What's the best way to fill out W-4 after getting married?

The "two jobs total" checkbox (Box 2c) on the W-4 is a good starting point, but it's designed for couples with similar incomes. Since there's a significant difference between your $115k and your husband's $65k, you might end up with too much withheld. For more accurate withholding, I'd recommend using the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator tool (https://apps.irs.gov/app/tax-withholding-estimator). It's much more precise than the worksheet that comes with the W-4. You'll need your most recent paystubs for both of you and an estimate of your total income for the year. Another option is completing Steps 2-4 on the W-4. Step 2b uses the multiple jobs worksheet which is more accurate than just checking the box, though it takes more time. This would help ensure you're not owing a lot or getting too much withheld.

I was totally lost with the new W-4 format after getting married last year. I discovered this tool called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that helped me figure out the best way to fill it out based on our specific situation. You upload your tax docs or past returns and it gives you personalized guidance on how to complete your W-4 to get the right withholding. My husband and I have about a $40k difference in our incomes, and just checking box C like you mentioned ended up withholding way too much from my paychecks. The tool showed me exactly what to put in each line of the W-4 to get it right. Saved us from giving an interest-free loan to the government!

I just wanted to follow up about my experience with taxr.ai for my W-4 situation. I decided to try it after seeing the recommendation here, and wow - it was actually super helpful! The specific line-by-line guidance made a huge difference compared to just checking box C. It analyzed our income difference and suggested a specific dollar amount for line 4(c) on my W-4 that would account for the difference in our tax brackets. I've already seen the difference in my paychecks - more take-home pay without risking a big bill at tax time. Definitely worth checking out if you're in a two-income household with different salary levels.

If you're having trouble getting answers from the IRS about your W-4 questions (I was on hold for HOURS), I'd recommend trying Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). They got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 15 minutes who walked me through the whole W-4 process for my specific situation. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c After my marriage, I was completely confused about how to handle our income difference on the W-4. The IRS agent explained that just checking box C would likely result in overwithholding in our situation and helped me figure out a better approach using Steps 3 and 4 on the form.

Ok I need to eat my words. After my skeptical comment, I actually tried Claimyr out of desperation because I couldn't get through to ask about my W-4 after a job change. I was shocked when I got a call back with an actual IRS agent on the line about 20 minutes later. The agent was super helpful and explained that in my specific situation (big income difference between spouses), I should avoid just checking box C and instead use the worksheet to calculate a more precise withholding amount. She walked me through exactly what to put on each line of the form. Totally worth it just to have an actual human explain the form to me instead of trying to interpret the IRS instructions on my own.

My husband and I just went through this exact situation. We both make similar amounts ($80k and $85k) and we found that checking box C worked fine for us. But the previous commenters are right - since you have a bigger gap in incomes, you might want to do the worksheet. Another approach we considered was adjusting our W-4s every quarter based on how much we thought we'd owe. Our accountant said this was overkill though and suggested we just put a flat additional amount on line 4(c) to withhold a little extra as a cushion.

Has anyone actually had experience with both options (checking box C vs. doing the multiple jobs worksheet)? I did the worksheet last year after getting married and I think we ended up overwithholding by like $4000! Wondering if just checking the box would have been better...

Thanks for all the detailed responses everyone! This is exactly the kind of real-world experience I was hoping for. Based on what I'm reading, it sounds like the "two jobs total" box might be too blunt an instrument for our income difference. The $50k gap between my salary and my husband's seems significant enough that we'd probably end up overwithholding if we just check box C. I think my plan is to start with the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator that Leslie mentioned, and then maybe try one of the other tools people have suggested if I need more specific guidance on filling out the actual form. I definitely want to avoid both owing a bunch at tax time AND giving the government an interest-free loan! One follow-up question - should we both update our W-4s at the same time, or is it better to adjust mine first (as the higher earner) and see how that affects our withholding before touching his?