What is a deduction from total earnings for each person legally supported by a taxpayer called?

The term that describes a deduction from total earnings for each person legally supported by a taxpayer is known as a withholding allowance. This allowance is essentially a factor used in calculating the amount of income tax that will be withheld from an employee's paycheck. Each withholding allowance reduces the amount of taxable income, therefore lowering the amount of taxes withheld from earnings.

The withholding allowance system allows taxpayers to account for dependents or other circumstances that might affect their overall tax liability. As the number of withholding allowances claimed increases, the amount withheld from the paycheck decreases, reflecting the taxpayer’s lower tax burden due to dependents.

While tax exemptions and deductions may also relate to dependents, they typically refer to different concepts. Tax exemptions are specific deductions from gross income for certain categories of taxpayers, while a dependent deduction is not a formally recognized term in the context of withholding calculations. Claim allowance is a less commonly used term, and it doesn't accurately describe the deduction framework used within payroll or tax systems. Thus, withholding allowance is the most appropriate and accurate choice that correctly identifies this aspect of tax withholding.