Part-time job not withholding any federal taxes - is this normal?

This is actually normal for your situation! When you earn a small amount from a part-time job, you might not have any federal income tax withheld due to how the withholding tables work. The reason is that everyone gets a standard deduction ($13,850 for single filers in 2024, going up to $14,600 for 2025). If your annual income from all sources will be less than the standard deduction, you won't owe any federal income tax, so there's no need for withholding. Your employer is using your W-4 and your estimated annual income to calculate withholding. Since you're only earning about $2,100 for the year, the system correctly determines you'll be under the standard deduction threshold. However, if you have other jobs or income sources that push you over the standard deduction, you might want to fill out a new W-4 and request additional withholding to avoid owing at tax time.

I had the exact same issue last year when I was working part-time at a retail shop. I was freaking out thinking I'd owe a bunch at tax time, but then I learned about the standard deduction thing. If you're worried about making sure your taxes are correct, I've been using https://taxr.ai to double-check my withholding and tax situation. It analyzed my paystubs and confirmed I was good with $0 federal withholding since I was only making around $200/week. The tool explained exactly how the withholding is calculated based on your W-4 and projected annual income. Super helpful for peace of mind, especially if this is your first time dealing with a job that doesn't withhold federal taxes.

Just wanted to follow up on my taxr.ai experience! I finally tried it after struggling to figure out my withholding situation with my two part-time jobs. It analyzed both my paystubs and showed me exactly why I wasn't having enough withheld. Turns out the issue was that each employer was calculating withholding as if their job was my only income, so neither was withholding enough. The tool generated a customized W-4 form for each job that I just handed to my managers, and now my withholding is fixed! Super glad I gave it a try instead of waiting for a surprise tax bill next April.

If you're having any withholding issues that need to be resolved quickly, talking directly to the IRS can actually help. But good luck getting through to them! I spent 3 weeks trying to reach someone about a similar withholding problem. I finally found https://claimyr.com which got me through to an IRS agent in under 30 minutes. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c They basically keep dialing the IRS for you and only connect when they get a human. Saved me hours of hold music and frustration. The agent I spoke with confirmed that under the standard deduction = no federal tax due, and helped me adjust my withholding correctly for my side gig.

OK I need to eat some humble pie here. After posting my skeptical comment yesterday, I was still desperate to figure out my withholding situation so I tried the Claimyr service. Honestly thought it would be a waste of time. Less than 20 minutes later I was talking to an actual human at the IRS. The agent explained that I needed to use the "Multiple Jobs Worksheet" on the W-4 form, which I had completely overlooked. She also confirmed that for jobs paying under the standard deduction, zero withholding is normal, but warned me that my combined income from all sources is what matters. I'm still shocked this actually worked after spending literal hours on hold myself. Guess pigs do fly sometimes.

Just a heads up - even if you don't owe federal income tax, your employer should still be withholding Social Security and Medicare taxes (FICA) from your paycheck! Those start from the first dollar you earn. Check if those are being taken out - should be around 7.65% total.

Kinda jealous of your situation tbh. My part-time job takes out way too much in taxes and I have to wait until next year to get it back. I changed my W-4 to claim "exempt" since I know I'll make less than the standard deduction, but payroll keeps ignoring it!! 😤

This is such a helpful thread! I'm in a similar situation with my part-time retail job where I'm only making about $1,800 for the year. Like you, I was worried about zero federal withholding, but reading through everyone's explanations about the standard deduction makes so much sense now. One thing I learned from my tax prep class is that even though you won't owe federal income tax if you stay under the standard deduction, you should still file a tax return. Sometimes you can get refunds of other taxes that were withheld, and it establishes your income record with the IRS. Plus, if you qualify for certain tax credits like the Earned Income Credit, you might actually get money back even if no federal taxes were withheld! Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this community is so helpful for navigating these confusing tax situations!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm dealing with a similar situation at my bookstore job where I'm only working about 15 hours a week. I was getting anxious seeing $0 federal withholding on my paystubs, but now I understand it's because my projected annual income will be well under the standard deduction. One thing I want to add for anyone in this situation - make sure you keep good records of all your paystubs throughout the year. Even though you might not owe federal taxes, having documentation of your total earnings and any taxes that were withheld (like FICA) will make filing your return much smoother next year. Also, if your situation changes mid-year (like you pick up more hours or get a second job), don't forget to submit a new W-4 to adjust your withholding accordingly. Your employer can't automatically know about income changes, so it's up to you to keep them informed if your tax situation shifts. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it's so reassuring to know this is normal for part-time workers!

This has been such an educational thread! As someone who just started their first part-time job at a local grocery store, I was completely panicking when I saw $0 federal withholding on my first few paychecks. I thought my employer was making a mistake or that I'd filled out my W-4 wrong. Reading through everyone's explanations about the standard deduction threshold has been a huge relief. I'm only working about 12 hours a week and will probably make around $3,000 for the year, so it sounds like I'm in the same boat as the original poster. One question I still have - if I do end up making slightly more than expected (maybe closer to $4,000-5,000), should I proactively ask my employer to start withholding some federal taxes just to be safe? Or is it better to just set aside some money on my own and pay any small amount owed when I file? Thanks everyone for sharing your knowledge - this community has been incredibly helpful for a tax newbie like me!

This is such a great discussion! I'm in a similar situation working part-time at a restaurant, making about $1,900 so far this year. I was also worried about the $0 federal withholding until I read through all these explanations. One thing I want to mention that I learned from my experience - even though you might not owe federal income tax, it's still worth understanding your paystub completely. I noticed that besides Social Security and Medicare taxes (which everyone mentioned), my employer also withholds state taxes. In my state, the threshold for state income tax is different from federal, so I actually do have small amounts withheld for state taxes even though federal is $0. For anyone new to this like I was, I'd recommend taking a photo of your paystub and looking up what each deduction means. It really helped me understand my take-home pay and feel more confident about my tax situation. Also, @Tristan Carpenter, since you mentioned this is your first time dealing with this, you might want to bookmark this thread or save some of the key points people mentioned. I wish I had this kind of clear explanation when I started my first job!

This thread has been incredibly informative! As someone who works part-time at a local library and has been seeing $0 federal withholding on my paystubs, I was starting to get really anxious about tax season. Reading through everyone's explanations about the standard deduction threshold has put my mind at ease. I'm making about $2,400 this year from my weekend shifts, so I'm definitely in the same situation as many of you. What I found particularly helpful was learning about the difference between federal income tax withholding and FICA taxes - I was confusing the two and didn't realize that Social Security and Medicare taxes are still required regardless of income level. One tip I'd add for anyone tracking their earnings throughout the year: I created a simple spreadsheet where I log my gross pay from each paycheck. This helps me keep track of where I stand relative to that $13,850 standard deduction threshold, and it'll make tax filing much easier when the time comes. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and knowledge - this community is such a valuable resource for navigating these confusing tax situations!

This entire discussion has been so helpful! I'm working part-time at a local coffee shop (similar to @Tristan Carpenter) and was also confused about zero federal withholding on my paystubs. Making around $1,800 so far this year, I was worried I was doing something wrong. What really clicked for me was understanding that the withholding system is designed to estimate your annual tax liability, not just look at individual paychecks. Since our part-time earnings will likely stay well under that $13,850 standard deduction threshold, the system correctly calculates that we won't owe federal income tax. I also appreciated learning about the importance of still filing a return even when you don't owe taxes - especially the possibility of qualifying for the Earned Income Credit that @Carmella Fromis mentioned. At our income levels, we might actually get money back! One thing I'm curious about - for those of you who've been through this process before, is there anything specific we should watch out for when we file our first returns with this type of situation? Any common mistakes to avoid?

This has been such an educational thread for someone new to the workforce! I'm working part-time at a local retail store and was also panicking about $0 federal withholding on my paystubs. Making about $2,300 so far this year, I thought something was seriously wrong with my W-4. What really helped me understand was the explanation about how the withholding system looks at your projected annual income rather than just individual paychecks. Since we're earning well below that $13,850 standard deduction threshold, the system correctly determines we won't owe federal income tax. I've been following @ThunderBolt7's advice about tracking everything carefully, and I'm already preparing for tax season by keeping all my paystubs organized. It's reassuring to know that our situations are actually quite normal for part-time workers, and that we might even qualify for credits like the Earned Income Credit. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this community has been incredibly helpful for understanding these tax basics that nobody really teaches you when you start your first job!

This thread has been incredibly reassuring! I'm in a nearly identical situation working part-time at a local bookstore, earning about $2,000 for the year, and I was also worried about the $0 federal withholding on my paystubs. What really helped me understand was learning that the withholding calculation is based on your projected annual income, not just individual paychecks. Since we're all earning well below the $13,850 standard deduction for 2024, the system correctly determines we won't owe any federal income tax. I've been keeping track of my earnings throughout the year, and it's actually kind of nice knowing that I won't have to stress about owing money at tax time. Plus, learning about potential credits like the Earned Income Credit means I might even get some money back when I file! For anyone else in this situation, I'd recommend double-checking that Social Security and Medicare taxes are still being withheld (they should be around 7.65% total). Those are required regardless of income level, so seeing those deductions while federal income tax shows $0 is completely normal. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this community has been so helpful for understanding something that seemed scary at first but is actually totally normal for part-time workers!

This thread has been such a lifesaver! I'm working part-time at a local gym and was completely freaking out about having $0 federal withholding on my paystubs. Making around $1,600 so far this year, I thought I had messed up my W-4 somehow. Reading through everyone's explanations about the standard deduction really cleared things up for me. It makes perfect sense that if you're earning well below $13,850, the withholding system would calculate zero federal income tax owed. I was overthinking it! What I found particularly helpful was learning the difference between federal income tax and FICA taxes. I was getting confused seeing some deductions but not others on my paystub. Now I understand that Social Security and Medicare taxes (7.65% total) are required from the first dollar earned, while federal income tax only kicks in once you exceed the standard deduction. I'm definitely going to start that spreadsheet tracking method that @Brooklyn Foley mentioned to keep tabs on my total earnings throughout the year. And knowing I might qualify for the Earned Income Credit when I file is actually exciting - who knew being a part-time worker could potentially mean getting money back at tax time! Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences and making this confusing topic so much clearer!

This has been such an incredibly helpful thread! I'm also working part-time at a small local business and was getting really anxious about the $0 federal withholding showing up on my paystubs. Making about $1,400 so far this year, I kept thinking I had filled out my W-4 incorrectly or that my employer was making some kind of mistake. Reading through all these explanations about how the withholding system accounts for the standard deduction has been such a relief. It's actually pretty clever that the system automatically calculates that we won't owe federal income tax when our annual earnings stay well below that $13,850 threshold. What really helped me was understanding that this is completely separate from FICA taxes - I was seeing Social Security and Medicare deductions on my paystub and getting confused about why some taxes were being taken out but not others. Now I know that the 7.65% FICA rate applies to every dollar earned regardless of income level, while federal income tax only applies once you exceed the standard deduction. I'm definitely going to implement some of the tracking strategies mentioned here, especially keeping better records of all my paystubs and maybe starting that spreadsheet to monitor my total earnings. And learning about the potential Earned Income Credit has me actually looking forward to filing my first tax return! Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this community has turned what felt like a scary tax situation into something I actually understand and feel confident about!