What are the laws reguarding high school students and W2 forms?

I hate to tell you this, but if you earn more than your standard deduction, no matter what your age, you have to pay state and federal income taxes. You could claim "exempt" on a W-4 form and then your job wouldn't take out federal or state withholding taxes, but there's no form that you can fill out to not have social security or medicare taxes taken out.

There aren't any special laws for high school students for a W-4. You'd be exempt if your income is below a certain limit - if it's over the limit, you aren't exempt and can't claim that on your W-4. And NY can make rules for NY taxes, but not federal. You'd owe 7.65% for social security and medicare no matter how much or little you make, plus income tax if you make over a certain amount. Consider the possibility that you might be the one who's wrong, not your employer. And a separate comment: with an attitude like you have, you'll be real lucky to keep a job at all. I hope you don't act at work like you talk on this forum. A great quote from Mark Twain: "It isn't what we don't know that gets us in trouble, it's what we know for sure that just isn't so."

Your employer is required to withhold tax. It's not that they are cheating you, because if you do not owe those taxes, the taxes will be refunded to you. There is mandatory payment of Social Security and Medicare. There may also be mandatory payment of state or federal unemployment taxes. You will not be refunded these taxes, and no wage earner is exempt from these taxes regardless of age. In addition, there may be state or federal income taxes withheld. If you earn less than $5,350 in 2007, you should owe no federal income taxes, and your withholding will be returned to you when you file your federal income tax return in January. Most states are similar in that if you do not owe federal taxes you will also not owe state taxes, and you will receive a refund by filing a state tax return.

the laws regarding claiming exempt status are based more on what you will be earning and for how long rather than your student status. read the attached links carefully. If you still feel you should be exempt then: for NY fill out form IT2104E for Fed write "exempt" on line 7 of form W-4 try to work things out with your payroll dept. if not call 800 8291040 for feds 800 calltax for NYS

1.Eligibility to put exempt (or anything else) on a W-4 is determined by federal law, not NYS law. Being a high school student does not automatically make you exempt. In fact, being a full time student makes it more difficult to qualify for claiming to be exempt, because it means that you are probably someone else's dependent and there is a rule that "[y]ou cannot claim exemption from withholding if (a) your income exceeds $850 and includes more than $300 of unearned income (for example, interest and dividends) and (b) another person can claim you as a dependent on their tax return." 2. If they took out either state or federal income tax and should not have done so, you can file a tax return at the end of the year (anytime after you receive your W-2) and receive a full refund from the government of the amount that they withheld. If you want refunds of both the state income tax and the federal income tax, you have to file two separate returns, one with the IRS and one with the state.