Carnegie Mellon University

Federal Withholding Tax Form (Form W-4)

  1. Allowances went away. You will no longer be stating “Single and 1 Allowance” or similar variations.
  2. Dependents claimed result in a calculation by dollar amounts for some tax filers.
  3. "Other income or deductions you wish to apply against your withholding" is a new optional step.

This depends on your personal tax situation. The IRS does not mandate that employees complete a new Form W-4, but they do recommend using the Tax Withholding Estimator to determine if changes are needed.

Please review your tax elections in Workday to ensure the proper withholding is applied to your pay. Your current tax withholding elections are displayed on your payslips. Refer to the Electronic Tax Forms Quick Guide [.pdf] for instructions on how to update your tax elections in Workday.

The IRS issued two sets of calculations tables, one based on prior Forms W-4 on file and the other based on the updated Form W-4 elections for the employees who have submitted new forms. Those updated calculation tables can be found in Publication 15-T at https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-publication-15-t. The Publication 15-T provides the tax table changes so you can see how that will impact your pay.

Please see the Electronic Tax Forms Quick Guide [.pdf] in Workday. You can submit changes anytime as long as they are submitted to Workday prior to the published Transaction Deadline as listed on the Domestic payroll calendar on the Payroll Calendars webpage

If you do not have a personal tax advisor, the IRS has provided helpful tools and links for more information. You can also contact your local Taxpayer Assistance Center and speak with someone directly. Visit https://apps.irs.gov/app/officeLocator/index.jsp to find your local office.

Carnegie Mellon University cannot provide you with personal tax advice.

If you are currently claiming exempt from federal withholding on Form W-4, you must submit a new Form W-4 between Jan. 1 - Feb. 15, 2024. Failure to submit a new Form W-4 will cause you to lose your exempt status.