Tax Information and W-4 Information:

General Information:
An employee must complete the W-4 Form before Iowa State University can pay them. There are two W-4's to complete, one for Federal withholding and one for State withholding. Federal and State income tax is withheld from wage payments based on marital status selected and number of allowances claimed on line 5 of the W-4. Federal and State income taxes are calculated after reducing the gross wage by pre-tax items such as annuities and select benefits.

Employees may change their filing at any time by completing a new W-4 form. Taxes will be withheld at the appropriate rate based on the most current W-4 on file. No adjustment will be made for previous withholdings.

Filling out your W-4's:

W-4 forms must be completed in ink (or typed) with an original signature.

These forms require:

  • Name, the same as on your Social Security Card
  • Address
  • Social Security number
  • Marital status, if no box is marked, the default is single
  • Number of allowances, line 5, if left blank 0 (zero) will be entered.
  • Additional deduction amount (if desired), line 6
The amount indicated on this line will be in addition to the amount that would be withheld based on your marital status and the number allowances claimed on line 5. 
  • Exempt from Withholding, line 7. Can only be claimed if you meet the criteria listed on the W-4.
  • Signature
  • Date
Federal and State W-4's:

W-4 forms may be completed in the Payroll Office at 3608 ASB (Administrative Services Building) or Records Management Office 3810 Beardshear Hall.  Also, below are links to the Federal and State of Iowa W-4 forms. Pick a link and print the form, then fill it out using the above instructions. Mail the W-4s to the ISU Payroll Office, 3608 ASB, Ames, IA 50011-3608.

·Federal W-4

·State W-4 

Illinois Residents

If you are a resident of Illinois and would prefer that your state taxes be remitted Illinois and your earnings be reported to the State of Illinois, you need to fill out the 44-016 "Employee's Statement of Non-residence in Iowa" form.

An employee who fills out the Iowa Non-residence form still needs to complete an Iowa W-4.If you do not meet the criteria above for claiming an exempt status, do not write "exempt" on the Iowa W-4.State taxes, for an employee who fills out the Iowa Non-residence form are calculated using Iowa's tax tables and remitted to Illinois. If you change your residence from Illinois to another state, you must notify Iowa State University Payroll Department within 10 days of the change.

Summary

Individual tax matters are the responsibility of each employee. You should provide Iowa State University with accurate information when establishing your tax status. Federal and state regulations impose penalties for supplying false withholding information.

Employees with tax questions can contact the ISU Payroll Department at 294-6556, the Internal Revenue Service at 1-800-424-1040, or the State of Iowa Department of Revenue at 1-800-367-3388.