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Federal withholding

I am adjusting my federal withholding for 2009 because my calculations say that I'll be due a large refund for the year. My wife will stop working as she is having our first child this year, and we just bought a house giving a large interest deduction. I did all of the math and estimates on the W-4 form, but when all was finished, I went from having 2 allowances to 13! Is the IRS going to take note of this when my employer puts it through the payroll next week? Might they not allow it? I think I can document all of my assumptions. I just hate giving the government an interest free loan for 12 months.

Re: Federal withholding

Here is what the IRS says about claiming what they might consider too many allowances on your w-4:

IRS Review of Your Withholding
Generally, the amount your employer withholds for federal income tax must be based on your Form W-4. However, whether you are entitled to claim exempt status or a certain number of withholding allowances is subject to review by the IRS. If the IRS determines that you cannot claim more than a specified number of withholding allowances or claim a complete exemption from withholding, the IRS will issue a notice of the maximum number of withholding allowances permitted (commonly referred to as a “lock-in letter”) to both you and your employer.

If you receive a lock-in letter, the IRS has instructed your employer to begin withholding income tax from your wages based on the withholding rate and allowances shown in the letter. In addition, your employer has been instructed not to honor your current Form W-4 or a new Form W-4 unless it results in more withholding than the lock-in letter allows.

The IRS will provide a period of time during which you can dispute the determination before your employer adjusts your withholding. Follow the instructions in your letter if you wish to submit a new Form W-4 or contact the Withholding Compliance Unit with questions. Additional information is available on the IRS website at www.irs.gov. Enter the keyword “withholding compliance questions” in the search box.

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