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3/19/2020

Treasury and IRS Issue Improved Form W-4 for 2020 to Simplify Filing and Increase Transparency | U.S. Department of the Treasury

Treasury and IRS Issue Improved Form W-4 for 2020 to Simplify
Filing and Increase Transparency
August 9, 2019

Washington—Today, the Treasury Department and the IRS introduced a redesigned Form W-4
for tax year 2020. Several changes were made to the dra form based on extensive feedback
from stakeholders with the goal of developing a form that provides taxpayers with a more
flexible and transparent withholding system. Treasury does not anticipate further changes to
the redesign beyond minor updates for inflation.
“Our dedicated sta at the Treasury and IRS worked tirelessly over the past year to produce a
Form W-4 that is more accurate, transparent and simplifies the tax withholding experience for
hardworking Americans,” said Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin. “We are proud that the Tax Cuts and
Jobs Act lowered taxes for most Americans and are enthusiastic that the improved W-4 will help
taxpayers better determine the correct withholding amount for their personal financial situation
to more readily reap the benefits of historic tax reform.”
The re-designed Form W-4 uses a building block approach that replaces complicated
worksheets with straightforward questions that make it easier for employees to determine a
more accurate withholding. While it uses the same underlying information as the old design, the
new form uses a more personalized, step-by-step approach to better accommodate individual
taxpayer needs.
Employees who have submitted a Form W-4 in any year before 2020 are not required to submit a
new form merely because of the redesign. Employers will continue to compute withholding
based on the information from the employee’s most recently submitted Form W-4.
Treasury and the IRS are releasing this near-final improved Form W-4 now, to allow employers
and payroll processors ample time to learn about the new form and update their systems for
2020. As usual, IRS will also release withholding tables with routine adjustments for inflation in
November.
We continue to encourage all taxpayers to check their paycheck withholdings to ensure they
have the correct amount withheld for their personal tax profile.
https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm753

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3/19/2020

Treasury and IRS Issue Improved Form W-4 for 2020 to Simplify Filing and Increase Transparency | U.S. Department of the Treasury

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https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm753

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