Why isn't federal tax showing up on my paycheck?

General
1

Hi! I’m 16, almost 17, and I got my first job in early December. It’s a fast food place, not sure if that matters, but I’m in Illinois. I get paid biweekly, and so far I’ve received two paychecks. The first paycheck was around $220, and after taxes and fees, I got $180. The second paycheck was $462, and after taxes, I received $404. Neither paycheck shows federal tax, though.

My brothers, who also have part-time jobs, didn’t have federal tax taken out of their paychecks at first either, but the option to withhold it was still listed. Should I wait a few more paychecks or ask my employer? I wasn’t sure how to fill out the tax form when I was hired, so I asked the manager for help. I wouldn’t be too worried if the federal tax showed up but with a zero amount. Is it normal for it to not show up at all? Should I contact my manager about this? I’m new to taxes and don’t understand it well, so any help is appreciated!

2

$462 is for 1 week, 2 weeks, or 4 weeks?

3

Uma said:
$462 is for 1 week, 2 weeks, or 4 weeks?

It’s for 2 weeks.

4

Devi said:

Uma said:
$462 is for 1 week, 2 weeks, or 4 weeks?

It’s for 2 weeks.

$462 x 26 checks = $12K, which is under the standard deduction.

5

Uma said:

Devi said:
Uma said:
$462 is for 1 week, 2 weeks, or 4 weeks?

It’s for 2 weeks.

$462 x 26 checks = $12K, which is under the standard deduction.

So, I shouldn’t worry about it?

6

@Devi
If this is your only income and you’re single, then there’s nothing to worry about.

7

If you’re being paid biweekly, you need to make at least $577 in a paycheck for federal income tax to be withheld. Payroll software looks at your paycheck, multiplies it by 26 (pay periods in a year), and calculates your expected annual income. If you earn around $12,000 annually, which is less than the standard deduction, there won’t be any federal tax withheld.

So, when you earned $462, payroll calculated an annual income of about $12,000, which means no federal tax withholding is required for you right now. If you make more in the next paycheck, they’ll calculate the withholding based on that paycheck alone, and previous paychecks don’t affect this.

8

@Bailey
Okay, thank you! And it’s not concerning that federal tax isn’t listed as an option either, right? My brothers have it listed, but it always says zero taken out for them.

9

Devi said:
@Bailey
Okay, thank you! And it’s not concerning that federal tax isn’t listed as an option either, right? My brothers have it listed, but it always says zero taken out for them.

No, that’s not concerning.

10

@Bailey
What happens if you have two jobs? I made around $12-13k at one job and $19k at another. I filled out my W-4 to have higher withholding for the higher-paying job, but the taxes being taken out are huge. I’m curious how my return will look.

11

@Ray
As long as you filled out your W-4 to say you have another job, you should be okay. For people with multiple jobs, I recommend checking halfway through the year to make sure enough is being withheld. You can use the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator (it’s temporarily down but will be back soon).

12

@Bailey
I made sure I filled it out correctly because last year I got a little messed up. This time, I filled it out to show I have two jobs, and now I see a much higher withholding from the new job. I’d rather have that than owe. I also added $50 for state tax just to be safe. I think I’ll get some back based on the IRS tax calculator.

13

@Ray
Did you also fill out the W-4 at your main job to say you have two jobs? If you’re still working both jobs in 2025, you should do that too.

14

I did fill it out at my main job, the highest paying one. I’ve had $6350 in taxes taken out from that job this year alone. The second job is a side gig that pays around $150-$200 weekly, and $3400 in taxes came out from that. Do you recommend checking both boxes on both forms? The pay differences are big, so I’m being taxed a lot more at my main job, but I’d rather that than owe later.