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!

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!

This thread has been incredibly informative! I'm actually an IRS employee and wanted to confirm that everyone here is giving excellent advice. The 2020 W-4 redesign was specifically created to eliminate the confusion around allowances that you're experiencing. For single filers with one job and no dependents, the standard withholding (just checking "Single" in Step 1 and signing) is designed to get you within $100 of your actual tax liability in most cases. The new form uses more precise calculations based on your filing status and pay frequency. If you want to be extra cautious, you can use the official IRS Tax Withholding Estimator at irs.gov/W4App, but honestly for your straightforward situation, the standard approach should work perfectly!