| Exercise
your right to decide how much income tax to withhold
There are neutral words like “return.” But there also are more emotionally loaded words like “liability,” “deficiency,” and “audit.” Depending on their experience, some taxpayers might think about friendlier words like “exemption,” “deduction,” “credit,” and especially “refund.” Unfortunately, there’s another tax-related word that too few people consider – at least until they run up against some of the potentially painful ones. That word is “rights.” You’ve got them, and one of the Idaho State Tax Commission’s most important jobs is helping Idaho taxpayers know, understand, and exercise their rights. At tax.idaho.gov/rights the Tax Commission’s website has a handy summary of Idaho’s Taxpayer Bill of Rights and other Idaho Code sections designed to inform and protect taxpayers while ensuring that Idaho tax laws are administered fairly and equitably. The page details the Tax Commission’s responsibilities to you and the kind of information, privacy, responsiveness and customer service you should expect from us. The categories tell the story: The Right to Quality Service, The Right to Be Informed, The Right to Confidentiality, The Right to Representation, The Right to Appeal, The Right to Payment Options, and The Right to Pay Only the Tax You Owe. These are more than goals or ideals. They are the law. But your rights are like your muscles – they’re only good if you use them! We’re here to help. One right reserved exclusively to you is the right to decide how much tax your employer should “withhold” and send to the Tax Commission. Neither your employer nor the Tax Commission can decide that for you, and it’s a right that every Idaho resident should exercise diligently. That’s particularly important right now. Maybe you got a smaller refund than usual this year. Maybe you had to pay more when you filed a return because your withholding was unexpectedly too low. Maybe you even had to arrange a payment plan beyond April 15 to cover your income tax bill for 2018. If you haven’t updated your withholding information on Form W-4 – federal and state – since early 2018, this is your chance to exercise your right to decide. We’ve made it easier with help estimating the withholding number that’s right for you at tax.idaho.gov/w4. Historic tax reforms were partly responsible – and their impact on how much you owe will continue through 2019 and beyond. In fact, a minor change in your 2018 return could be bigger in 2019. So seize the moment! If you haven’t done it yet, exercise your right to choose how much tax your employer withholds from your pay. |
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