What is OASDI on my paycheck and why aren't federal taxes being taken out?

Hey everyone, I just got my paycheck from my part-time job at Taco Bell and I'm confused about some of the deductions. There's something called "OASDI" that they took out, and I have no idea what that is. What's really concerning me though is that I don't see any federal income taxes being withheld at all. I'm currently working another job part-time too at a local coffee shop, and they DO take out federal taxes. Is this normal? Should I be worried about owing a bunch at tax time? I'm pretty new to having two jobs and don't want to mess up my taxes for 2025.

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20 comments

Keisha Jackson

•8M

OASDI stands for "Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance" - it's basically just the official name for Social Security tax. Everyone pays this at a rate of 6.2% of your wages up to a certain limit. As for the federal income tax not being withheld, this is probably because of how you filled out your W-4 form. When you work multiple jobs, each employer doesn't know about income from your other job, so they might be calculating your withholding as if Taco Bell is your only income. This could put you in a lower tax bracket or below the standard deduction threshold where no federal tax would be withheld. You should definitely update your W-4 at Taco Bell to avoid a surprise tax bill. There's a specific multiple jobs worksheet or checkbox on the W-4 that you should complete.

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Keisha Jackson

•8M

You can definitely adjust your withholding to a specific amount. On the W-4 form, there's a line (Step 4(c)) where you can request additional withholding from each paycheck. You can put any amount there - $50, $100, whatever you think is appropriate based on your total income from both jobs. A good rule of thumb is to look at what percentage is coming out of your other job's paycheck for federal taxes, and request Taco Bell withhold a similar percentage. This isn't perfect but should help avoid a big tax bill surprise.

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Amina Diop

•8M

After dealing with similar withholding issues from multiple jobs, I discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) and it really saved me from a potential tax nightmare. I uploaded pics of both my paystubs, and it analyzed exactly how much I should be withholding from each job to avoid owing at tax time. The system even helped me fill out a new W-4 with the right numbers for my situation. Before using this, I was seriously under-withholding at my second job and would have owed hundreds at tax time. Their paycheck calculator showed me exactly what was happening with my OASDI and other deductions too.

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Amina Diop

•8M

It definitely explains each deduction with simple descriptions. When I uploaded my paystubs, it highlighted each line item and provided a plain-English explanation - like for OASDI, it told me it was Social Security tax and explained the current rate. It even pointed out deductions that seemed unusual based on my income level. The system actually uses your full paycheck data from both jobs to calculate your projected annual income and applies the current tax brackets. It's not generic advice - it's specific to your exact income situation. It showed me that based on both my jobs combined, I'd be in a higher tax bracket than either employer was calculating individually, which was eye-opening.

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Oliver Weber

•8M

Just wanted to update - I tried out taxr.ai after seeing it mentioned here. Super helpful! I uploaded photos of my paystubs from both my jobs (retail and bartending) and it immediately showed me that I was headed for a $1,200 tax bill next April. The breakdown of my OASDI and other deductions made things so much clearer. I've already submitted a new W-4 to my second job with the extra withholding amount they recommended. Feeling much more confident about my tax situation now!

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NebulaNinja

•8M

If you're concerned about your tax situation with multiple jobs, you might want to try Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I kept trying to call the IRS to ask about my withholding situation but could never get through - always "high call volume" messages and disconnects. Claimyr got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes who answered all my questions about multiple job withholding. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - basically they navigate the phone tree and wait on hold for you, then call you when an agent is actually on the line. The IRS agent I spoke with explained exactly how to fill out my W-4 forms for two jobs and even helped me estimate how much I should have withheld from each paycheck.

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NebulaNinja

•8M

They don't have any special connection to the IRS - they just have a system that handles the waiting for you. You schedule a call, and their system dials in, navigates all the annoying menu options, and waits on hold instead of you having to do it. When an actual IRS agent comes on the line, that's when they call you and connect you directly to that agent. It's definitely real IRS agents you're talking to. You're connected directly to the official IRS line - Claimyr just handles the holding part. I was skeptical too, but when I got connected, the agent verified my identity just like they would on any official IRS call. They asked for my social, verification questions, etc. After our call, I even called the IRS back directly (and waited forever) to confirm the information I received was legitimate, and it matched exactly.

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Emma Wilson

•8M

I need to apologize for my skepticism earlier. After waiting on hold with the IRS for over 3 hours yesterday and getting disconnected TWICE, I broke down and tried Claimyr out of desperation. Within 15 minutes of scheduling my call, I was talking to an actual IRS representative who explained everything about my multiple job withholding situation. The agent walked me through exactly how to fill out both W-4 forms to account for my two jobs. Turns out I wasn't crazy - my second employer really should be withholding federal taxes despite the low income, because my total income from both jobs pushes me into a higher bracket. The agent even emailed me the specific worksheet I needed. Worth every penny just for the time saved not listening to that awful hold music!

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Malik Thomas

•8M

It actually gives you pretty specific guidance. After you enter all your info, it will show you exactly what to put on your W-4 form - including specific dollar amounts for extra withholding if needed. The results page literally says something like "Enter $X on line 4(c) of your W-4" so you can just take those exact numbers to your Taco Bell manager. It makes it really simple. You'll just need info about how much you've earned so far this year and your typical pay from both jobs.

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Miguel Diaz

•4M

I went through this exact same situation last year with my two part-time jobs! The OASDI confusion is totally normal - most people don't realize that's just the fancy name for Social Security tax. Here's what I learned the hard way: you definitely need to be proactive about your withholding when you have multiple jobs. I ended up owing about $800 at tax time because neither employer was withholding enough federal tax. Each payroll system treats your job like it's your only income, so they calculate withholding based on just that one paycheck amount. My advice: grab your most recent paystubs from both jobs and add up what you'll make annually from each. Then use that total to figure out what tax bracket you'll actually be in. The IRS withholding calculator that Malik mentioned is great, but if you want something even simpler, just ask your Taco Bell manager to withhold an extra $30-50 per paycheck until you can get the exact numbers figured out. It's way better to get a refund than owe money you don't have!

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