New guidelines for electronic W-4s you probably missed
Without the need of any fanfare at all, the IRS incorporated new pointers for electronic W-4s in the 2022 version of Pub. 15-T. You’d be forgiven if you skipped it considering the fact that the IRS didn’t bother mentioning it in the What is New area. Evidently, companies have been jogging into problems seeking to simplify the paper W-4 for their electronic systems. The IRS has responded with an emphatic “You can not do that!”
With that in brain, let’s dive a bit deeper into the IRS’ steerage on how to include W-4s in your electronic process, and how to keep on the very good aspect of the IRS.
The IRS states that electronic substitutes for Variety W-4 are not a license to simplify or modify the kind. An electronic substitute must give exactly the very same information as the paper Type W-4, such as the specific very same wording from Measures 1c–4c, and must permit an worker obtain to and use of all pieces of the calculation revealed on the paper Variety W-4 and its worksheets.
The W-4 continues to confound
The common guidelines for digital W-4s have been around for a very long time. Pub. 15-A restates them without the need of changing them. The bombshell will come in Pub. 15-T:
Digital devices set up as a substitute to paper Varieties W-4 have to particularly replicate the text and instructions from the encounter of the paper Variety W-4 starting with Action 1c through Action 4c (inclusive). No pop-ups or hoverboxes inside individuals actions are permitted for exhibiting these expected information, and if the electronic program has toggles for all those methods that restrict the quantity of textual content that is viewable, the toggles ought to be off as the default. If the digital process places measures on distinct web pages, consumers must be required to go to every page just before they may perhaps electronically indicator the type. The electronic procedure should also consist of a hyperlink to Kind W-4 on IRS.gov and/or involve the pages 2–4 guidelines and worksheets in their entirety in the electronic method interface by itself (inclusion of only some of this facts necessitates a link to the kind).
Businesses have thoughts the IRS last but not least has some responses
The timeline
Employers requested how extended they have to apply the new rules. The response wasn’t encouraging.
IRS: When a guideline relating to what an digital W-4 process will have to present staff is specified devoid of an helpful day, it’s helpful quickly and employers must apply it in a reasonable amount of time. In most instances, a acceptable quantity of time is 90 times.
Correct references
Companies questioned whether digital W-4s have to replicate references to web pages 2 or 3 when these references aren’t applicable. The IRS was a little bit additional realistic.
IRS: References to web pages 2 and 3 really should be changed by correct references. For case in point, an digital substitute sort linking instantly to the deductions worksheet should not reference page 3, but ought to provide a link to the deductions worksheet.
Moving into own information and facts
Employers questioned whether or not electronic substitutes must demand workers to supply their Social Safety numbers and other private data if this info is by now saved in employers’ electronic W-4 methods. This was a challenging reply.
IRS: Employers will need not need staff members to resubmit their SSNs or other personalized details when completing digital W-4s, delivered:
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- The SSNs and other individual information are stored in employers’ electronic methods and the action being taken by employees in the system is straight or indirectly connected to the electronically saved personalized information.
- The resource of the SSNs and other particular information saved in employers’ electronic units is a prior done W-4 or I-9, which staff signed underneath penalties of perjury.


Move 3 constraints
And companies questioned no matter whether an electronic W-4 technique can prohibit Phase 3 to greenback increments based on the range of qualifying little ones or dependents personnel may assert. This was a very simple respond to.
IRS: No.
Lower to the chase
You don’t will need to get heartburn location up an electronic W-4 procedure. You can use the IRS’ PDF variation and make it possible for staff members to use Adobe’s signature feature to connect their signature.
Uncomplicated peasy lemon squeezy.
