Taxation & Estate Planning

Pay Less When You Adjust Your Federal Withholding Tax

By Darrin Mish

Because you do not want to end up having to pay the IRS money at tax time, choosing the right amount to withhold in your W-4 form can be tricky. You also would not like to get a substantial tax reimbursement at the end of the tax year if you're smart, because that means you let the government borrow your money sans interest. You might be paying less than what you should and be able to maximize your efficiency in paying taxes when you correctly adjust your tax withholding.

People assume ending up with a tax refund after filing taxes is a positive thing, like a savings account. However, the government is essentially borrowing your money minus interest. There are much better ways to have the money deducted without you ever really noticing the difference. One of the options is to simply have that portion of money taken out of your paycheck automatically and deposited into an interest-bearing savings account or mutual fund. If you believe it won't make a difference, think again. Why do you think you have a large tax refund? It all adds up, that's why.

What you owe in taxes should be only what you need to pay. As your exemptions might shift within the year, regularly reviewing them makes sure that your tax withholding is right. A great time to do this is in early November to provide you time to make alterations. When you've filed your tax return, review your tax withholding again and make sure your tax record is updated.

Not being able to claim somebody as dependent, getting divorced, bearing a child, or getting married are a few situations when you must check your withholding. To make sure you do not end up underpaying or overpaying the IRS and have an IRS problem, review the amounts of your tax withholding.

By correctly filling out your W-4 worksheet, you could easily avoid paying the IRS a significant amount of money. It is easier than it seems at first if you take the time to accomplish the right withholding amount.

Depending on your specific situation, it may be advantageous to consult your withholding levels with a tax preparer. You can always update and alter the withholding amount several times a year, even if you've already accomplished the W-4 at your present job. You wish to ensure that you only pay what you owe to the IRS, so review the amount of your tax withholding if you get promoted or change to a lower paying job. Doing so will help you avoid a big IRS problem.

Darrin T. Mish is a Nationally recognized Attorney whose practice focuses on representing clients across the United States with IRS Problems. He is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell and is a member of the American Society of IRS Problem Solvers and the Tax Freedom Institute. He has been honored by a listing in Martindale-Hubbell's Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers. His passion is providing IRS help to taxpayers with both individual and payroll tax problems. He also spends a great deal of time traveling the nation providing training to attorneys, CPAs and Enrolled Agents on how to handle their toughest cases with the IRS. If you would like more information about his practice and how he can help you, please call his office at (813) 229-7100 or toll free at 888-GET-MISH.

Full post as published by IRS Problem Solver Blog on July 31, 2009 (boomark / email).