W-4 Guidance Tool

Do you actually understand your withholdings?

Your W-4 controls how much tax comes out of every paycheck. Most people guess when they fill it out. Filler gets it right — in about 3 minutes, in plain English.

No login. No data stored. Takes about 3 minutes.

1 in 5

Americans owe money at tax time from under-withholding

$1,200

Average unexpected tax bill from incorrect withholding

2.2★

IRS withholding estimator app store rating

Source: IRS.gov app listing

✓ 3 minutes

Question 3 of 10

Do you have children or other dependents?

Yes, I have dependents

No dependents

3 of 10

We do not store your answers

Guidance only — not tax advice

We do not sell your data

filler.

Question 1 of 10

How do you file your taxes?

Your filing status is the single biggest factor in how much tax is withheld from each paycheck.

Question 2 of 10

Are there two incomes in your household?

This includes a second job of your own, or a spouse who also works. This is the most common reason people end up owing money at tax time — each job withholds as if it were your only income.

Question 2b of 10

What are the two household incomes?

Estimates are perfectly fine — we use these to calculate how much extra withholding you may need to avoid a surprise at tax time. Round to the nearest $5,000 if easier.

Your annual salary from this job

Enter your gross annual salary before taxes

Second income (spouse or second job)

Estimate is fine — round numbers work perfectly

Question 3 of 10

Do you have children or other dependents?

Dependents reduce the amount of tax withheld by applying credits against your estimated tax bill. This is one of the biggest factors in getting your withholding right.

Question 3b of 10

How many dependents do you have?

Children under 17 qualify for a $2,000 tax credit each. Other dependents — an elderly parent, adult child, or other relative — qualify for $500 each.

Children under age 17

Other dependents

Question 4 of 10

What is your estimated annual income from this job?

Your best estimate is fine — we use income range to calculate the right credit amounts for your situation.

Under $25,000

$25,000 – $50,000

$50,000 – $75,000

$75,000 – $100,000

$100,000 – $150,000

$150,000 – $200,000

$200,000 – $300,000

Over $300,000

Question 5 of 10

Do you typically itemize your deductions?

Itemizing means claiming specific expenses — mortgage interest, large charitable donations, significant medical costs — instead of taking the standard deduction. Most people take the standard deduction. When in doubt, choose No.

Question 6 of 10

Will you have other taxable income this year beyond this job?

This includes freelance work, investment income, rental income, pension payments, or a side business. Your W-4 only covers withholding on this job — other income is not automatically withheld anywhere.

Question 7 of 10

When you filed your taxes last year, how did it go?

This helps us calibrate your withholding to avoid a repeat of last year's outcome.

Question 8 of 10

Roughly how much did you owe last year?

This lets us calculate a specific extra withholding amount for you — not just a guess, but a number tied to your actual situation.

Under $500

$500 – $1,000

$1,000 – $2,000

$2,000 – $5,000

Over $5,000

Question 9 of 10

How often do you get paid?

We use this to calculate exactly how much extra to withhold per paycheck — and to show you how that adds up over the year.

Question 10 of 10

Have any of these happened to you this year?

Life changes are the most common reason withholding goes wrong mid-career. Select everything that applies.

💍 Got married

📋 Got divorced

👶 Had or adopted a child

🏡 Bought a home

💼 Started a second job

👥 Spouse started or stopped working

None of these apply to me