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Internal Revenue Service

Fill out Form W-4V online

Voluntary Withholding Request

Form W-4V asks the payer of certain government payments to withhold federal income tax from each payment. It covers unemployment compensation, social security benefits, social security equivalent Tier 1 railroad retirement benefits, Commodity Credit Corporation loans, certain crop disaster payments, and dividends and other distributions from Alaska Native Corporations. Withholding from these payments is voluntary, and you can also use the form to change the rate or stop withholding.

Fill out Form W-4VBlank form from the IRS

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Edition
Rev. January 2026
Pages
2
Fillable fields
14
Checked against the IRS
November 8, 2026

GuruPDF is not affiliated with the Internal Revenue Service. This page explains the form in plain words; it is not legal or tax advice. Always check the official instructions before you file.

Who uses Form W-4V

  • People receiving unemployment compensation, including Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act payments
  • People receiving social security benefits or social security equivalent Tier 1 railroad retirement benefits
  • People who get Commodity Credit Corporation loans or certain crop disaster payments
  • Shareholders receiving dividends or other distributions from Alaska Native Corporations
  • Anyone who already has voluntary withholding and wants to change the rate or stop it

Before you start

  • Your full name and social security number
  • Your home address, including the country name if you live outside the United States and its territories
  • The claim or identification number you use with your payer, if you have one
  • Which payment you want tax withheld from, and for line 6 payments, the rate you want (7%, 10%, 12% or 22%)

How to fill out Form W-4V

  1. Lines 1 and 2: Name and social security number

    On line 1, enter your first name, middle initial and last name. On line 2, enter your social security number.

  2. Line 3: Home address

    Enter your street address, city or town, state and ZIP code. If your address is outside the United States or the U.S. territories, enter the city, the province or state, and the full country name, and write the postal code the way that country does.

  3. Line 4: Claim or identification number

    Enter the number you use with your payer, if any. For social security benefits, this is the social security number under which the claim is filed or benefits are paid, followed by a letter or letter-and-number suffix that shows the type of benefit (for example, 123-45-6789A). It may or may not be your own social security number. For other payments, ask your payer for the right number format.

  4. Line 5: Unemployment compensation

    Check the box on line 5 if you want tax withheld from unemployment compensation. The payer withholds 10% of each payment. No other rate or amount is allowed for unemployment compensation.

  5. Line 6: Social security and other listed payments

    If you get social security benefits, social security equivalent Tier 1 railroad retirement benefits, Commodity Credit Corporation loans, the listed crop disaster payments, or Alaska Native Corporation distributions, check one rate: 7%, 10%, 12% or 22%. No other percentage or amount is allowed.

  6. Line 7: Stop withholding

    To stop withholding, fill in lines 1 through 4 on a new form and check the box on line 7. Check only one box among lines 5, 6 and 7.

  7. Sign and date the form

    Sign and date the form in the Sign Here area. The form is not valid unless you sign it, and without a signed form the payer cannot withhold tax.

After you fill it out

Give the signed form to the payer of your payments, such as the agency that pays your unemployment compensation or the Social Security Administration. Do not send it to the IRS. Ask your payer how it accepts the form and when withholding will begin. For social security benefits, the form notes that you can also request withholding changes through SSA online or by phone instead of submitting the form.

Signing: The form says it is not valid unless you sign it, and the signature line has a date box. The instructions do not say whether an electronic signature is accepted, so follow your payer's instructions; if you are unsure, print the form and sign it in ink.

Watch out for

  • Give Form W-4V to the payer, not to the IRS. The form says not to send it to the IRS.
  • If your payer gives you its own withholding request form instead of Form W-4V, use the payer's form.
  • Only the printed rates are allowed: 10% for unemployment compensation, and 7%, 10%, 12% or 22% for the payments on line 6. You cannot ask for a dollar amount or another percentage.
  • If you have other income that is not subject to withholding, the instructions say to consider making estimated tax payments as well (see Form 1040-ES).

Questions about Form W-4V

Do I have to have tax withheld from these payments?

No. The instructions say you are not required to have federal income tax withheld from these payments, and the request is voluntary.

Where do I send Form W-4V?

Give it to the payer of your payments, such as the agency that pays your unemployment compensation or the Social Security Administration. Do not send it to the IRS.

How do I change or stop my withholding?

Complete a new Form W-4V and give it to the payer. To change the rate on a line 6 payment, check a new rate. To stop, fill in lines 1 through 4, check line 7, and sign and date the form.

When does withholding start, and how long does it last?

Ask your payer when withholding will begin. The rate you choose stays in effect until you change or stop it, or until the payments stop.

Can I use Form W-4V for withholding from wages?

No. Form W-4V covers only the government payments listed on the form. For pay from a job, employees complete Form W-4, Employee's Withholding Certificate, so their employer can withhold federal income tax.

Official information

Page text last reviewed November 7, 2026.

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