The signed W-4 Exemption Acknowledgement form should be forwarded to the Payroll Services Division by email (osc.payroll@ct.gov) or mailed to the following address:

Office of the State Comptroller

Payroll Services Division

55 Elm St

Hartford, CT 06106

Attn: Vivian Valencia

*Please continue to retain/file the actual Federal W-4 form at the Agency level (it is not necessary to forward the completed W-4 form to the Payroll Services Division)

It is not necessary to ask employees who have filed exempt in recent weeks to complete this form. We understand that it may take some time to incorporate this form into each Agencies W-4 process. The W-4 Exemption Acknowledgement form should be included with incoming Federal exempt W-4’s prospectively/no later than June 1st, 2015.

A copy of the W-4 Acknowledgement form will be retained here in the Payroll Services Division for the purpose of providing backup for ongoing audits that occur on a regular basis. The form will be posted on both the Core-CT and the Comptrollers web site ASAP. Please share this information with the individuals who are responsible for administering your Agencies W-4 process.

Questions about this new requirement may be directed to osc.payroll@ct.gov.

Q&A's:

Question: Can the completed W-4 Acknowledgment form get scanned and sent?

Answer: Yes, to osc.payroll@ct.gov

Question: How would we handle an employee who refuses to complete this form?

Answer: Document their info via the form and mark it “refused to sign” and send it to our office. All forms will be made available to the Federal Agencies auditing this process.

Question: This seems to only cover Federal W-4’s and not employees claiming exempt on state. Is that true?

Answer: Yes.

Question: Is the W-4 Acknowledgement form applicable to the retirement payroll?

Answer: No, retirees complete form W-4P. The W-4 Acknowledgement form is only applicable in conjunction with the Federal W-4 form on the active payroll.

Question: Is the W-4 Acknowledgement form applicable to Non Resident Aliens who are exempt from Federal taxes due to tax treaties?

Answer: No, Non Resident Aliens who are exempt from Federal taxes due to tax treaties do not need to complete the W-4 Acknowledgement form.

Question: Is the W-4 Exemption Acknowledgement form applicable to student workers and part time university assistants?

Answer: A student worker or university assistant’s hours can vary each pay period and there is a possibility that no Federal tax will be withheld even if the student worker or university assistant claims single with zero withholding allowances. It would only be applicable to student workers/UAs if they completed a Federal W-4 change with the intent of being exempt from Federal taxes.

Question: So, this is only for future exemptions? Employees who are currently exempt do not need to file the Acknowledgment form?

Answer: Correct, only employees who are sending in Federal W-4’s that will make them exempt from Federal Withholding tax. As a reminder, new Federal W-4’s must be sent in every year according to Publication 15 (page 8) and our office will need the completed Acknowledgement forms at that time as well.