The revised form implements changes made following the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The previous form was tied to the amount of the personal exemption, no longer a central feature of the tax code
“The new draft Form W-4 reflects important feedback from the payroll community and others in the tax community,” IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig, said in a prepared statement. “The primary goals of the new design are to provide simplicity, accuracy and privacy for employees while minimizing burden for employers and payroll processors.”
The IRS is accepting comments on the initial draft and has released FAQs about the new design.