Tax Changes

From Labor – Ford Motor Company 1/24/18:

Pay Ending 1/14/2018 reflects revised 2018 income-tax withholding tables defined in IRS Notice 1036 (published January 11, 2018) integrating the tax reform legislation enacted last month.  The new withholdings are designed to work with existing Forms W-4 that employees have already filed.  In addition to Notice 1036, the IRS published Q&As at several of which are summarized below.  Note: Ford Motor Company will not provide information or advice related to individual withholding tax calculations.  Please contact either your personal financial or tax advisor for such information or wait until the IRS updates its calculator.

Q: Why are these changes being made?

A: The new withholding tables are needed to reflect the changes in tax rates and tax brackets, increased standard deduction and repeal of personal exemptions that were included in the new tax reform law signed in December. The withholding guidance issued today is for employers to make changes to their payroll systems and is designed to work with existing W-4s that employees have on file.

Q: Will employees need to take any action to get the new withholding rates?

A: No.  Payroll changes required each year are made by employers and their payroll providers, so employees are not required to take any extra steps.  However, employees should review their withholding to make sure that it is accurate.  IRS will be releasing a new calculator and Form W-4 soon, to help employees ensure withholding is accurate.

Q: What is a withholding table?

A: A withholding table shows payroll service providers and employers how much tax to withhold from employee paychecks, given each employee’s wages, marital status, and the number of withholding allowances they claim

Q: Will people need to fill out a new W-4 form right now?

A: No, the new withholding tables are designed to minimize taxpayer burden as much as possible and will work with the Forms W-4 that workers have already filed with their employers to claim withholding allowances. The IRS is working on revising the Form W-4 to more fully reflect the new law and provide taxpayers information to determine whether they need to adjust their withholding.

Q: Is the IRS working on a new Form W-4 to reflect the new tax law?

A: Yes. The IRS continues to work on more detailed withholding information, which will be available soon in Publication 15 and related publications. In addition, the IRS is working on revising the Form W-4 to more fully reflect the new law and providing taxpayers information to determine whether they need to adjust their withholding. The IRS is also revising the withholding tax calculator on to help employees who wish to update their withholding in response to the new law or other changes in their personal circumstances in 2018. The IRS anticipates this calculator should be available by the end of February.

Q: Should people check their withholding after the new 2018 Form W-4 and the withholding calculator are available?

A: Yes. It’s always a good idea for people to check their withholding status. The IRS encourages all taxpayers to check their withholding when the new information is available in February. The IRS will help educate taxpayers about the new withholding guidelines and the calculator. The effort will be designed to help workers ensure that they are not having too much or too little tax taken out of their pay.

Q: Are some taxpayers at risk of being under-withheld on their taxes with the changes to the withholding tables?

A: Some people have more complicated tax situations and face the possibility of being under-withheld. For example, people who itemize their deductions, couples with multiple jobs or individuals with more than one job a year will be encouraged to review their tax situations. The IRS will be encouraging people – particularly those with more than one income in their household—to check their withholding. The IRS is updating the 2018 Form W-4 and the withholding calculator to help with this process.

Q: Will the IRS be making further changes to Form W-4 in 2019?
