2020 W-4

I cannot enter an amount into Box 3.   It appears to be a field to be populated.  However, I cannot.

I need help.  I need to process payroll and I cannot complete entry.

Thanks for joining this thread, @CindyASE. 

If you're referring to the W-2 form, to add an entry on Box 3, make sure the payroll items and amounts use on paychecks are set up correctly.

To know the items that will post in Box:3 Social security wages, here's a great article that you can read: W2 form boxes explained.

Once everything is ok, you can now file W-2 form.

If you have any other payroll concerns, let me know by commenting below. I'm more than happy to answer any questions you may have. Have a great day!

I need to find help on entering info into QB for the new W-4.  I do not understand how I am supposed to do this if my employee doesn't give any information besides he is married filing jointly but his wife does not have any income and he is using the standard deduction.  The program is not taking any Federal taxes out of his weekly check.  That cannot be right.  Where can I turn to for advice on how this is supposed to actually work?

Hello @lbenson23,

You'll have to enter your employee's W4 information base on what is his withholding and compliance. Here's how you can enter his information for married with one income:

1. Go to Workers.
2. Select Employees.
3. Find and open your employee's profile.
4. Under his name, select Edit employee.
5. On the Withholding's section, click enter or edit employee's W4.
6. Enter all your employee's W4.
7. Under State taxes, select Married (one income).
8. Click Done.

But please know that allowances are no longer allowed base on the updates from the IRS. Here's an article you can read to learn more: What’s changing with the Federal W-4?

In addition, I'd still recommend contacting your accountant for additional guidance and how you can enter your employee's W4 information.

Lastly, I've also included this helpful article in case you need some ideas about payroll management and related tasks: How do I?

Please touch base with me here for all of your QuickBooks and payroll needs, @lbenson23, I'm always happy to help. Thanks for dropping by.

So if the employee shows $2,000 for the number of qualifying children and then $500 for the number of additional dependents, I am to enter $2,500.00 for "Claim Dependents"? Is this correct?

Thanks for reaching out to the Community, @bncci. I'm here to help.

You are correct. Should the employee make $200,000 or less ($400,000 or less if filing married joint), you'd multiple the number of children under the age of 17 by $2,000 and any additional dependents by $500.

For more information on filling out the 2020 Form W-4, check out: Understanding the 2020 Form W – 4 and How to Use it to Calculate Withholding

Please touch base with us here if there's anything else you need, I'm determined to ensure your success. Have a wonderful day.

Micheal, 

It seems there are a few boards with Quickbook users trying to figure out how to enter the withholding.

When entered what an employee puts in quickbooks it results in federal withholding being taken out.

Also it's very disappointing that we are expected to figure out anything. 

That's why our company bought full payroll quickbooks.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts here in the Community, @DEVINR.

QuickBooks Payroll Service offers five types of service: Basic, standard, Enhanced, Enhanced for Accountants and Assisted Payroll. Based on our QuickBooks comparison table, your ideal plan depends on the features that you suit for your business.

QuickBooks will also provide you services when it comes to filing and paying your taxes. However, it will also depend on the type of service you subscribe to.

If you choose not to subscribe to any of the QuickBooks Desktop Payroll Services, you can set up manual payroll in QuickBooks.

Please know that our doors are always open to help you with any QuickBooks-related concern.

I have enhanced.

Hi @DEVINR,

In addition to my colleague's post @Michael K, just make sure your payroll tax table is updated to its latest release. This way, your payroll tax forms calculate correctly. Let me guide you how to get the latest tax table update.

1. Go to Employees, then Get Payroll Updates.
2. Mark the box next to Download Entire Update.
3. Click OK.

Please refer check this handy article to know the latest payroll news and updates. I'm also attaching our page about what’s changing with the Federal W-4 for your reference.

Should you need assistance about your payroll taxes, please let me know. I'm a post away. Thank you and have great day.

Okay.

I already have all those documents.

Doesn't change the fact that employees are upset because of the $0.00 federal deductions.

They can have extra money withheld if they are not happy with 0.00 being held out.  

Hi there, @JHatfield1

I hope you're having a good day. You're correct, you can go in and have extra taxes withheld, so the amount of the withholdings won't be $0.00. 

If you're unsure of how to add extra withholdings on employees' paycheck, check out the instructions below.

1. Go to the Employees menu.

2. Locate the Employee Center.

3. Double click the employees' name you wish to add extra withholdings too.

4. Select the Payroll Info tab.

5. Click Taxes.

6. Find the Extra Withholding field, enter the additional withholding amount.

7. Hit OK in the Taxes for employees' name window.

8. Punch OK again.

After completing the steps, the extra withholding will add to the item and increase the amount withheld. To find out the amount being withheld for each employee you can run the Payroll Detail Review. Here's how:

1. Click the Reports tab at the top menu bar.
2. Select Employees & Payroll.
3. HIt Payroll Detail Review.

For even further information check out Change employee payroll information.

Also, if you need any assistance with customizing reports, see Customize company and financial statements.

That will do it.

If you have any further questions or concerns, let me know. I'm always a click away.

I am having the same issue.  No payroll taxes are being taken from a Single not claiming any deductions.  Where this used to be the situation where the MOST taxes would be withheld, with the new W-4 now NO taxes are withheld?? Can anyone explain this situation?  I know I can ask the employee if they would like to withhold additional amounts but it is just so different than it used to be -- the employees don't understand. 

Hello, @RM4325.

The new W-4 has many changes this year, and deductions are a bit different from previous years. These changes are why no taxes are being withheld, but you add extra withholdings by following the steps @Kayla H mentioned above. I've listed two articles below that have more information on the new changes and the employee withholdings:

• What's changing with the Federal W-4?
• Form W-4: Employee withholding allowances.

The IRS's website also contains more clarification on how the W-4 deductions work. I suggest providing these articles to your employees as well, so they have all the information they need to better under their new W-4.

Please don't hesitate to touch base with me here if you need any additional information. I'm always here to help.

I still don't know how to enter new employee allowances. My quickbooks still has the dropdown box for single/married and then I have a little box with allowances. Can someone help me... please

I'm here to clarify things out for you, @Famerkari. 

In the new W4 form, instead of allowances you will be enter the certain amount in the Claim Depended field. Let me show you how to entering the information: 

1. Click Employee on the top menu bar, and then Employee Center. 
2. Select the name of the employee. 
3. Tap Payroll Info, and then choose Taxes. 
4. On the W-4 Form drop-down, select 2020 and Later. 
5. Make sure your employee complies with the points on the Federal W-4 form popup, and then select OK.  
6. Enter the employee's W-4 information into the form
7. Press OK to save. 

I've also entered the different series that need to set up for the new employees who required the new 2020 Form W-4 but fail to submit.  

• Filing Status = Single
• Multiple Jobs/Spouse Works (2c) = Not Checked
• Claim Dependent Amount = $0
• Other Income = $0Deductions = $0
• Extra Withholding = $0

I encourage you to read this article to learn more about the latest update of the Federal W-4: What’s changing with the Federal W-4? 

That's it. Let me know if you have further questions about W-4 form. I'll be right here to help you. Have a great day!

On the w-4 drop down (step 4).  This does not exist on QuickBooks 2019 Pro Desktop version.  Now what???

Let's make sure that we have updated QuickBooks to its latest release, tmh.

The W-4 drop-down is our newly added feature in QuickBooks. We have two ways on how to update it. We can either set up an automatic update or do it manually. Once we turn on Automatic Updates, the program will automatically download and install the latest updates. I'll show you how:

1. From the Help menu, select Update QuickBooks Desktop.
2. Go to the Update Now tab.
3. Select Get Updates.
4. When finish, restart QuickBooks.
5. Once done, accept the option to install the new release.

If you want to manually update it, you can check this article: Do manual updates.

Then, we'll have to update our tax table as well so our payroll is stay up to date.

Afterward, you'll be able to see now the W-4 drop-down. We can continue entering your employee's information through the Claim Depended section. Please follow the steps shared by AileneA on how to do it.

If you have other related-concerns about W-4, please check these articles:

• What’s changing with the Federal W-4?
• Form W-4: Employee withholding allowances

I'm always right here in case you have other questions that are not listed in the articles I've provided. Have a great day!

Never mind.  Apparently if I criticize the lack of help here, I can't post.   

This QB consultant of 20 years is now walking away from your product.   Help these people.

So just to confirm.  If you put a dollar amount in the dependents claimed  box no federal tax will be withheld from the employee check. The employee will need to do a extra withholding amount or leave the dependent claimed box empty.

Hi there, @Woven20. 

Thanks for joining in this conversation. To answer your questions, yes. The new changes state that employers will calculate the withholding based on the information from the employee's W-4. 

Thus, instead of entering the number of allowances/dependents in the box, you'll need to enter the dollar amount calculated. The same thing you'll need to do to employees who will need to do extra withholding. 

Should you need to figure out what you need to pay, you can visit the IRS website to use the Tax Withholding Estimator. This will help you make sure you have the right amount of tax withheld from your paycheck. 

Just in case, I've added an article that you can read for future reference: Payroll items on a paycheck are not calculating or are calculating incorrectly. It also helps you learn about how to identify why it doesn't or is calculating incorrectly and help you correct it. 

Feel free to message again should you have more concerns about anything else. We're always delighted to assist. 

Mark the post that answers your question by clicking on "Accept as solution".

Hi, Can you be more clear on this? 

If you are referring to filling out the W-4 and doing the calculations there, then you are writing down a number, for example, claim 2 dependents translates to $4000 on the W-4. However, the confusion for bookkeepers entering these new W-4 calculations into QB is the way Quickbooks set up the payroll module to match it. It is unclear and confusing. When you start to enter into QB, it will accept "2" in the Claim Dependents field, and it will ALSO accept $4000 in the Claim Dependents field. and if you go run a paycheck to test it, those two options produce very different income tax withholding amounts for the employee. I am doing alot of researching trying to find the correct answer with Quickbooks and the IRS. I don't understand why Quickbooks didn't format this new W-4 to mock with W-4 better. Any help very appreciated!!!