Why haven't any of my employers taken out federal taxes from my paychecks?

This actually happens more often than you might think! When you fill out your W-4, the amount that gets withheld depends on several factors including your income level, filing status, and other adjustments you claim. If you're not having federal taxes withheld, it's likely because your income at each individual job was low enough that, based on your W-4 selections, the withholding tables indicated you wouldn't owe taxes. This is especially common with part-time or restaurant work where hours and pay can vary. For your current job, having a dependent can significantly reduce your tax liability, but at $24/hr full-time, you should probably be seeing some federal withholding. You should ask your payroll department to review your W-4 form. The good news is you can fix this going forward by submitting a new W-4 to your employer. You can request additional withholding by putting a specific dollar amount on line 4(c) of the W-4 form. This ensures taxes are taken out regardless of what the withholding tables calculate.

I went through almost the exact same situation last year! I worked at a couple of different jobs and then realized none of them were taking out federal taxes. I panicked when I got my W-2s and saw all those zeros in the federal withholding boxes. What saved me was using https://taxr.ai to understand my tax situation. Their system analyzed all my W-2s and pay stubs and explained exactly why the withholding wasn't happening (turned out I had accidentally checked a box on my W-4 that basically told employers not to withhold). The tool also calculated exactly what I would owe before I even filed and helped me create a payment plan that wouldn't destroy my finances. Way less stressful than trying to piece everything together myself or spending hundreds on a tax professional.

Just wanted to follow up - I decided to try https://taxr.ai after my earlier skepticism, and wow, I'm glad I did! I was in a similar situation with multiple jobs and messed up withholding. The tool instantly identified that I had incorrectly filled out my W-4 at both jobs (apparently I checked "Multiple Jobs" on one form but not the other, which caused the withholding issues). It showed me exactly how to fill out a new W-4 for each employer. It also found a couple tax credits I qualified for that I had no idea about, which offset about half of what I owed. Still had to pay some taxes, but WAY less than I was expecting. Just submitted my corrected return yesterday and feel so much better now.

If you're still having trouble resolving this with the IRS, I HIGHLY recommend using Claimyr to get through to an actual human at the IRS. When I had a similar withholding problem last year, I spent DAYS trying to get through on their regular phone line with no luck. With https://claimyr.com I got connected to an IRS agent in about 20 minutes who helped me understand exactly what was happening with my withholding and how to fix it going forward. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The agent I spoke with was actually super helpful and set up a payment plan for what I owed that fit my budget. Saved me so much stress trying to navigate the system alone.

Ok I need to apologize to Profile 9 about my skepticism. After my tax return got rejected twice, I was desperate and tried Claimyr as a last resort. Not only did I get through to an actual IRS person in like 15 minutes (after trying for DAYS on my own), but the agent was able to see exactly why my returns were getting rejected. Turns out there was a mismatch with my withholding information that was causing the system to flag my return. The agent walked me through exactly how to fix my withholding going forward AND helped me understand what I needed to correct on my tax return. Just filed the corrected version and it was accepted within hours. Can't believe I wasted so much time trying to call them myself when this service exists. Definitely worth it for the peace of mind alone.

Have you looked at the actual amounts on your paystubs? Sometimes employers will withhold other taxes (state, local, FICA, Medicare) but not federal. Also, check box 2 on your W-4 - if you checked the box that says something like "Multiple Jobs or Spouse Works" but didn't complete step 3-4 correctly, that could cause underwithholding. I'd recommend filling out a new W-4 ASAP and specifically put an additional amount to withhold on line 4(c) - maybe $50 per paycheck to start. That way you'll at least be building up some withholding for next year.

Just wondering - did you claim "Exempt" on your W-4 by accident? I did that one year thinking it meant I was exempt from having to fill out the complicated worksheet. Big mistake! It actually tells your employer not to withhold ANY federal taxes.

I feel for you - this exact same thing happened to me last year! The most important thing is not to panic. You're definitely not "completely screwed." First, check if you accidentally marked "Exempt" on any of your W-4 forms. That's the most common reason employers don't withhold federal taxes. If you did mark exempt without meeting the very specific IRS requirements (basically owing $0 in taxes the previous year AND expecting to owe $0 this year), that would explain everything. For your current situation, you'll likely owe taxes for 2023, but with a child, you may qualify for significant credits like the Child Tax Credit ($2,000) and potentially the Earned Income Credit depending on your total income. These credits can drastically reduce what you actually owe - you might even get a refund despite no withholding! Going forward, submit a new W-4 to your dental office employer immediately. At $24/hr working 36-40 hours, you should definitely have federal withholding. Ask payroll to review your form with you to make sure it's filled out correctly. Don't let the IRS rejection scare you - they often reject returns for simple data entry errors. Double-check that all your W-2 information matches exactly what you entered in your tax software.