Form W-4 Employee's Withholding Certificate

New 2020 Form W-4

The 2020 Form W-4, Employee’s Withholding Certificate, is very different from previous versions. This is due to the federal tax law changes that took place in 2018. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is not requiring all employees to complete the revised form and has designed the withholding tables so that they will work with both the new and prior year forms. However, certain employees will be required to use the new form: those hired in 2020 and anyone who makes withholding changes during 2020.

Even though the IRS does not require all employees to complete the revised form and even if your tax situation has not changed, we recommend you perform a “paycheck checkup” to see if you need to make an adjustment to your current withholding. To conduct the checkup, you can use the IRS’s Tax Withholding Estimator (www.irs.gov/W4App). To effectively use the estimator, it is helpful to have a copy of your most recent pay stub and tax return. Please note: if you do not submit a new form, withholding will continue based on your previously submitted form.

There are two options to complete the 2020 Form W-4: paper and online. We advise using the instructions from the paper version for calculation purposes before entering the data online.

Before completing the 2020 Form W-4, please read the instructions that are included with the form.
The IRS recommends the use of the IRS Withholding Estimator (www.irs.gov/W4App) to accurately determine how your W-4 should be completed.
You must complete Steps 1 and 5. Steps 2, 3, and 4 are optional, but completing them will help ensure that your federal income tax withholding will more accurately match your tax liability. Step 1 is for your personal information; Step 2 is for households with multiple jobs; Step 3 is used to claim tax credits for dependents; Step 4 is for other adjustments (additional income such as interest and dividends, itemized deductions that exceed the standard deduction, and extra tax you want withheld); and Step 5 is where you sign the form.

Please Note:

Ministers should be aware that the new 2020 W-4 form no longer allows you to set a specific tax amount to withhold each pay period, as the option to set allowances was removed. Due to the complex ministerial tax situation please consult with your tax advisor and/or use the IRS Withholding Estimator to accurately complete the 2020 W-4 (www.irs.gov/W4App).
Non-resident aliens should not use the online option. Instead, please see or contact the Employment office (employment@andrews.edu) to complete the appropriate paperwork.

If you need assistance in filling out your 2020 W-4 form, please consult your tax advisor or tax attorney. The payroll department is not able to provide tax advice outside of the instructions above.

Helpful Links:

IRS Withholding Estimator www.irs.gov/W4App

The IRS has also published Frequently Asked Questions that you may find helpful as you complete the form (https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/faqs-on-the-draft-2020-form-w-4)

2020 W-4 Paper Form https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw4.pdf

2020 W-4 Online Form www.andrews.edu/go/mytaxforms
Select “W-4 Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate,” then select update at the bottom. Any changes made here will automatically populate into our Banner system. Ministers and non-resident aliens please see the note above.