THE TAX CYCLE & JOB
PAPERWORK
Standard – Education, Careers, Income
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to
•Identify important dates of the tax cycle
•Understand the difference between common tax forms
•Explain the purpose of a W-4 and how it impacts their
paycheck
•Analyze and understand the fine print of a sample W-4

WHEN DO PEOPLE FILE THEIR TAX
RETURNS
1.During what months do most
people file their taxes?
2. Approximately how many
people filed their returns the
first week of February and the
week of April 15, combined?
3. Why do you think no one
filed their taxes in the month
of January?

THE TAX CYCLE
Schoology
The Tax Cycle
Fine Print W-4 Form

TAX
FORMS
AND
THEIR
PURPOSES
Click on the white box
to test your knowledge

WHAT PERCENT OF TAXPAYERS
DON’T KNOW WHAT A W-4 IS?
57%
Do you know what one is?
How did you learn about
it?

WHAT YOU NEED TO
KNOW ABOUT
FORM W-4
Which of the following statements about the W-4 is
true? (Select all that apply)
• The purpose of the form is to provide employees
with reported wage and salary information.
• The form is given to employees every January.
• This form is given to employees on the their first
day on the job.
• The purpose of the form is to let employers know
how much money to withhold from an
employee’s paycheck for taxes.
You will need to include all of the following
information on a W-4 EXCEPT…
• Name and address
• Earned income from previous job
• Social Security number
• Marital status

FORM
W-4
Click on the white box
to test your knowledge

THE FINE PRINT W-4 FORM
EXPLORE A W-4 IN DETAIL
ANSWER THE QUESTIONS
USING THE SAMPLE W-4
Schoology
The Tax Cycle
Fine PrintW-4 Form

EXIT
TICKET