W4 Withholding Question: Single, No Kids - Should I claim 0 or 1?

The W-4 form actually changed in 2020 and no longer uses allowances (0, 1, etc). Now you just check the box for Single or Married and fill out additional sections if you have multiple jobs or dependents. If you're single with one job, just check Single and you're good to go. The new form is designed to be more accurate.

Hey instead of guessing about withholding, you should try taxr.ai - it analyzes your tax situation and helps predict if youll owe or get a refund. Its only $1 and WAY more accurate than asking random ppl online tbh https://taxr.ai

If ur worried about owing money just have em take out an extra $50 per check. Thats what I do and always get a nice fat refund 🤑

dont give the government an interest free loan! adjust it so u break even

My HR dept was useless when I asked this same q last week smh

idk why they made taxes so complicated fr. like why cant they just tell us what we owe instead of making us solve this puzzle every year

For the new W-4 form, since you're single with no dependents and one job, you'll just check "Single or Married filing separately" in Step 1 and sign it. The IRS designed the updated form to withhold the right amount automatically for most people in straightforward situations like yours. You can always use the IRS withholding calculator on their website if you want to double-check, but the standard withholding should keep you pretty close to breaking even.

@Harper Thompson Just to add to what others have said - the new W-4 is actually much simpler! Since you're single with one job and no dependents, you literally just need to fill out Step 1 (check Single), Step 5 (sign and date), and you're done. The IRS calculator at irs.gov/W4App is really helpful if you want to see exactly how much will be withheld. I used it when I started my job last year and it was spot on - ended up owing like $12 at tax time which is pretty much perfect!

Just went through this same situation last month! The new W-4 is definitely easier once you understand it. Since you're single with no dependents, you really just need to fill out the basics. One thing I'd suggest is using the IRS withholding calculator mid-year to see how you're tracking - you can always submit a new W-4 to your employer if you need to adjust. I did this and ended up having them withhold an extra $20 per paycheck just to be safe, and got a small refund instead of owing anything.

The IRS also has a really good publication (Publication 15-T) that explains the withholding tables if you're curious about the math behind it all. But honestly, for your situation - single, one job, no dependents - the standard withholding on the new W-4 should work perfectly. I'd recommend just filling out the basic info and seeing how your first few paychecks look. You can always adjust later if needed!

As someone who went through this exact same confusion recently, I can confirm what others have said - the new W-4 is much simpler! Since you're single with no dependents and one job, just check "Single or Married filing separately" in Step 1, fill in your personal info, and sign it in Step 5. That's literally it. The system is designed to withhold the right amount automatically for straightforward situations like yours. I ended up with a $47 refund last year doing exactly this, which felt pretty much perfect. If you're really worried about owing, you can always have them withhold a small extra amount in Step 4c, but honestly the standard withholding should keep you right where you want to be!

Just wanted to chime in as someone who works in payroll - everyone here is spot on about the new W-4! The 2020 redesign really did make things much cleaner. For your situation (single, no dependents, one job), you literally cannot go wrong with the standard withholding. The IRS tested this extensively and it's designed to get you within about $100 of breaking even for most people. I've processed hundreds of these new W-4s and the accuracy is impressive compared to the old allowance system. Don't overthink it - just fill out Steps 1 and 5, submit it, and you'll be in great shape!

I went through this exact same confusion when I started my new job last year! Like others have mentioned, the new W-4 is SO much simpler than the old allowance system. Since you're single with no dependents and one job, just check "Single or Married filing separately" in Step 1, fill out your basic info, and sign in Step 5 - that's it! I did exactly this and ended up with a tiny refund of about $30, which was perfect. The new form really is designed to get the withholding right for straightforward situations like yours. If you're still nervous about it, you can always use that IRS withholding calculator people mentioned, but honestly the standard withholding should work great for you!

Just to echo what everyone else has said - the new W-4 really is a game changer! I was in your exact situation when I started my current job (single, no dependents, one job) and was so confused by all the old advice online about claiming 0 vs 1. Turns out none of that applies anymore since 2020! I just filled out Step 1 (Single) and Step 5 (signature) like everyone mentioned, and my withholding has been spot on. Got a $73 refund last year which felt perfect - close to breaking even but still a little bonus. The IRS really did their homework on making this more accurate for straightforward situations like ours. Don't stress about it - the standard withholding will serve you well!

The new W-4 is definitely much easier! I just went through this process myself a few months ago. Since you're single with no dependents and one job, you literally just need to check "Single or Married filing separately" in Step 1, fill out your personal info, and sign in Step 5. That's it! The IRS redesigned the form in 2020 to automatically calculate the right withholding for straightforward situations like yours. I ended up owing about $25 at tax time, which was pretty much perfect. If you want extra peace of mind, you could always have them withhold an additional small amount in Step 4c, but the standard withholding should get you very close to breaking even. Much simpler than the old allowance system!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I've been putting off filling out my W-4 because I kept seeing conflicting advice online about the old allowance system. It's such a relief to learn that they completely redesigned the form in 2020 and made it so much simpler. Hearing everyone's real experiences with the standard withholding - getting small refunds or owing tiny amounts - gives me confidence that I don't need to overcomplicate this. For anyone else reading this who's in a similar situation (single, no dependents, one job), it sounds like we literally just need to check "Single" in Step 1, fill out our info, and sign in Step 5. The new system is designed to handle the rest automatically. Thanks to everyone who shared their actual experiences - this is exactly the kind of practical advice I was looking for!

Just to add another data point - I was in the exact same situation last year (single, no dependents, one job) and was super confused by all the old advice about claiming 0 or 1. Turns out that's all outdated since the 2020 W-4 redesign! I just filled out Step 1 (Single) and Step 5 (signature) like everyone mentioned, and it worked perfectly. Ended up getting a $62 refund which felt ideal - basically broke even but got a little something back. The new form really is designed to handle simple situations like ours automatically. Don't overthink it - the standard withholding approach everyone's recommending here is spot on!

This thread has been so helpful! I was in the same boat a few months ago - completely confused about the W-4 because everything I found online was talking about the old allowance system. Like everyone else has mentioned, the 2020 redesign really simplified things. For your situation (single, no dependents, one job), you literally just check "Single or Married filing separately" in Step 1, fill out your basic info in Steps 2-3, and sign in Step 5. That's it! I did exactly this and ended up with a $38 refund last year - pretty much perfect. The IRS really did design the new form to automatically withhold the right amount for straightforward situations like ours. If you're still worried about owing, the IRS withholding calculator at irs.gov/W4App is great for double-checking, but honestly the standard withholding should work perfectly for you!