The W-4 (Employee's Withholding Certificate) is a mandatory IRS form completed by all US employees. It tells the employer how much federal income tax to withhold from each paycheck.
In this Article
Submitting your W-4 during onboarding
Updating your W-4 mid-employment
State W-4 requirements by state
Important notes:
- Many states require a separate, state-specific withholding form.
- States without an income tax do not require a state W-4.
- States that accept the federal W-4 as their state form apply federal elections to state withholding as well.
On the Deel Payroll - US platform, W-4 submission is handled entirely by the employee through their Deel workspace. There is no manual approval step - the form is processed automatically upon submission.
The data is used by Deel’s internal tax calculator, which uses it to determine the correct federal (and where applicable, state) withholding amount each pay period.
Submitting your W-4 during onboarding
- Log in to your Deel workspace.
- Navigate to the Documents tab.
- Complete the Federal W-4 by filling in all relevant steps.
- If your work state requires a state withholding form, complete it as prompted.
- Submit the form. The platform processes your submission automatically — no approval step is required.
Note: If you do not submit a W-4 before your first payroll, the system defaults to Single filing status with no adjustments and $0 additional withholding (the highest withholding bracket). Corrected withholding applies from the next payroll cycle after your W-4 is submitted.
Updating your W-4 mid-employment
You can update your W-4 at any time : for example, after a life event such as marriage, the birth of a child, or a change in jobs.
- Go to your Deel workspace and open the Documents tab.
- Click the three-dot menu next to your current W-4 and select Manage Files.
- Select Delete W-4 Form to remove the existing form.
- Complete and submit your new W-4.
Note: If you update before your payroll cycle is approved, the new withholding applies to the current cycle. If you update after approval, it applies to the next cycle.
State W-4 requirements by state
Your state withholding requirements depend on where you work.
| State category | States | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| No state income tax | AK, FL, NV, NH, SD, TN, TX, WA, WY | No state W-4 required |
| Uses a version of the federal W-4 | DE, ID, IA, MT, ND, UT, WI (partial) | Complete the state form in addition to your federal W-4 |
| Has its own state W-4 form | Most other states (e.g., CA, CO, NY, VA, OH, OR) | Complete the state-specific form in the platform in addition to your federal W-4 |
Note: Colorado allows you to complete the state form, but if you don't, your federal W-4 elections are applied.
Frequently Asked Questions
[ACCORDION] What happens if I don't submit a W-4 before my first payroll?
The system defaults to Single filing status with no adjustments and $0 additional withholding. This is the highest withholding bracket. Your correct withholding applies from the next cycle after you submit your W-4. No corrections are made to previously processed payrolls.
[ACCORDION]Can I claim tax-exempt status?
To request a tax exemption, contact your Deel Support or Customer Success team — this is processed outside of the W-4 form. Tax-exempt elections expire on February 15 each year and must be resubmitted annually. If you are a nonresident alien (NRA), you cannot claim exempt status.
[ACCORDION] I work in a different state than I live in - what do I do?
Both states may have withholding obligations depending on reciprocity agreements. Deel does not support reciprocity taxes. Contact your Support team for guidance.
[ACCORDION] What if I was withheld less than expected during the tax year?
The difference is settled during your annual tax return, where you'll pay any remaining amount owed. If you'd prefer to withhold more throughout the year, you can add additional withholding amounts on a new W-4 form.
[ACCORDION] What if I submitted a state W-4 for a state with no income tax?
The platform should not collect a state form for no-income-tax states. First check that your work and home addresses are correct. If you see an error, contact Deel Support.