Do I send Form W-4 to the IRS?

No. The form says to give it to your employer. Your employer uses it to calculate federal income tax withholding from your pay.

Which steps do I have to fill in?

Everyone completes Step 1 and signs Step 5. The form says to complete Steps 2 to 4 only if they apply to you; otherwise skip to Step 5.

What changed on the 2026 Form W-4?

Step 3 uses $2,200 per qualifying child under 17, and the Step 4(b) Deductions Worksheet now covers deductions such as qualified tips, overtime compensation, passenger vehicle loan interest and the deduction for seniors, along with itemized deductions.

Can I claim exemption from withholding?

Only if you had no federal income tax liability in 2025 and expect none in 2026. You then tick the exemption box, complete Steps 1(a), 1(b) and 5 only, and must give a new W-4 by February 16, 2027.

I have two jobs. What should I do?

Do one of the three Step 2 options: use the IRS estimator, use the Multiple Jobs Worksheet and enter the result in Step 4(c), or tick the box in Step 2(c) on both W-4s if there are only two jobs in total.

Can I fill it in on this site for free?

Filling it in on screen is free. Downloading the completed PDF requires a paid plan, as with every tool on this site. The blank form is always free at irs.gov/FormW4, and many employers have you complete it in their payroll system.

Fill Out Form W-4 Online (2026 Employee's Withholding Certificate)

Short answer: Form W-4 tells your employer how much federal income tax to withhold from your paycheck. You fill in Step 1, add Steps 2 to 4 only if they apply, sign Step 5, and give it to your employer, not the IRS. The blank 2026 form is free on irs.gov; you can also fill it on screen here.

PDFConverter2 is an independent website. It is not affiliated with the IRS or any government agency. This guide summarizes the 2026 Form W-4 and the instructions printed on it; it is not tax advice. For the most accurate result, the IRS recommends its Tax Withholding Estimator.

Who fills it in

Every employee gives a W-4 to a new employer, and may give a new one at any time to change withholding: after marriage or divorce, a new child, a second job, or a large refund or balance due last year. If you do not give one, your employer withholds as if you were single with no adjustments.

A W-4 is for employees. Independent contractors give a Form W-9 instead and are not subject to wage withholding.

Step 1: personal information

Your name, address and Social Security number, and your filing status: single or married filing separately, married filing jointly or qualifying surviving spouse, or head of household (only if you are unmarried and pay more than half the cost of keeping up a home for yourself and a qualifying individual). If your name does not match your Social Security card, the form tells you to contact the SSA.

Step 2: multiple jobs or spouse works

Complete this step if you hold more than one job at a time, or you are married filing jointly and your spouse also works. Do only one of these:

2(a): use the IRS estimator. The form says to use this option if you or your spouse have self-employment income.
2(b): use the Multiple Jobs Worksheet on page 3 and enter the result in Step 4(c).
2(c): if there are only two jobs in total, tick the box on both W-4s. The form says this is generally more accurate than 2(b) when the lower-paying job pays more than half of the higher-paying one.

Complete Steps 3 to 4(b) on the W-4 for one job only, ideally the highest-paying one.

Step 3: dependents and other credits

If your total income will be $200,000 or less ($400,000 or less if married filing jointly), multiply the number of qualifying children under 17 by $2,200 and the number of other dependents by $500, add other credits you expect, and enter the total.

Step 4: other adjustments

4(a) Other income: income without withholding, such as interest, dividends or retirement income, if you want tax withheld for it here.
4(b) Deductions: the result of the Deductions Worksheet on page 4 if you expect deductions beyond the basic standard deduction. For 2026 this includes itemized deductions and deductions such as qualified tips, overtime compensation, passenger vehicle loan interest, student loan interest, IRAs and the deduction for seniors. Some require a valid Social Security number.
4(c) Extra withholding: any additional amount per pay period, including the Multiple Jobs Worksheet result.

Claiming exemption

You may claim exemption from withholding for 2026 only if you had no federal income tax liability in 2025 and expect none in 2026. Tick the box in the "Exempt from withholding" row, complete Steps 1(a), 1(b) and 5 only, and give your employer a new W-4 by February 16, 2027, or withholding resumes. Claiming exemption when you do not qualify can mean tax and penalties when you file.

Step 5: sign

The form is not valid unless you sign and date it. The "Employers Only" box at the bottom is for your employer.

Common mistakes

Completing Steps 3–4(b) on every job's W-4. Put them on one job only.
Ticking 2(c) on only one of two W-4s.
Claiming dependents above the income limit in Step 3.
Claiming exemption without meeting both conditions, or forgetting to renew it by mid-February.
Not signing. An unsigned W-4 is not valid.
Never updating it after a marriage, new child or second job.

Where it goes and what happens next

Give the signed form to your employer's payroll or HR team. They apply it to future paychecks; it does not change tax already withheld. Check a pay stub after the change, and run the IRS estimator again at the start of next year.

Form W-9: what contractors give clients instead of a W-4.
Form 8822: tell the IRS you moved; your W-4 address only updates your employer's records.

Filling it here

Press Fill out the form at the top of this page to open the official IRS PDF in our editor, in a new window. Fill Step 1 and any steps that apply, sign, and review it before downloading. Filling is free. Downloading the completed PDF requires a paid plan, the same as our other tools. Files are processed in memory and are not stored beyond the short window described in our privacy policy.