IRS Form W-4 · USCIS Form I-9

What tax forms does a 14-year-old need for a first job?

In the United States, every new employee — including a 14-, 15-, 16-, or 17-year-old at a first job — fills out two federal forms before the first paycheck: Form W-4 tells the IRS how much federal income tax to withhold from each paycheck, and Form I-9 confirms to USCIS that the employee is authorized to work in the United States. Both are the employer’s responsibility to collect, but the teen fills them out (often with a parent helping). State paperwork — a state work permit if your state requires one — is a separate document and the place a parent typically signs as parent of a minor.

What forms a teen actually needs

On day one of a first US job, the employer collects three documents. None of them costs money. None of them takes long. Bring a Social Security card (or know the number) and one government photo ID (school ID + birth certificate also work for the under-18 case) and a teen can finish all three in about 20 minutes.

Federal Form W-4 (IRS): tells the employer how much federal income tax to withhold from each paycheck. Without it the employer withholds at the highest single rate. Filed with the employer — not mailed to the IRS.
Federal Form I-9 (USCIS): proves the employee is legally authorized to work in the US. The teen fills out Section 1 and presents identification documents; the employer fills out Section 2 within three business days of hire.
State work permit (if required): 33 of 50 states require a work permit / age certificate for minors under 16 or 18 (varies by state). This is the document a parent typically signs as parent of a minor employee. See the 50-state comparison to check.

Form W-4 — federal tax withholding

What it is. The W-4 (officially “Employee’s Withholding Certificate”) is a one-page IRS form that tells the employer how much federal income tax to take out of each paycheck. It does not file taxes — it just sets the withholding rate. The teen still files (or is included on a parent’s) federal return after year-end if total earnings exceed the IRS filing threshold.

Why it matters for a teen. A minor earning less than the standard deduction (the 2026 single-filer standard deduction is the IRS threshold — see Publication 929) generally owes no federal income tax. In that case, leaving the W-4 at the default still results in some money being withheld and refunded after filing. The form does not include a “teen” or “minor” checkbox.

What the teen does. Fill out Step 1 (name, address, Social Security Number, filing status — almost always “single” for a first-job teen), skip Steps 2–4 unless multiple jobs or dependents apply, sign and date Step 5. That’s it.

Who signs. The teen employee signs. A parent does not sign Form W-4 — the IRS treats this as the employee’s certification, regardless of age. A parent may help the teen fill it out, but the signature is the employee’s.

Form I-9 — employment eligibility verification

What it is. The I-9 is a USCIS form every US employer must keep for every employee — citizen or not, minor or adult. It confirms two things: the employee’s identity, and that the employee is authorized to work in the United States. Employers retain the completed I-9 for at least three years from the date of hire or one year after termination, whichever is later.

What the teen does. The teen fills out Section 1 (basic info plus attestation of US citizenship or work authorization) and presents documents from the I-9 “Lists of Acceptable Documents”: one document from List A (which proves identity AND authorization, e.g. a US passport — many teens don’t have one), OR one document from List B (identity, e.g. driver’s license, school ID with photo) plus one document from List C (work authorization, e.g. Social Security card, US birth certificate).

The under-18 special rule. A minor under 18 who can’t produce a List B document (no driver’s license, no state ID, no photo school ID) is allowed to present only a List C document (typically the Social Security card or US birth certificate). In that case, a parent or legal guardian completes a separate Preparer / Translator Certification (Form I-9 Supplement A) and the employer writes “Individual under age 18” in the List B field of Section 2. See the official USCIS I-9 Central for the current instructions.

Who signs what: parent vs. minor

A common point of confusion: parents do not sign the federal W-4 or the I-9 on behalf of a minor. The teen is the legal employee and signs both. The parent’s federal role shows up only on the I-9 if the teen is under 18 and lacks a List B document — in that case a parent or legal guardian signs the Preparer / Translator block as the person who helped the minor complete the form.

Form W-4: Teen signs. Parent never signs.
Form I-9 Section 1: Teen signs.
Form I-9 Supplement A: Parent or legal guardian signs — only if the under-18 minor lacks a List B document.
State work permit: Parent typically signs as parent / legal guardian (state-specific).

Where to download the current PDFs

Always pull these directly from the IRS and USCIS — both agencies revise the forms periodically, and outdated copies floating around the web can cause a rejected hire.

Both PDFs are fillable on a computer (use Adobe Reader or a modern browser). Print after filling so the signature is on paper — the federal forms still require a physical or qualifying electronic signature.