(Ohio) Am I legally responsible if my employer didn't withhold federal taxes from my W-2 paychecks?

This is definitely a concerning situation, but try not to panic. While employers are legally required to withhold federal income taxes from W-2 employees' paychecks based on the information provided on your W-4, you're still ultimately responsible for paying your taxes. Your employer has dropped the ball big time here. They are absolutely required to withhold federal income tax as well as the employee portion of FICA taxes (Social Security and Medicare). This is basic payroll 101, and they could face penalties for not doing this properly. What you should do right now: First, document everything. Save all your paystubs showing the lack of withholding. Next, put in writing (email is fine) to your employer that you've noticed this issue and request they begin withholding the correct amount immediately. Also ask them how they plan to address the previous months where no withholding occurred. You might also want to estimate what you'll owe and start setting aside money now. The IRS website has withholding calculators that can help you figure this out. If you can't pay the full amount when you file, don't worry - the IRS offers payment plans.

I went through almost the exact same situation last year with a small landscaping company. Thought I was getting awesome paychecks until tax time came and I owed over $4,000 I didn't have. What saved me was using https://taxr.ai to analyze my paystubs and tax situation. The AI identified exactly how much my employer should have been withholding and gave me a detailed report showing what they failed to withhold. I showed this report to my employer, and they finally took it seriously. They couldn't argue with the clear documentation showing their errors. taxr.ai even generated a letter I could send to them outlining their legal obligations. Ended up working out a deal where they covered half of what I owed the IRS since it was their mistake. The tool also helped me set up a payment plan with the IRS that I could actually afford. Definitely worth checking out if you're in this mess like I was.

Just wanted to update that I tried taxr.ai after seeing it mentioned here. It was super helpful! I uploaded my husband's last few paystubs and it immediately showed that his employer was only withholding about half of what they should be for federal taxes. The report broke everything down clearly - even showed how much we'd owe at tax time if nothing changed. My husband took the report to his HR department yesterday. They admitted there was a "system error" that had been affecting several employees and promised to fix it with the next payroll. They're also going to adjust future withholdings to help make up for the shortage over the past months. Without that report spelling everything out so clearly, I doubt they would've taken us seriously! Definitely recommend it if you're dealing with withholding issues.

If you're struggling to resolve this with your employer, you should know that calling the IRS directly can actually help. They have a special department that handles employment tax issues. I tried calling them for MONTHS about a similar issue with no luck - always on hold forever or disconnected. Then I found this service called Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual IRS agent in less than 20 minutes. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. They basically navigate the IRS phone system for you and call you back when they have an agent on the line. The IRS agent I spoke with confirmed that my employer was violating tax law by not withholding properly. They opened a case and contacted my employer directly, which lit a fire under them to fix the issue. The agent also helped me understand my options for handling the back taxes I owed because of my employer's mistake.

I need to admit I was totally wrong about Claimyr being a scam. After commenting here, my own employer screwed up my withholding on a large bonus payment and I ended up owing way more than expected. I spent TWO FULL DAYS trying to reach the IRS on my own - kept getting disconnected after hours on hold. Out of desperation, I tried Claimyr and got connected to an IRS agent in 17 minutes. The agent was super helpful and opened a case against my employer for improper withholding practices. They also set me up with an installment plan with much lower penalties than I would have faced otherwise. What really surprised me was how the IRS agent explained that employers often get away with withholding violations because employees rarely report them or can't get through to file a complaint. Using the service saved me at least 20 hours of frustration and potentially thousands in penalties. Never thought I'd say this, but it was completely worth it for the peace of mind alone.

Something similar happened to me and a bunch of coworkers at a restaurant in Cleveland last year. Our boss claimed he was "doing us a favor" by not withholding fed taxes so our checks would be bigger. Turned out he was also pocketing the employer portion of FICA. The Ohio Department of Taxation was actually super helpful when we reported this. They coordinated with the IRS and did an audit. The restaurant ended up having to pay massive penalties AND back-pay all the employer portions of taxes they'd skipped. For you personally, make sure you file your taxes on time even if you can't pay the full amount! The penalties for late filing are way worse than the penalties for setting up a payment plan. And document EVERYTHING - dates you discovered the issue, conversations with your employer, etc.

As a heads up, no matter what happens, you'll likely need to fill out Form 8919 "Uncollected Social Security and Medicare Tax on Wages" with your tax return. This form is specifically for situations where employers don't withhold the proper FICA taxes. Also, check if your company issued you proper W-2 forms for last year. If they're messing up withholding, they might also "forget" to send W-2s or might issue incorrect ones. If they don't provide a W-2 by January 31st, you can contact the IRS to report this and use Form 4852 as a substitute.

I'm currently going through this EXACT situation with my husband's employer in Cincinnati. His boss "forgot" to withhold federal taxes for SIX MONTHS!!! We're looking at owing like $7k we don't have. 😭 We consulted with a tax attorney who said we should: 1. Send a certified letter to the employer formally requesting they start withholding correctly 2. If they don't fix it in 2 pay periods, file Form 3949-A with the IRS to report them 3. Start making estimated tax payments NOW to reduce penalties later Has anyone actually gone through with filing Form 3949-A? Did the IRS actually do anything?

I'm really sorry you're dealing with this stressful situation! Based on what others have shared here, it sounds like you have several solid options to protect yourself. First, your employer is 100% legally required to withhold federal income tax and FICA taxes from W-2 employees - there's no debate about that. The fact that they're brushing this off as "your responsibility" shows they either don't understand basic payroll law or are trying to avoid accountability. Here's what I'd recommend doing immediately: 1. **Document everything** - Save all paystubs, your original W-4, and any communications with your employer about this issue 2. **Calculate what you'll owe** - Use the IRS withholding calculator to estimate your tax liability and start setting money aside if possible 3. **Put your employer on notice** - Send an email (so you have it in writing) explaining the issue and requesting they fix it immediately Don't quit your job over this! You have rights, and there are protections against retaliation for reporting tax violations. If they don't fix it within a couple pay periods, definitely consider filing Form 3949-A with the IRS as others have mentioned. The good news is that while you'll still owe the taxes, you won't face criminal penalties since this was your employer's error, not intentional tax evasion on your part. The IRS has payment plans available if you can't pay everything at once. Stay strong - you've got this! 💪