<< So... can I legally say that I "am married" now, for tax purposes? I will be later this year, and I *don't* want to be underwithheld. Nor does my fiance'. I have to turn in my form TOMORROW and we just now started asking for advice about this. I know I can change my W-4 later, but I'd rather do it right the first time. Thanks! >>

I can understand you're new at this, but you have to start thinking as a couple <g>. Both of you need to sit down together and go through the W-4 worksheets, paying special attention to the two-earner worksheet. Then you need to decide what allowances you need to claim on each W-4, and whether you need additional withholding somewhere. It's probable that you both need to amend your W-4's, it's just coincidence that you are starting a new job. There's no problem with your using the married withholding rates before you're acutally married. (There was a lot of discussion of this a while ago on the board, and if you want to kill some time looking at it, just search on "withholding".)

<< I'm not sure what you mean when you talk about filling out the W-4 worksheet. Do you mean the one I have to turn in to my new employer? Nowhere on that sheet do I see a place where I could potentially figure out how much I would owe. >>

The worksheets are part of the W-4, but not the part that you turn in to the employer.

Phil Marti