How To Treat 2021 and Earlier Forms W-4P as if They Were 2022 or Later Forms W-4P
Payers may use an optional computational bridge to treat 2021 and earlier Forms W-4P as if they were 2022 or later Forms W-4P for purposes of figuring federal income tax withholding. This computational bridge can reduce system complexity by allowing payers to permanently use computational procedures and data fields for a 2022 and later Form W-4P to arrive at the equivalent withholding for a payee that would have applied using the computational procedures and data fields on a 2021 or earlier Form W-4P. You must make up to four adjustments to use this computational bridge, but it will simplify data storage and eliminate some steps in Worksheet 1B.
Select the filing status in Step 1(c) of a 2022 or later Form W-4P that most accurately reflects the payee’s marital status on line 2 of a 2021 or earlier Form W-4P. Treat the payee as “Single or Married filing separately” on a 2022 or later Form W-4P if the payee selected either “Single” or “Married, but withhold at higher single rate” as their marital status on their 2021 or earlier Form W-4P. Treat the payee as “Married filing jointly” on a 2022 or later Form W-4P if the payee selected “Married” as their marital status on their 2021 or earlier Form W-4P. You can’t convert a payee to a filing status of “Head of household” using this computational bridge.
Enter an amount in Step 4(a) on a 2022 or later Form W-4P based on the filing status that you determined in (1) above when you converted the payee’s marital status on a 2021 or earlier Form W-4P. Enter $8,600 if the payee’s filing status is “Single or Married filing separately” or $12,900 if the payee’s filing status is “Married filing jointly.”
Multiply the number of allowances claimed on line 2 of a payee’s 2021 or earlier Form W-4P by $4,300 and enter the result in Step 4(b) on a 2022 or later Form W-4P.
Enter the additional amount of withholding requested by the payee on line 3 of their 2021 or earlier Form W-4P in Step 4(c) of a 2022 or later Form W-4P.
If you use this computational bridge, you will skip Steps 1(j)–(l) and any other instructions on Worksheet 1B that reference a 2021 or earlier Form W-4P.