Useful next calculations
Rates and sources, 2026
2026 federal withholding illustration using IRS TY2026 brackets, standard deductions, the $184,500 Social Security wage base and 6.2% / 1.45% FICA. State tax is a user-entered percentage.
| Band or figure | Rate |
|---|---|
| Standard deduction (single) | $16,100 |
| 401(k) employee limit used as a cap | $24,500 |
| Social Security wage base | $184,500 |
| Employee Social Security rate | 6.2% |
Source: IRS — inflation adjustments for tax year 2026. Source checked for 2026.
When to use this calculator
- Before accepting a pay change, bonus or contribution arrangement.
- When you want a simple take-home or conversion estimate before payroll or filing.
- When you need to convert between hourly, monthly and annual pay.
- When you want to compare two pay scenarios using the same assumptions.
A worked example
These are the example figures the calculator opens with.
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual Gross Salary ($) | $75,000 |
| Pay Frequency | Bi-weekly (26 paychecks/yr) |
| Filing Status | Single |
| 401(k) Pre-Tax Contribution (%) | 0% |
For those figures the calculator returns:
- Take-home per paycheck: $2,368.94
- Annual take-home: $61,592.50
- Federal tax/paycheck: $295.00
- FICA/paycheck: $220.67
- Effective rate: 17.90%
How to read your results
Federal Tax/paycheck
Review this figure alongside gross income and the local tax rules that apply to you. It is a planning estimate, not a filing result.
Effective Rate
The effective rate lets you compare options on a like-for-like basis rather than being misled by different compounding periods or fee structures.
Method & assumptions
This calculator estimates your US take-home pay using 2026 federal income tax brackets, the standard deduction ($16,100 single, $32,200 married filing jointly, $24,150 head of household), and FICA withholding rates of 6.2% for Social Security on wages up to $184,500 and 1.45% for Medicare on all wages. An additional 0.9% Medicare surtax applies to wages above $200,000 for single filers and $250,000 for married filing jointly. Traditional 401(k) contributions and employer-sponsored health insurance premiums are treated as pre-tax deductions that reduce your federal and state taxable income, as is standard for most US employer-sponsored plans.
State income tax is applied as a flat rate against your federal taxable income — this is a simplification since most states use progressive brackets, but it produces a useful estimate when you enter your effective state rate. The result does not include local city or county taxes, which can add 1% to 4% in cities like New York City, Philadelphia, or Columbus, Ohio. Your actual paycheck may differ depending on W-4 withholding elections, additional voluntary deductions, or employer-specific payroll processing. Always cross-reference with your pay stub for an accurate figure.
Common mistakes
- Using an assumption that is not supported by a current local quote, bill, statement or official source.
- Treating a generic estimate as a lender, provider, payroll or tax authority decision.
- Mixing monthly and annual inputs without converting them consistently.
- Testing only one scenario instead of checking how a cautious assumption changes the result.
What to do next
- Run a second scenario with a cautious assumption so you can see the downside clearly.
- Compare the result with the related calculators below before making a decision.
- Check current local rules, eligibility and provider terms before applying or committing money.
- Keep a record of the assumptions so you can update the estimate when a quote, bill or pay figure changes.
How this US paycheck estimate is calculated
Guidance reviewed 2 September 2026This calculator estimates take-home pay from gross salary by subtracting three US payroll items: an estimated federal income-tax withholding (using the IRS standard deduction and marginal brackets for your filing status), FICA — Social Security and Medicare — and state withholding as a single percentage you enter. Pre-tax 401(k) and health-insurance premiums reduce the income used for the federal estimate.
The federal figure is an annual liability-style estimate, not an exact per-pay withholding from Form W-4. State withholding is a simplified percentage of post-401(k) wages; it does not model California or New York graduated brackets, and it does not cover city or local taxes such as New York City or Yonkers. Texas correctly shows no state withholding when you enter 0%.
| Standard deduction (2026) | Single $16,100; MFJ $32,200; HoH $24,150 |
|---|---|
| Federal brackets — Single (2026) | 10%: $0 to $12,400; 12%: $12,400 to $50,400; 22%: $50,400 to $105,700; 24%: $105,700 to $201,775; 32%: $201,775 to $256,225; 35%: $256,225 to $640,600; 37%: $640,600 to above |
| Social Security (2026) | 6.2% to $184,500 (max $11,439.00); 12.4% combined employer+employee |
| Medicare (2026) | 1.45% on all wages; +0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 MFJ (no wage cap) |
| 401(k) pre-tax (2026) | $24,500 employee elective-deferral cap (separate IRS limit, enforced per paycheck as $24,500/periods) |
Worked example (illustrative figures only)
- Inputs:
- $80,000 salary · Single · biweekly (26 pays) · 5% 401(k) · $0 health · 5% state rate
- Estimate:
- Federal $7,890 + FICA $6,120 (SS $4,960 + Medicare $1,160) + State $3,800 = $17,810 total; annual take-home $58,190; per paycheck $2,238
- What it means:
- Federal tax is on $59,900 of taxable income ($80,000 minus $4,000 401(k) minus $16,100 single standard deduction). Social Security hits its $11,439 maximum once wages pass $184,500; Medicare has no cap and the 0.9% additional Medicare tax only applies above $200,000 single / $250,000 MFJ. Changing the state percentage moves only the state line — federal and FICA stay the same.
- What is excluded:
- Form W-4 allowances, itemized deductions, local taxes (NYC/Yonkers/city/county), bonuses/RSUs, and multiple jobs are not modelled. State tax here is a flat percentage, not California or New York graduated rates — use the State Income-Tax Calculator for those.
Example values only. This is not financial advice.
Assumptions
- Federal tax is the IRS 2026 marginal tax on taxable income (gross minus 401(k) and health premiums minus the $16,100 single / $32,200 MFJ standard deduction at the filing status you choose; 10%: $0 to $12,400; 12%: $12,400 to $50,400; 22%: $50,400 to $105,700; 24%: $105,700 to $201,775; 32%: $201,775 to $256,225; 35%: $256,225 to $640,600; 37%: $640,600 to above).
- FICA is 6.2% Social Security to $184,500 and 1.45% Medicare on all wages plus 0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 MFJ.
- State withholding is a flat percentage of federal-taxable gross (gross minus 401(k) and health premiums); a 0% entry correctly models Texas, Florida and Washington.
- 401(k) pre-tax is per-paycheck at the percentage you enter, capped at the $24,500 IRS elective-deferral limit prorated by pay periods.
Not included
- No Form W-4 withholding logic — the result is an annualized liability-style estimate, not the IRS Publication 15-T exact withholding for a pay period.
- Itemized deductions beyond the standard deduction, credits (Child Tax Credit, EITC, etc.), and AMT are not modelled.
- State tax is a single percentage; California graduated rates (1%–12.3%), New York graduated rates (4%–10.9%), and state SDI are not modelled here.
- Local taxes — New York City, Yonkers, Pennsylvania local, Ohio municipal, etc. — are not modelled.
- Bonuses, equity, overtime, and multiple-employer Social Security annual-maximum reconciliation are not modelled.
Reading the result
- If your actual paycheck differs, check Form W-4 entries, pre-tax benefits (HSA/FSA, dental), and whether your employer applies an annual vs per-period state withholding table.
- Once wages pass the Social Security wage base, that line goes to zero for the rest of the year and take-home temporarily rises — Medicare continues.
- A higher 401(k) percentage lowers federal and state estimates here but the FICA lines stay on gross wages (up to their caps).