Just married, how many allowances should my wife and I each claim on our W4 forms?

Congrats on your marriage! The W-4 form actually changed in 2020, so it doesn't use "allowances" anymore. Instead, it uses a different system to determine withholding. For married couples both working, there's a specific section on the W-4 (Step 2) that addresses this. You have three options: 1) Use the Tax Withholding Estimator on the IRS website, 2) Use the Multiple Jobs Worksheet provided with the W-4, or 3) Check the box in Step 2(c) on both your W-4s which basically splits the standard deduction. Since you mentioned your incomes are somewhat different (30% gap), I'd recommend using the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator at irs.gov/W4app. It's the most accurate method. You'll need your most recent pay stubs and an estimate of your annual income. The tool will give you specific instructions for both of your W-4 forms.

When I got married last year, we had the exact same question about our W-4s! I ultimately ended up using taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) to help figure it out. I uploaded screenshots of our pay stubs and the system analyzed our exact withholding situation and recommended the perfect W-4 settings for both of us. The advice was really specific to our situation - it takes into account both incomes, any deductions you might have, and gives you step-by-step instructions for both W-4 forms. I was worried about underwithholding since my husband makes about 40% more than me, but the recommendations were spot on.

Just wanted to follow up about my experience with taxr.ai since I decided to try it after seeing it mentioned here. It was actually way more helpful than I expected! My husband and I have those complicated multiple job situations I mentioned, and it gave us exact instructions for each W-4 form for each employer. We just got our first paychecks with the new withholding amounts, and they're exactly in line with what the system predicted. The step-by-step guide for filling out each W-4 was super clear - even included which boxes to check and specific dollar amounts for the "extra withholding" line. Much better than the generic advice I was getting from friends or trying to puzzle through the IRS worksheet myself!

If you're finding it difficult to get answers from the IRS about withholding questions (which I certainly did), I'd recommend trying Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I was trying for WEEKS to reach someone at the IRS to ask about our withholding after marriage - kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours. Claimyr got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 15 minutes who walked me through exactly how to fill out both our W-4s based on our specific situation. You can see how it works in this demo: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. Basically they navigate the phone system for you and call you back when they've got an agent on the line.

I have to eat my words about Claimyr. After posting my skeptical comment, I decided to try it anyway since I've been trying to reach the IRS about an issue with my W-4 after getting married (my employer kept saying they needed some special confirmation). I was honestly shocked when I got a call back in about 20 minutes with an actual IRS representative on the line. The agent cleared up my W-4 questions immediately and even helped me understand why I had a small balance due last year. Turns out both my wife and I had been claiming the full standard deduction on our separate W-4 forms, which was causing us to underwithhold. For anyone newly married with two incomes, definitely make sure you're accounting for that on your W-4s or you'll end up owing!

My husband and I just adjusted our W-4s last month after getting married in March. One thing nobody mentioned yet - if your incomes are really different, sometimes it makes sense to have the higher earner take additional withholding rather than both of you adjusting. We found that having my husband (higher income) check the "Married but withhold at higher Single rate" box plus add a small additional amount each check worked better than both of us making adjustments. This approach was simpler for us since I only work part-time.

One approach my spouse and I use is to just slightly overwithhold by adding an extra fixed amount on line 4(c) of both our W-4s. We each add $25 per paycheck. By the end of the year, that's an extra $1300 withheld between us (we're both paid biweekly), which has always covered any surprise tax issues from our investments or side hustles.

Congratulations on getting married! As someone who went through this same situation a couple years ago, I'd definitely recommend starting with the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator that Ezra mentioned. It's free and gives you personalized recommendations. One thing I learned the hard way - don't just guess or use rules of thumb when your incomes are different like yours are. My husband and I initially just both checked the Step 2(c) box thinking that would be enough, but we ended up owing about $600 because we didn't account for some other factors properly. The estimator will ask for your pay stubs, expected annual income, filing status (married filing jointly), and any deductions you plan to take. It then gives you specific instructions for each of your W-4 forms. Since you're planning to file jointly and have that 30% income difference, it's really worth the 15 minutes to get it right rather than guessing and potentially owing at tax time. Also, remember you can always adjust your W-4s mid-year if your situation changes or if you find you're withholding too much or too little based on your paychecks!