Can an employee submit a new W-4 at any time?

Yes, an employee may submit a new W-4 anytime they have changes. Often, they’ll submit a new form when they know they’ll be changing exemptions, adjustments, deductions, or credits on their return.

For example, an employee may want to increase their withholding by decreasing the number of dependents they claim. Or they might want to add dependents to decrease the amount withheld. Life events such as marriage, divorce, and childbirth are common reasons to update a W-4, but employees can generally change their withholding allowances at any time and for any reason.

According to the IRS, employees who are making changes due to a divorce (if they’ve been claiming married status) or for any event that decreases the number of withholding allowances they can claim should submit a new W-4 within 10 days.

After a W-4 is received, the new withholding amount should be put into effect no later than the start of the first payroll period ending on or after the 30th day from when the employee submitted the replacement Form W-4. 

The W-4 worksheet in the IRS instructions is only designed for non-clergy employees and should not be used to determine voluntary withholding for clergy.

By default, clergy are subject to estimated tax payments on a quarterly basis which include federal, social security, and state taxes. For example, when you receive clergy income in the first quarter of the year, the taxes are due at the end of that quarter. The year is divided into four payment periods, or due dates, for estimated tax purposes which are listed below. 

Payment 1 – April 15th (January through March)
Payment 2 – June 15th (April through June)
Payment 3 – September 15th (July through September)
Payment 4 – January 15th (October through December)

Clergy can also elect to have income taxes withheld from their compensation by means of voluntary withholding agreements which may simplify the budgeting.

Caution – Standard W-4 withholdings will only cover your federal and state taxes and does not address SECA withholdings. We recommend discussing additional SECA options with your tax advisor at  Clergy Financial Resources.

Contact Clergy Financial Resources to help you with the next steps.

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Maple Grove, MN 55369

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Fax: 1 (888) 876.5101

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Clergy Financial Resources serves as a resource for clients to help analyze the complexity of clergy tax law, church payroll & HR issues. Our professionals are committed to helping clients stay informed about tax news, developments and trends in various specialty areas.

This article is intended to provide readers with guidance in tax matters. The article does not constitute, and should not be treated as professional advice regarding the use of any particular tax technique. Every effort has been made to assure the accuracy of the information. Clergy Financial Resources and the author do not assume responsibility for any individual’s reliance upon the information provided in the article. Readers should independently verify all information before applying it to a particular fact situation, and should independently determine the impact of any particular tax planning technique. If you are seeking legal advice, you are encouraged to consult an attorney.

For more information or if you need additional assistance, please use the contact information below.

Clergy Financial Resources
11214 86th Avenue N.
Maple Grove, MN 55369

Tel: (888) 421-0101 
Fax: (888) 876-5101
Email: clientservices@clergyfinancial.com

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