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Federal income tax withheld on your paycheck

The IRS amount your employer withholds based on your W-4 and earnings.

Federal income tax withholding is calculated using the IRS percentage method or wage-bracket method from Pub. 15-T. Your filing status, dependents, other income, and extra withholding from your W-4 all affect this amount. The amount withheld is an estimate of your annual tax liability — your actual liability is settled when you file your tax return.

How it usually appears

Category: mandatory

Aliases on a stub: Fed Tax, FIT, FITW

Tax interaction

  • Reduces federal taxable wages: No
  • Reduces FICA wages: No
  • Reduces state taxable wages: Usually no

Official sources

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