
Will Your Paycheck Change in Light of the New Tax Laws?
Will Your Paycheck Change in Light of the New Tax Laws?
Now that the new tax laws have officially been passed, what exactly does that mean for the average worker? For many, a bump in take home pay is possible, even as early as this month if your employer has begun using the new withholding tables. In fact, in light of the new tables, the Congressional Budget Office has estimated that somewhere around $10-15 billion less will be withheld from workers each month.
How much of an increase could I see, you might be wondering? That amount, if you do see one, could vary based on the number of allowances you take, whether you’re a single filer or filing jointly and how often you get paid. But, for the average single filer who is paid every two weeks and grosses between $46,000-$162,000, your bi-weekly paycheck will likely increase between $40 and $190. For married filers who make between $61,000-$167,000, you could see a bi-weekly pay increase between $30 and $172.
However, some workers may not see an increase at all due to a variety of other factors. Although a large number of workers will see a pay increase from the federal tax cuts, that could be overshadowed by other changes in deductions. While federal tax rates changed, some workers could see increases in state or local taxes. Many companies also take the new year as a time to make health benefits or other benefit changes, all of which would ultimately affect a worker’s final take-home amount, potentially offsetting any noticeable increases from federal tax cuts.
Regardless of a pay increase or not, all employees should consider reviewing their withholding allowances. Why? Because withholding tables usually provide an estimation of how much tax should be taken from your pay, but this year’s approximation could be even looser.
The new tax laws alter components that drive how many allowances workers claim. For example, some personal exemptions have been eliminated, tax credits have been altered and itemized deductions have been reduced. The new tables do integrate tax code changes, but workers were not required to fill out a new W-4 form, which means the number of allowances chosen when your last W-4 was filed could be grossly inaccurate now.
How can workers determine if their allowances need an adjustment? One option is to utilize the new withholding calculator the IRS plans to reveal at the end of February, which is intended to help employees calculate if they are claiming too little or too much given the tax changes. Taxpayers can also connect with a tax adviser to determine the correct withholding amounts for them. If you do decide to change your withholding amounts, new instructions will need to be submitted to your employer.
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