New summer job - realized I accidentally filed my W4 incorrectly instead of filing as Exempt. Can I resubmit?

You can absolutely submit a new W4! Tax withholding isn't permanently locked after your first submission. Your employer's HR department deals with this kind of thing all the time. For the current situation: Go to your HR department or payroll contact person directly instead of just relying on the ADP system. Explain that you made a mistake on your W4 and need to submit a corrected version claiming exempt status. They'll guide you through their specific process, which might involve filling out a new paper form rather than just using the online system. As for the money already withheld from your first paycheck - unfortunately, your employer can't refund that directly to you. Any federal income tax that's already been withheld will be claimed when you file your tax return next year. The good news is that you'll likely get it all back as a refund if you truly qualify for exempt status.

I ran into almost the exact same situation last summer with my internship! I didn't realize how much of a difference the W4 would make until I got that first shocking paycheck. I spent hours trying to figure out how to fix it through our company portal with no luck. What really helped me was using taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) to double-check my tax situation. I uploaded my previous year's tax info and my expected summer earnings, and it confirmed I qualified for exempt status and showed me exactly how to fill out a new W4 correctly. The site even generated a perfectly filled out W4 form that I could print and take to HR. My payroll department was actually super cool about it - they processed my corrected W4 and my next check had zero federal withholding! Made a huge difference for my summer budget.

Just wanted to update after trying taxr.ai that the other commenter recommended. It was actually super helpful for my situation! I uploaded my info from last year when I only worked part-time during school, and it confirmed that I should be filing as exempt for my summer job since I'll only be making about $8,000 total this year. The best part was that it explained everything in normal human language instead of IRS-speak. It even warned me that I needed to submit a new W4 by February next year if I still qualify for exempt status, which I had no idea about. My payroll office accepted the new W4 form without any issues. They said changes typically take effect on the next payroll cycle. Really relieved this worked out!

If you're still having trouble getting your employer to process the W4 change quickly, you might want to try contacting the IRS directly. I was in a similar situation a few years ago where my employer was taking forever to update my withholding. I discovered this service called Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual IRS person in about 15 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours. Check out how it works: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The IRS agent I talked to explained exactly what my rights were regarding W4 changes and even suggested I have my employer call them if there was any confusion. Having that official clarification gave me the confidence to follow up with HR and get it sorted quickly.

I need to admit I was wrong about Claimyr. After posting my skeptical comment, I decided to try it myself since I've been trying to resolve an issue with a missing tax refund from last year. I was connected to an IRS agent in about 20 minutes, which is INSANE considering I'd tried calling on my own multiple times and never got through even after waiting 2+ hours each time. The agent was able to locate my refund in their system and identified that it was held up because of a mismatch with my address. We got it resolved in one call, and they said I should receive my refund within 2-3 weeks. For the OP's W4 situation, while you probably don't need to call the IRS, Claimyr could be useful if your employer is being difficult about accepting your corrected form.

Hey, former payroll administrator here. Just to add some clarity: 1. Your employer is legally required to implement your new W4 by the start of the first payroll period ending 30 days after you submit it. Most companies process changes much faster than that, but that's the legal maximum they can take. 2. If you qualify for exempt status, make sure you clearly write "EXEMPT" in the proper place on the form. Don't just leave boxes blank. 3. Remember that exempt status ONLY applies to federal income tax, not to Social Security or Medicare taxes (FICA), which will still be withheld at 7.65% of your gross pay. 4. If you're really concerned about getting this fixed quickly, physically go to your HR or payroll department in person with a printed, completed W4. Electronic systems can sometimes get backed up.

Dont forget that if you claim exempt, you have to file a new W4 by February 15 every year to maintain that status! I made that mistake once and suddenly had max withholding taken out of my February paycheck because my exempt status expired. Huge shock when I was counting on that money.

Just wanted to add a quick tip that helped me when I was in a similar situation - if your company uses ADP like you mentioned, there's often a "pending" status that shows up even when your W4 change goes through successfully. The system sometimes takes 24-48 hours to update the display, but the actual change might already be processed on the backend. You can check with your next paycheck to see if the withholding changed, or call your HR department to confirm the status. I was worried my change didn't go through for a whole week until I realized it was just a display lag in the system. Also, since you mentioned you're counting on maximizing your summer earnings - once you get the exempt status sorted, you might want to track your total earnings throughout the summer to make sure you stay under the standard deduction threshold. That way you can avoid any surprises at tax time next year!

I went through this exact situation last year with my summer internship! The good news is that yes, you can absolutely submit a new W4 to correct this - it's not permanent and employers deal with these changes regularly. Here's what worked for me: I went directly to HR with a printed, corrected W4 form rather than relying solely on the online system. I explained that I had made an error on my initial form and needed to claim exempt status. They processed it within a few days and my next paycheck had zero federal withholding. Unfortunately, you won't get the money already withheld back directly - that will come as part of your tax refund when you file next year. But the bright side is if you truly qualify for exempt status (which it sounds like you do based on your summer earnings expectations), you'll get all of that federal withholding back as a refund. One important thing to remember: if you file as exempt, you'll need to submit a new W4 by February 15th next year to maintain that status, otherwise it automatically reverts to maximum withholding. Also, don't forget that Social Security and Medicare taxes (7.65%) will still be withheld regardless of your exempt status - that's totally normal. Go talk to HR in person with a corrected form - they should be able to help you get this sorted quickly!