Starting a New Job: A Simple W-4 Checklist Before Your First Paycheck
New-hire paperwork usually arrives in a stack, and the W-4 is the one form on it that directly changes how much money lands in your bank account. Five minutes of preparation beats a correction later.
Bring these numbers with you
Everything on the W-4 comes from information you already have:
- Your filing status for the year (single, married filing jointly, or head of household).
- Your spouse's expected annual wages, if you are married and they work.
- Wages from any job you are keeping alongside this one.
- The number of qualifying children under 17 and other dependents you expect to claim.
- Any large non-wage income, such as interest, dividends, or self-employment profit.
The mistake that costs people the most
Two-earner households routinely leave Step 2 blank. Each employer then withholds as if its paycheck is the household's only income, so both under-withhold and the shortfall shows up as a bill in April. If you and your spouse both work — or you hold two jobs — Step 2 is not optional.
When the two jobs pay roughly the same, checking box 2(c) on both W-4s is the simplest fix. When they differ significantly, the Multiple Jobs Worksheet or the IRS estimator will be more accurate.
Things you do not have to do
You do not need to claim allowances — the modern W-4 eliminated them. You do not need to guess at deductions if you take the standard deduction; leave Step 4(b) blank. And you never sign a W-4 that someone else filled in for you without reading it.
After the first paycheck
Look at the first stub and confirm federal income tax is actually being withheld. If the line is zero and you expect to owe tax, something on the form is off — usually a stray "exempt" entry or a Step 3 amount that is too large.