwithhold. i always claim the max allowances possible so i get more $$ in each check, then i just save a bit each month for tax time. end up ahead since that money can work for me all year instead of sitting with the irs lol

Hey Freya! Congrats on the new job! What you're seeing is totally normal and honestly, you made a smart choice for your first time dealing with withholding. When you marked single with 0 allowances (or left everything blank on the new W-4), you chose the most conservative approach - which is perfect when you're unsure. That ~$100 is likely covering federal income tax, Social Security (6.2%), Medicare (1.45%), and possibly state taxes. The good news is that since you just started working partway through the year, you'll probably get a nice refund next April because the withholding calculations assume you'll earn that salary for the full year. My advice? Keep it exactly as is for your first year. You'll sleep better knowing you won't owe anything, and any refund you get is just a bonus. Once you file your first tax return and see how it all works out, then you can decide if you want to adjust your withholding for the following year. You're doing great!