Userid: CPM Schema: tipx Leadpct: 100% Pt. size: 10 Draft Ok to Print AH XSL/XML Fileid: … tions/P15T/2021/A/XML/Cycle06/source (Init. & Date) _______ Page 1 of 66 12:15 - 8-Dec-2020 The type and rule above prints on all proofs including departmental reproduction proofs. MUST be removed before printing. Department of the Treasury Contents Internal Revenue Service Introduction .............................. 1 1. Percentage Method Tables for Automated Publication 15-T Payroll Systems ........................ 5 Cat. No. 32112B 2. Wage Bracket Method Tables for Manual Payroll Systems With Forms W-4 From Federal 2020 or Later .......................... 7 3. Wage Bracket Method Tables for Manual Payroll Systems With Forms W-4 From Income Tax 2019 or Earlier ........................ 22 4. Percentage Method Tables for Manual Withholding Payroll Systems With Forms W-4 From 2020 or Later ......................... 51 5. Percentage Method Tables for Manual Methods Payroll Systems With Forms W-4 From 2019 or Earlier ........................ 57 For use in 2021 6. Alternative Methods for Figuring Withholding .......................... 61 7. Tables for Withholding on Distributions of Indian Gaming Profits to Tribal Members ... 62 How To Get Tax Help ...................... 64 Future Developments For the latest information about developments related to Pub. 15-T, such as legislation enacted after it was published, go to IRS.gov/Pub15T. What’s New Employers may use an optional computational bridge to treat 2019 or earlier Forms W-4 as if they were 2020 or later Forms W-4 for purposes of figuring federal income tax withholding. See How To Treat 2019 and Earlier Forms W-4 as if They Were 2020 or later Forms W-4, later, for more information. Introduction This publication supplements Pub. 15, Employer's Tax Guide, and Pub. 51, Agricultural Employer’s Tax Guide. It describes how to figure withholding using the Wage Bracket Method or Percentage Method, describes the al- ternative methods for figuring withholding, and provides the Tables for Withholding on Distributions of Indian Gam- ing Profits to Tribal Members. You may also use the In- come Tax Withholding Assistant for Employers at IRS.gov/ITWA to help you figure federal income tax with- Get forms and other information faster and easier at: holding. • IRS.gov (English) • IRS.gov/Korean (한국어) Although this publication may be used in certain situa- • IRS.gov/Spanish (Español) • IRS.gov/Russian (Pусский) tions to figure federal income tax withholding on supple- • IRS.gov/Chinese (中文) • IRS.gov/Vietnamese (TiếngViệt) mental wages, the methods of withholding described in Dec 08, 2020 Page 2 of 66 Fileid: … tions/P15T/2021/A/XML/Cycle06/source 12:15 - 8-Dec-2020 The type and rule above prints on all proofs including departmental reproduction proofs. MUST be removed before printing. this publication can’t be used if the 37% mandatory flat rate withholding applies or if the 22% optional flat rate withholding is used to figure federal income tax withhold- Form W-4 ing. For more information about withholding on supple- mental wages, see section 7 of Pub. 15. Beginning with the 2020 Form W-4, employees are no lon- Although this publication may be used to figure federal ger able to request adjustments to their withholding using income tax withholding on periodic payments of pensions withholding allowances. Instead, using the new Form W-4, and annuities, the methods of withholding described in employees provide employers with amounts to increase this publication can’t be used to figure withholding on non- or decrease the amount of taxes withheld and amounts to periodic payments or withholding on eligible rollover distri- increase or decrease the amount of wage income subject butions. For more information about withholding on pen- to income tax withholding. sions and annuities, see section 8 of Pub. 15-A, Form W-4 contains 5 steps. Every Form W-4 employ- Employer’s Supplemental Tax Guide. ers receive from an employee in 2020 or later should show a completed Step 1 (name, address, social security Comments and suggestions. We welcome your com- number, and filing status) and a dated signature on Step ments about this publication and your suggestions for fu- 5. Employees complete Steps 2, 3, and/or 4 only if rele- ture editions. vant to their personal situations. Steps 2, 3, and 4 show You can send us comments from IRS.gov/ adjustments that affect withholding calculations. FormComments. Or you can write to: For employees who don’t complete any steps other than Step 1 and Step 5, employers withhold the amount Internal Revenue Service based on the filing status, wage amounts, and payroll pe- Tax Forms and Publications riod. But see Exemption from withholding, later. 1111 Constitution Ave. NW, IR-6526 Washington, DC 20224 For employees completing one or more of Steps 2, 3, and/or 4 on Form W-4, adjustments are as follows. Although we can’t respond individually to each com- ment received, we do appreciate your feedback and will Step 2. If the employee checks the box in Step 2, the consider your comments as we revise our tax forms, in- employer figures withholding from the “Form W-4, Step 2, structions, and publications. Don't send tax questions, tax Checkbox” column in the Percentage Method or Wage returns, or payments to the above address. Bracket Method tables. This results in higher withholding for the employee. If the employee chooses one of the Getting answers to your tax questions. If you have other two alternatives from this step, the higher withhold- a tax question not answered by this publication or the How ing is included with any other additional tax amounts per To Get Tax Help section at the end of this publication, go pay period in Step 4(c). to the IRS Interactive Tax Assistant page at IRS.gov/ Help/ITA where you can find topics using the search fea- Step 3. Employers use the amount on this line as an an- ture or by viewing the categories listed. nual reduction in the amount of withholding. Employers Getting tax forms, instructions, and publications. should use the amount that the employee entered as the Visit IRS.gov/Forms to download current and prior-year total in Step 3 of Form W-4 even if it is not equal to the forms, instructions, and publications. sum of any amounts entered on the left in Step 3 because the total may take into account other tax credits. If the Ordering tax forms, instructions, and publications. Step 3 total is blank, but there are amounts entered on Go to IRS.gov/OrderForms to order current forms, instruc- one or two of the left lines in Step 3, the employer may ask tions, and publications; call 800-829-3676 to order the employee if leaving the line blank was intentional. prior-year forms and instructions. The IRS will process your order for forms and publications as soon as possible. Steps 4(a) and 4(b). Employers increase the annual Don't resubmit requests you've already sent us. You can amount of wages subject to income tax withholding by the get forms and publications faster online. annual amount shown on Step 4(a) and reduce the an- nual amount of wages subject to income tax withholding by the annual amount shown on Step 4(b). Photographs of Missing Step 4(c). Employers will increase withholding by the Children per pay period tax amount on Step 4(c). New employee fails to furnish Form W-4. A new em- The IRS is a proud partner with the National Center for ployee who fails to furnish a Form W-4 will be treated as if Missing & Exploited Children® (NCMEC). Photographs of they had checked the box for Single or Married filing sep- missing children selected by the Center may appear in arately in Step 1(c) and made no entries in Step 2, Step 3, this publication on pages that would otherwise be blank. or Step 4 of Form W-4. However, an employee who was You can help bring these children home by looking at the paid wages before 2020 and who failed to furnish a Form photographs and calling 1-800-THE-LOST W-4 should continue to be treated as single and claiming (1-800-843-5678) if you recognize a child. zero allowances on a 2019 or earlier Form W-4. Page 2 Publication 15-T (2021) Page 3 of 66 Fileid: … tions/P15T/2021/A/XML/Cycle06/source 12:15 - 8-Dec-2020 The type and rule above prints on all proofs including departmental reproduction proofs. MUST be removed before printing. Exemption from withholding. Employees who write 3. Multiply the number of allowances claimed on line 5 of “Exempt” on Form W-4 in the space below Step 4(c) shall an employee’s 2019 or earlier Form W-4 by $4,300 have no federal income tax withheld from their paychecks and enter the result in step 4(b) on a 2020 or later except in the case of certain supplemental wages. Gener- Form W-4. ally, an employee may claim exemption from federal in- 4. Enter the additional amount of withholding requested come tax withholding because he or she had no federal by the employee on line 6 of their 2019 or earlier Form income tax liability last year and expects none this year. W-4 in step 4(c) of a 2020 or later Form W-4. See the Form W-4 instructions for more information. This computational bridge applies only for Forms Electronic system to receive Form W-4. If you main- ! W-4 that were in effect on or before December tain an electronic Form W-4 system, you should provide a CAUTION 31, 2019, and that continue in effect because an field for employees who are eligible and want to claim an employee didn’t submit a 2020 or later Form W-4.