# W-4 Forms

**W-4 Forms** are essential tax documents used to determine how much federal and state income tax should be withheld from an Employee’s paycheck. Within Zeal, you can easily collect, review, and manage W-4 forms through a streamlined, secure paperwork experience.

## What Is a W-4 Form?

A **Federal W-4 Form** is required by the IRS for all Employees to determine federal income tax withholding. Some states also require a **State W-4 Form** to determine state tax withholdings.

These forms must be completed accurately to ensure proper tax withholding in Zeal. Employees can fill out W-4 forms during their onboarding as part of paperwork, or outside of onboarding with a shareable link.

## Sending & Managing W-4 Forms

### W-4 Forms in Onboarding Links

During the Zeal [White-labeled Onboarding flow](https://support.zeal.com/hc/en-us/articles/14063315643277) Federal and applicable State W-4 Forms will be prompted for the Employee to complete as part of their onboarding.

To Create an **Onboarding Link** for a new hire in the Zeal dashboard:

1. Go to the **People Page**  
2. Locate and Select the eye icon next to an Employee's name who's status is still **In progress** and select **"Onboarding Link"**.  
3. The onboarding link will include the W-4 Forms in the required **Paperwork** section.  
4. The link can be sent in one of two ways  
   - Direct **Email** to the address on file.  
   - **Copy** the Link and send it manually.

Once the link is executed, the Employee's tax withholding information will automatically be updated in Zeal. This ensures W-4 completion will be part of every new onboarding.

### W-4 Form as a Shareable Link

If an Employee is not onboarded yet, or needs to update their existing withholding information post-onboarding, they can be sent a specific W-4 to fill out as its own shareable link.

Common use cases for needing a new or updated W-4 Form include:

- Employees updating their W-4 due to changes in family structure (e.g., marriage, dependents) or adjustments to withholding preferences.
- Admins preemptively requesting a new State W-4 for Employees planning a relocation to another jurisdiction.

To Create a **Shareable Link** for an Employee in the Zeal dashboard:

1. **Go to the People Page** in your Zeal dashboard.  
2. Locate and Select the Employee who will need the W-4 Form.  
3. In their Profile, navigate to either the **Federal W-4** or **State W-4** tab.  
4. Click **"Ask Worker to Update"**.  
5. If it's a State W-4 you are able to select the correct state.  
6. Form can be sent in one of two ways  
   - Direct **Email** to the address on file.  
   - **Copy** the Link and send it manually.

Once the link is executed, the Employee's tax withholding information will automatically be updated in Zeal for their next created check.

## Viewing Completed W-4s Withholding Information

### Viewing Completed Form Copies

Once an Employee completes a W-4, a copy of the completed forms are available in the Employee profile for reference.

- Go to the specific Employee's profile → **Paperwork** tab.  
- You’ll see all completed Paperwork, which includes all W-4 forms, available in PDF format.  
- The completed forms are also accessible for the worker in their [Employee Dashboard](https://support.zeal.com/hc/en-us/articles/33363590063757).

### Viewing Active Tax Parameters

The information the Employee provides in their W-4 Forms informs their Active Tax Parameters on Checks they receive.

This can be viewed under the specific Employee profile, in their **Active Tax Parameters** tab. It will list information collected from the Employee's last completed Federal and State(s) W-4 Forms.

**Note**: Editing an Active Tax Parameter involves either an admin editing the **Federal W-4** or **State W-4** tab for the Employee, or asking the Employee to complete a new Federal or State W-4 Form.

## Employee Experience: Completing W-4s

- As part of [Employee Onboarding](https://support.zeal.com/hc/en-us/articles/14063315643277), an Employee can be required to complete:  
  - **Federal W-4 Form** ( _always required_)  
  - **State W-4 Form** ( _if applicable based on work location_)  
- An Employee can be asked to complete a Specific W-4 Form via a Shareable Link.  
  - **Note** that this can be done before or after the Employee has onboarded into Zeal.  
- Each form will vary in information being asked. Generally Employees will be prompted to enter:  
  - **Filing status**  
  - **Dependents**  
  - **Other income**  
  - **Extra withholding amounts**  
  - **Multiple jobs or spouse working?**  
  - Indicate if a **tax preparer** helped fill out the form  
- The Federal W-4 is available in both **English** and **Spanish**.

If you have questions about collecting or managing W-4 forms, please [Contact Zeal Support](https://support.zeal.com/hc/en-us/articles/13466302075533-Contacting-Zeal-Support) for further assistance.