IRS Issues New Withholding Tables

On January 11, 2018, the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) issued Notice 1036, Early Release Copies of the 2018 Percentage Method Tables for Income Tax Withholding (“Notice 1036”) and published IRS Withholding Tables Frequently Asked Questions.

Notice 1036 sets forth the income tax withholding tables applicable for 2018 (the “2018 Withholding Tables”), which show employers how much federal income tax to withhold from employee paychecks, given each employee’s wages, marital status, and the number of withholding allowances claimed. The new 2018 Withholding Tables were made necessary by the 2017 Tax Act’s changes to tax rates and tax brackets, increase of the standard deduction, and repeal of personal exemptions.

Employers must begin using the 2018 Withholding Tables by February 15, 2018.

The 2018 Withholding Tables were designed to work with existing Form W-4, Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate. Therefore, employers do not need to require employees to execute new Forms W-4 at this time. However, the IRS is working to revise the Form W-4 and its withholding calculator and expects to issue both “soon.”

About Amanda Marie Baer

Amanda Marie Baer is a Partner in the firm's Labor, Employment and Employee Benefits Group. Amanda focuses her practice on representing employers in federal and state courts and before the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination and the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities. Amanda defends employers against claims concerning discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, interference, and accommodations. Amanda also has experience in conducting workplace investigations into allegations of discrimination or harassment, and litigating to enforce (or defend claims regarding) employment, noncompetition/nonsolicitation, and severance agreements. Amanda's litigation experience makes her a valuable resource for employers seeking counsel on a myriad of day-to-day human resources issues and/or employment actions.

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