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Tax Information

Employee tax forms

U.S. citizens and permanent residents may submit Form W-4, both Federal and State, in order to enable the University to withhold the correct amount of tax from their paycheck. 

Northwestern cannot provide individual guidance on completion of the W-4 form or any related tax implications. If you have questions, please review IRS guidance or contact a tax consultant.

How should I complete my W-4?

Below are a few resources to assist you in completing your Federal Form W-4:

What if I do not submit W-4 forms?

Federal and State W-4s are automatically created for all non-scholarship and non-fellowship appointments in myHR, whether  W-4 forms are submitted or not. W-4 are also created for those who submit incorrect or incomplete forms will also default to the automatic setup.

I want to update my Federal Form W-4

The Federal Form W-4 is completed in myHR Self-Service under “Pay > W-4 Tax Information.”

Who cannot submit Federal Form W-4 online?

Foreign Nationals, those paid via Special Pay, and those without a currently-active HR appointment and NetID cannot submit via myHR Self-Service. Please download the Federal paper or electronic PDF, and see “Submitting Completed Forms,” below.

I want to update my State Form W-4

The State Form W-4 is not available in myHR Self-Service.  Please complete a paper or electronic PDF Form W-4 to modify state tax withholding.  Reference the table below to see a list of state tax forms.  Employees should also check their local state government's website to confirm details about state withholding forms. 

State

Form

Arizona

A-4 Arizona Withholding Certificate

California

DE-4 Withholding Certificate

Colorado

State withholding is based on Federal from W-4

Connecticut

CT-W-4 Withholding Certificate

District of Columbia

D-4 Employee Withholding Allowance Certificate

Florida

No withholding form; Florida does not have state income tax withholding

Georgia

G-4 Withholding Certificate

Illinois

IL-W-4 Withholding Certificate

Indiana

Form WH-4

Kentucky

K-4 Withholding Certificate and Employee's Statement of Non-residence in Illinois

Maryland

MW 507 Withholding Certificate

Massachusetts

M-4 Massachusetts Employee’s withholding exemption certificate

Michigan

MI- W-4 Withholding Certificate and Employee's Statement of Non-residence in Illinois

New York

IT-2104 Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate

North Carolina

NC-4 Withholding Certificate

Oregon

State withholding is based on Federal from W-4

Pennsylvania

State withholding is based on Federal from W-4

South Carolina

South Carolina Employee's Withholding allowance certificate

Tennessee

No withholding form; Tennessee does not have state income tax withholding

Texas

No withholding form; Texas does not have state income tax withholding

Wisconsin

WT-4 Employee’s Wisconsin Withholding Exemption Certificate/New Hire Reporting and Employee's Statement of Non-residence in Illinois

Note: Most states tax its residents on all their income, no matter where it is earned. This can result in state taxes to be withheld for more than one state, in case the state of work location (i.e. state where services are performed) is different than that of Resident state.

Submitting completed forms

Your paper or electronic/PDF forms should be submitted in person at askHR, through campus mail, or via email to askHR@northwestern.edu. If submitting via email, for your protection we recommend that you place a password on the file that you then send us separately. Forms received by the 15th of each month will take effect that month.

If you are submitting paper or electronic forms, please ensure your form is complete and accurate before submission. Inaccurate or incomplete forms will be securely destroyed without being processed. Below you will find common reasons why a Form W-4 may be rejected.

Why might my form be rejected?  

Rejected forms must be redone and resubmitted by the employee, as inaccurate or incomplete forms will be destroyed without being processed.

Paper and electronic forms will be rejected for the following reasons: