IRS Form W-4 “exempt” status expires Feb. 15

If you claimed “exempt” from withholding tax on your W-4 for 2016 and want to renew your exemption claim for calendar year 2017, you must update your W-4. To do so, you can login to myUFL and navigate to My Self Service > Payroll and Compensation > W-4 Tax Information by Feb. 15.

Updating your W-4 to “exempt” instructs the University of Florida to not deduct any federal withholding tax from your wages. To qualify for “exempt” status, you must:

1)      Have had no tax liability for the previous year (2016), and

2)      Expect to have no tax liability for the current year (2017)

However, if you can be claimed as a dependent on a parent’s or another person’s tax return, additional limitations may apply.  Refer to the instructions for Form W-4 or your tax adviser for assistance regarding qualification.

Per IRS regulations, if you do not complete a new W-4 by the Feb. 15 deadline, your W-4 will reset on Feb. 16, 2017, to withhold tax at the rate of single, with zero withholding allowances. However, if UF has accepted a previous W-4 for you (one that is not exempt), those W-4 elections will be used.  Tax refunds will not be issued for failing to update your W-4 exemption by the required deadline.

Questions regarding your W-4 status may be directed to taxhelp@admin.ufl.edu or University Payroll and Tax Services at (352)392-1231.