Should i claim 0 or 1 if i am single

Hello,

I am currently 21 years old and single and I will start a new job (my first job). I am on the process of filling a W4 form and I am not sure what should I put as allowances.

About me:

I am claimed as dependent on my parent's tax form and I have 0 dependents. I hear that I am safe to put 1 so I can get paid more but I am not really sure if it will lead to an issue with the IRS. 

What do you think? Should I put 0 or 1?

Note: The state is WA.

1 Best answer

Should I 0 or 1 on a Form W4 for Tax Withholding Allowance being a dependent?

If you put "0" then more will be withheld from your pay for taxes than if you put "1"--so that is correct. The more "allowances" you claim on your W-4 the more you get in your take-home pay.  Just do not have so little withheld that you owe at tax time.

//turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tools/calculators/w4/

 But are you sure you will be a dependent on your parents' return?  You are 21?  Are you still a full-time student?  If you are a full-time student then your parents can still claim you as a dependent.

**Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to offer the most correct information possible. The poster disclaims any legal responsibility for the accuracy of the information that is contained in this post.**

12 Replies

Should I 0 or 1 on a Form W4 for Tax Withholding Allowance being a dependent?

If you put "0" then more will be withheld from your pay for taxes than if you put "1"--so that is correct. The more "allowances" you claim on your W-4 the more you get in your take-home pay.  Just do not have so little withheld that you owe at tax time.

//turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tools/calculators/w4/

 But are you sure you will be a dependent on your parents' return?  You are 21?  Are you still a full-time student?  If you are a full-time student then your parents can still claim you as a dependent.

**Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to offer the most correct information possible. The poster disclaims any legal responsibility for the accuracy of the information that is contained in this post.**

Should I 0 or 1 on a Form W4 for Tax Withholding Allowance being a dependent?

Hello,

Thanks for your answer. I just graduated from college so I am not longer a full-time student. In addition, as 2017 tax, I was claimed as dependent and the W4 form I need to fill is from 2017.

Should I 0 or 1 on a Form W4 for Tax Withholding Allowance being a dependent?

What do you mean you are just now filling out a 2017 W-4?  Why?  If you are starting a job in 2018 you should be filling out a 2018 W-4.  
It should look like this:  <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="//www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw4.pdf">//www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw4.pdf</a>
If you were a full-time student for the first 5 months of 2018 then your parents will still be able to claim you as a dependent for 2018.

**Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to offer the most correct information possible. The poster disclaims any legal responsibility for the accuracy of the information that is contained in this post.**

Should I 0 or 1 on a Form W4 for Tax Withholding Allowance being a dependent?

For some reasons (I asked them why (waiting for response)) they are still using the 2017 version. However, I was a full-time student for the first 5 months of 2018.

Should I 0 or 1 on a Form W4 for Tax Withholding Allowance being a dependent?

So when you file your own return for 2018, you will say on it that you can be claimed as a dependent on someone else's tax return.

**Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to offer the most correct information possible. The poster disclaims any legal responsibility for the accuracy of the information that is contained in this post.**

Should I 0 or 1 on a Form W4 for Tax Withholding Allowance being a dependent?

So, I should state 0 in this case

Should I 0 or 1 on a Form W4 for Tax Withholding Allowance being a dependent?

I am 21 years old. On my W-4 I am currently as Single with 0 allowances.

I am currently living with my significant other, who is not working. Could I put myself as Head of Household with 0 allowances on my 2020 W-4?

Any advice? 

Should I 0 or 1 on a Form W4 for Tax Withholding Allowance being a dependent?

@aruiz37

My advice would be to keep the Single with zero allowances on your W-4.  

Unless you have a 'qualifying person' on your return, you would not be able to use the Head of Household filing status when the time comes to file your 2020 tax return.  As a result, using that filing status on your W-4 may lead to not having enough taxes withheld.

Take a look at the following TurboTax article for more information about the Head of Household filing status:  What is a "qualifying person" for Head of Household?

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Should I 0 or 1 on a Form W4 for Tax Withholding Allowance being a dependent?

@stevewnbrg Do you have a scenario you would like to elaborate on for assistance? The IRS has updated the W-4 form for 2020. Here are some frequently asked questions as resolved by the IRS to assist in completing the form.

W-4 FAQs

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Should I 0 or 1 on a Form W4 for Tax Withholding Allowance being a dependent?

Is the income tax separated from the earn child income or is it all together

Should I 0 or 1 on a Form W4 for Tax Withholding Allowance being a dependent?

You can claim either 0 or 1 on your W-4. It won't create problems with the IRS, it will just determine how much you'll get back on your tax return next year. If you claim 0, you will get less back on paychecks and more back on your tax refund. If you claim 1, you will get more back on your paychecks and less back on your tax refund when you file next year. However, you will want to check and make sure that, if you do claim 1 on your W-4, you are still having enough taken out that you will not end up owing anything in taxes when you file next year. 

*** All information was obtained from personal experience. No information was obtained from an outside source or anything/anyone in connection with the IRS or Tax Forms/Companies***

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Should I 0 or 1 on a Form W4 for Tax Withholding Allowance being a dependent?

As part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the IRS and Treasury adjusted the tax withholding tables, which affects the amount of income taxes withheld from your pay.  For 2020, W4's have been completely redesigned.  Exemptions or Allowances are no longer applicable. 

My suggestion is to use the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator here. 

FAQs on the 2020 Form W4.

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Still have questions?

What should a single person claim?

Single. If you are single and do not have any children, as well as don't have anyone else claiming you as a dependent, then you should claim a maximum of 1 allowance. If you are single and someone is claiming you as a dependent, such as your parent, then you can claim 0 allowances.

Can you claim 1 as yourself?

If you wish to claim 1 for yourself instead, then less tax is taken out of your pay each pay period. 2. You can choose to have no taxes taken out of your tax and claim Exemption (see Example 2). If you are a Federal Work Study student employee, please note this does not automatically make you exempt from taxes.

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