How to fill out a W-4 (2026)

The W-4 at a glance

Form	Form W-4, Employee’s Withholding Certificate, 2026 revision
Who fills it in	An employee, for each job
Who gets it	Your employer
When	When you start a job, and again when your situation changes the entries
Signature	Required in Step 5. Ink, or an electronic signature if your employer accepts one.
Cost	Free from the IRS. $1.99 to fill in here, charged only when you download.
Official PDF	irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw4.pdf

Which W-4 should you use?

Use the 2026 Form W-4 from the IRS. The IRS posted it on December 11, 2025. Under the regulation, only the revision in effect for a calendar year has legal effect that year, unless IRS guidance says otherwise. An employee may give next year’s revision during the current year to take effect next year. If you are a nonresident alien, read IRS Notice 1392 before you fill in the form.

The 2026 form added deductions from Public Law 119-21 to Step 4(b) and a new checkbox below Step 4(c) for claiming exemption. When you open the W-4 here, you’ll see its fillable boxes in pale blue. The steps are the same as when you fill out any PDF form.

How to fill out a W-4 here

1. Download the 2026 W-4 from irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw4.pdf, then open it with the button above. The PDF is never uploaded.
2. Place the $1.99 hold. Nothing is charged until you download, and the hold is released if you don’t download within 24 hours.
3. In Step 1(a) and 1(b), type your name, address and Social Security number.
4. In Step 1(c), tick your filing status: single or married filing separately, married filing jointly or qualifying surviving spouse, or head of household. Head of household is only for someone unmarried who pays more than half the costs of keeping up a home for themselves and a qualifying individual.
5. Fill in Steps 2, 3 and 4 only if they apply to you. Otherwise skip to Step 5.
6. In Step 5, choose Date and click next to “Date”. If your employer accepts a signed PDF, choose Sign and click the signature line. If not, print the W-4 after you download it and sign it by hand.
7. Leave the “Employers Only” section blank. Your employer fills it in.
8. Press Download. We charge the $1.99, and your browser saves the signed W-4.

What goes in Steps 2, 3 and 4?

Step	Fill it in if	What to enter
2. Multiple jobs or spouse works	You hold more than one job, or you file jointly and your spouse works	One option: the IRS estimator at irs.gov/W4App, or the worksheet on page 3 with the result in Step 4(c). With only two jobs, you can tick the box in 2(c) on both W-4s instead.
3. Dependents and other credits	You have dependents or other credits, and your income will be $200,000 or less ($400,000 or less filing jointly)	$2,200 for each qualifying child under 17, plus $500 for each other dependent, plus any other credits
4(a). Other income	You want tax withheld on income that has no withholding, such as interest or dividends	The amount of that income for the year
4(b). Deductions	You expect deductions other than the basic standard deduction, such as itemized deductions or deductions for qualified tips, overtime or seniors, and you want less withheld for them	The result of the Deductions Worksheet on page 4
4(c). Extra withholding	You want more tax taken from each paycheck	The extra amount for each pay period

With more than one job, fill in Steps 3 to 4(b) on the W-4 for only one job, and leave them blank on the others. The IRS says withholding is most accurate when you use the highest paying job.

Who can claim exempt on a W-4?

You can claim exemption for 2026 only if you had no federal income tax liability in 2025 and expect none in 2026. To claim it, tick the exemption box, fill in Steps 1(a), 1(b) and 5, and leave every other step blank. To keep an exemption for 2027, submit a new W-4 by February 16, 2027.

Can you sign a W-4 electronically?

You can sign a W-4 electronically when your employer has an electronic W-4 system. Under the regulation, an employer may set one up, and the employee signs it under penalties of perjury. The electronic signature must identify the employee and authenticate and verify the W-4. Employers don’t have to offer an electronic system.

For a W-4 PDF, ask your employer which signature it accepts. If it accepts a signed PDF, you can sign the PDF here; we place a picture of your signature on the line, with no identity check or audit trail. For the law on electronic signatures, read are electronic signatures legal in the US.

What happens after you hand in your W-4?

Your employer uses your W-4 to work out the federal income tax to withhold from each paycheck.

Type only the entries the IRS asks for on the W-4. The IRS says any unauthorized change or addition to a W-4 makes it invalid.

You may face a $500 penalty if you give a W-4, with no reasonable basis, that results in less tax withheld than required. Too little withholding can mean you owe tax and possibly a penalty when you file; too much generally means a refund.

A W-9 is a different IRS form; see how to fill out a W-9 online.