What is Withholding?
Amounts deducted from wages or payments by a payer and sent to the IRS as prepayment toward the recipient's tax liability.
Definition
Tax withholding is the amount of federal income tax that is deducted from an employee's wages by their employer and sent directly to the IRS. Withholding also applies to other payments such as pensions, bonuses, commissions, and gambling winnings. The amount withheld is based on the employee's Form W-4 elections. For international situations, withholding applies to payments to nonresident aliens under Chapter 3 (generally 30% unless reduced by treaty) and FATCA withholding under Chapter 4.
Who Needs to Know This?
All employees, pension recipients, and anyone receiving payments subject to withholding. International taxpayers need to understand treaty-reduced withholding rates.
Key Deadline
Withheld at time of payment; annual reconciliation on tax return
Potential Penalties
Employees may owe additional tax if under-withheld; employers face penalties for failure to withhold
Related Forms
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- 1Not updating W-4 after major life changes
- 2Under-withholding and facing a large tax bill
- 3Not claiming treaty-reduced withholding on cross-border payments
- 4Confusing federal withholding with state withholding
Related Terms
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