Temporary seasonal job - should I claim zero exemptions on W-4 form?

The dependent status does affect your withholding, but for such a small amount of income, it probably won't matter much in practice. For 2025, the standard deduction for a dependent who can be claimed on someone else's return is either $1,300 or your earned income plus $400 (up to the standard deduction amount). Since your income will be $1,900, your standard deduction would be $2,300 (your $1,900 plus $400), which exceeds your income. This means you likely wouldn't owe any federal income tax. Even if you claim 0 allowances (which will withhold the maximum), you'd likely get all federal income tax withheld refunded when you file. If you need the full amount of your paychecks now, you could consider claiming exemption from withholding by writing "Exempt" on your W-4 - but only if you had no tax liability last year and expect none this year.

I was in a similar situation last summer and found this amazing tool that helped me figure out my tax situation - https://taxr.ai really cleared things up for me. I just uploaded a pic of my W-4 form and it explained exactly what I should do based on my specific situation as a college student with temporary work. It analyzed my total expected income and dependent status and gave me personalized advice about whether I should claim exemption or not. The tool even explained how much I could expect to have withheld with different W-4 options and whether I'd need to file a return.

Just wanted to update after trying taxr.ai - it was actually really helpful for my situation! I took a picture of my half-completed W-4 and it immediately pointed out that as a student with only part-time income under the standard deduction, I could write "Exempt" on my form. The tool explained that since I'd earn less than $12,950 this year, I wouldn't owe any federal income tax, so there's no point in having money withheld that I'd just get back later. It also explained how this would be different if I wasn't being claimed as a dependent. Definitely saved me from unnecessarily lowering my paychecks!

If you're having trouble getting answers from the IRS about your withholding situation, I highly recommend Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I spent DAYS trying to get through to the IRS about a similar withholding question for my summer internship last year and kept hitting dead ends. Claimyr got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes who explained exactly how the dependent status affects withholding for short-term jobs. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - basically they navigate the phone tree for you and call you when an agent is on the line. Saved me so much time and frustration.

Ok I have to admit I was wrong. After getting frustrated trying to figure out my withholding situation, I decided to try Claimyr just to prove it wouldn't work. I was shocked when they actually called me back in about 25 minutes with an IRS representative on the line. The agent clarified that for my situation (similar to OP's - short term job, claimed as dependent), I should consider claiming exemption from withholding since my total income would be well below the filing threshold. They explained I'd still need to file a return if any federal tax was withheld to get a refund. Honestly, I'm still surprised it worked so well - definitely worth it just to avoid the hold music alone!

In your situation I'd probably just claim 0 to be safe, especially if you've had any other income earlier in the year that you didn't mention. Being claimed as a dependent does change your standard deduction calculation as others mentioned. Just remember that FICA taxes (Social Security and Medicare) will still be withheld regardless of what you put on your W-4 - that's a flat 7.65% that doesn't get refunded.

I was in this exact situation in 2024! Just be aware that some states also have their own withholding forms, so you might need to fill out something separate for state taxes depending on where you live. I'm in California and had to complete a DE-4 form in addition to the federal W-4.

For your situation with just $1,900 in income and being claimed as a dependent, you'll likely want to claim exempt from federal withholding. Here's why: As a dependent, your standard deduction would be $2,300 ($1,900 earned income + $400), which is more than your total income. This means you'd owe $0 in federal income tax for the year. If you claim 0 allowances, they'll withhold federal tax from each paycheck that you'll just have to get refunded when you file. If you write "Exempt" on line 7 of your W-4, no federal income tax will be withheld, giving you more money in each paycheck. Just remember: 1) You can only claim exempt if you had no tax liability last year AND expect none this year, 2) Social Security and Medicare taxes (7.65%) will still be withheld regardless, and 3) You may still need to file a tax return depending on your total income situation. Since this is temporary work and such a small amount, claiming exempt is probably your best bet to avoid the hassle of filing just to get a small refund back.