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FREE TEMPLATE / GOVERNMENT, TAX FORMS AND STAMP DUTY

Form W-4, Employee's Withholding Certificate

The IRS form a new employee fills in so their employer withholds the right amount of federal income tax from their pay. The employee signs it and the employer keeps it.

For the United States.

Get the official formSend it for e-signature with Centilio SignDownload the free PDF

The official form comes from Internal Revenue Service.

First page of the Form W-4, Employee's Withholding Certificate template
PDF, 1 page, 10 KB
SIGNING RULES

How it is signed in the United States

The rules for an official government form depend on where it is signed. Laws change, so check the sources before anyone signs.

W-4

Official form

Form W-4 tells an employer how much federal income tax to withhold from an employee's pay. The employee fills in Step 1 and any of Steps 2 to 4 that apply and signs Step 5, and the employer completes the Employers Only box with its name and address, the first date of employment and its EIN.

Steps

  1. Download the current Form W-4 from the IRS page.
  2. Choose who fills each one: the employee fills Steps 1 to 5 as they apply, and you fill the Employers Only box.
  3. Send it to the new employee to fill in and sign.

Source

United States

E-signature

It can be signed electronically.

Steps

  1. Download the current W-4 from the IRS.
  2. The employee fills and signs it.
  3. Keep it on file. It is not sent to the IRS.

What the law asks for

E-signature
AcceptedEmployers may take Form W-4 electronically when their system meets the IRS requirements.
Witnesses
None
Notary
Not needed
Remote signing
Not available
Registration
Not needed
Stamp duty
Not needed

Sources

Checked October 25, 2026 against these sources.

QUESTIONS

Common questions

Answers from the signing rules on this page.

Can the form w-4, employee's withholding certificate be signed electronically in the United States?

Yes. An electronic signature is accepted for it in the United States. Employers may take Form W-4 electronically when their system meets the IRS requirements.

How many witnesses does the form w-4, employee's withholding certificate need in the United States?

None. No witness is needed in the United States.

Does the form w-4, employee's withholding certificate need a notary in the United States?

No. No notary is needed.

Does the form w-4, employee's withholding certificate need to be registered in the United States?

No. It is not registered.

Is stamp duty due on the form w-4, employee's withholding certificate in the United States?

No stamp duty is due.

Can the form w-4, employee's withholding certificate be signed or witnessed remotely in the United States?

No.

THE RIGHT TEMPLATE

Where it fits

For employees paid in the United States, for federal income tax withholding. Not for independent contractors, who give a Form W-9, and not for state withholding, which many states handle on their own forms. Sign does not rewrite it: you upload the official form and send it for e-signature.

A CAREFUL CHECK

Before you rely on it

Original Centilio wording, not legal advice. Publication 15 lets an employer receive Forms W-4 electronically through a system that meets Regulations section 31.3402(f)(5)-1(c). It does not cover state withholding forms, claims of exemption from withholding or the employer's payroll duties. Ask a payroll or tax adviser about anything unusual.