1. Pay details
2. Federal W-4
Advanced W-4 fields
3. Deductions and year-to-date wages
4. State and local estimate
Estimate only. Federal withholding uses the 2026 IRS Publication 15-T percentage method for a 2020-or-later Form W-4. Social Security and Medicare use 2026 federal rates and wage limits. State/local withholding in this version is a simplified user-entered estimate for states that tax wages. Actual payroll can differ because of state-specific withholding tables, reciprocity, local rules, supplemental wage methods, benefit tax treatment and employer payroll settings. Calculations run in your browser; no values are sent or stored.
What does this paycheck calculator estimate?
This calculator estimates a U.S. employee’s take-home pay from hourly wages or annual salary. It starts with gross pay, applies eligible pre-tax deductions, estimates federal income tax withholding, Social Security and Medicare, then subtracts optional state, local and post-tax deductions.
The result is an estimate of net pay, not a tax return calculation. Your employer’s payroll system may produce a different amount because withholding depends on payroll settings, exact benefit tax treatment and the rules that apply where you work.
How 2026 federal paycheck withholding is calculated
Federal income tax withholding in this calculator follows the percentage method in the 2026 IRS Publication 15-T for a 2020-or-later Form W-4. The calculation annualizes taxable wages based on pay frequency, applies the selected filing status and Step 2 checkbox, then accounts for W-4 credits, other income, deductions and extra withholding.
Social Security and Medicare taxes
For 2026, the employee Social Security rate is 6.2% up to the $184,500 Social Security wage base. Medicare is generally 1.45% with no wage cap, and employers begin withholding an additional 0.9% Medicare tax on wages paid above $200,000 during the calendar year. The YTD wage fields help the calculator avoid applying Social Security beyond the annual wage base and estimate Additional Medicare withholding near the threshold. See IRS Topic 751 for the federal rates.
State and local taxes
State payroll withholding rules vary widely. This first version automatically sets state wage-income tax to zero for states that do not impose a broad individual income tax on wages. For other states, you can enter an estimated withholding rate for planning. This is intentionally labeled as an estimate rather than pretending that one flat rate reproduces every state payroll table.
Hourly paycheck with overtime
Hourly workers can enter regular hours, overtime hours and an overtime multiplier for the current paycheck. The calculator adds those earnings before estimating taxes. If you want to isolate overtime earnings before taxes, use the Overtime Pay Calculator.
Salary paycheck calculation
For salaried workers, annual salary is divided by the selected number of pay periods: 52 weekly, 26 biweekly, 24 semimonthly or 12 monthly. If you only want to convert an hourly rate into gross annual pay, use the Hourly to Salary Calculator.
Gross pay vs take-home pay
Gross pay is what you earn before payroll deductions. Take-home pay is what remains after taxes and other deductions. For a detailed explanation of the difference, read What Is Gross Pay? and What Is a Pay Stub?.
Why your actual paycheck can differ
- State and local withholding can use state-specific tables, allowances and reciprocity rules.
- Bonuses and other supplemental wages can use different withholding methods.
- Some benefits reduce federal taxable wages but not FICA wages, while others can reduce both.
- Employer payroll systems may round amounts or apply additional payroll rules.
- Federal withholding is a prepayment toward income tax and is not the same as your final tax liability.
If a bonus is the reason one paycheck looks very different from your normal pay, see Why Are Bonuses Taxed So High? for the 2026 supplemental-wage withholding rules and a worked example showing how federal withholding, Social Security and Medicare can reduce the bonus check.
Frequently asked questions
Does this paycheck calculator include federal taxes?
Yes. It estimates 2026 federal income tax withholding using the IRS Publication 15-T percentage method for a current-style Form W-4.
Does it include Social Security and Medicare?
Yes. It estimates employee Social Security, regular Medicare and Additional Medicare withholding using the 2026 federal wage limits and rates.
Does it calculate state income tax automatically?
It automatically recognizes states without a broad wage-income tax. For other states, this version uses an optional user-entered withholding rate because official payroll formulas differ by state.
Is the result my exact paycheck?
No. It is a planning estimate. Your employer’s payroll system and actual federal, state, local and benefit rules determine the final paycheck.