Is there any point in filing a W-4 form for past years?

Question

Apparantly no social security taxes were withheld from my paycheck during the past year, because of an improper exemption claim. Is there some way to pay back FICA taxes? Do I simply file a 2007 W-4 form with the correct exemption information?

Answer 1

I take it you are a US citizen?

Did you receive a W-2?

Answer 2

If no ss was withheld, that was because your employer screwed up.  There is nothing you can put on a W-4 that changes your ss withholding.  Even if you put exempt, whether you are legally allowed to or not, that only affects withholding for federal income tax, not for social security and medicare.

Are you sure your employer isn't trying to treat you as an independent contractor?  Depending on the work you are doing, that would very likely be illegal for him to do.

Are you saying this happened last year too, or just in 2008?  What did you get at the end of 2007, a W-2 or a 1099?  An employee would get a W-2, and ss and medicare would be taken out no matter what they had on their W-4.  A contractor files a W-9 not a W-4, gets a form called a 1099-misc instead of a W-2, and is responsible for paying all of his or her own taxes, including extra for ss and medicare that would be paid by the employer if they were an employee.

I'd have a talk with your payroll department if you have one, and otherwise with your employer, and ask what is going on with your deductions.  If they are telling you it's because you did something wrong on your W-4, they are BS'ing you.

Answer 3

The W-4 form has nothing to do with FICA withholding, which is set at a certain percentage of your pay. If you receive wages (reported on a W-2 form at the end of the year), then your employer is required to withhold the FICA. The W-4 only relates to federal tax withholding.