Paycheck Calculator

The result is an annual tax estimate divided by the number of paychecks: 52 weekly, 26 every two weeks, 24 twice a month, or 12 monthly. Hourly pay is the rate times hours per week times 52. It is not an IRS Publication 15-T withholding calculation, and it does not ask for Form W-4 entries. A pay stub can differ.

Federal income tax uses the 2026 brackets and standard deduction from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 (IR-2025-103). Head of household uses the corrected brackets, with the 24% bracket ending at $201,750. There is no federal personal exemption. Traditional 401(k) contributions reduce federal and state income-tax wages, not Social Security or Medicare, and are capped at the $24,500 deferral for 2026. Catch-up contributions are not included. Pre-tax health premiums reduce income-tax wages and payroll-tax wages.

Social Security is 6.2% of wages up to $184,500. Medicare is 1.45% with no wage cap. Additional Medicare tax of 0.9% uses the liability thresholds: $200,000 single or head of household, $250,000 married filing jointly, and $125,000 married filing separately. An employer withholds that extra 0.9% once wages pass $200,000 regardless of filing status.

State tax starts from wages after those pre-tax amounts, subtracts the published standard deduction or exemption, then applies the brackets. A figure marked as a credit reduces the tax instead of the income. California uses the Franchise Tax Board's 2026 schedules, plus the 1% Mental Health Services Tax on taxable income over $1,000,000. Other states use the Tax Foundation's February 2026 workbook of state statutes. Where that workbook says a 2026 inflation adjustment was not yet published, the notes under the result say the figure is from the prior year.

Employee payroll tax is included only where the agency rate was checked: California SDI at 1.3% of wages with no cap, Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave at the employee share of the 2026 premium, and WA Cares at 0.58%. Other state disability and paid-leave programs are named in the notes under the result and are not deducted.

Amounts are calculated in cents and rounded half up. Each paycheck line is that annual amount divided by the number of paychecks and rounded again, and the take-home line is the sum of those rounded lines. Local taxes, itemized deductions, dependents, and most credits are not included. The refund estimator is a separate federal-only calculation.