Paycheck calculator (US)
PartialEstimate take-home pay for 2026: federal income tax from the IRS 2026 brackets and standard deduction, Social Security, Medicare, pre-tax 401(k) and HSA deductions, plus a state income tax rate you enter.
Partial support: Annual estimate, not Form W-4 withholding: federal brackets, standard deduction, Social Security and Medicare are the official 2026 figures; tax credits, itemized deductions and per-state rules are not included (state tax is a flat rate you enter).
Rules applied
Checked on 2026-10-20 · tax year Tax year 2026
- IRS – Rev. Proc. 2025-32 (2026 tax rate tables and standard deduction)
- IRS – Inflation-adjusted tax items by tax year
- IRS – Publication 15 (2026), Employer’s Tax Guide (Social Security wage base, FICA rates)
- IRS – Topic no. 560, Additional Medicare Tax
Figures reflect the Code as amended by the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act as published by the IRS in Rev. Proc. 2025-32. Married filing separately is not offered.
Every rate and threshold used in the calculation was checked against the official sources above.
How to use
- Enter your gross pay per paycheck and how often you are paid.
- Pick your filing status (single, married filing jointly or head of household).
- Add pre-tax deductions: 401(k) as a percentage, and HSA or other Section 125 deductions per paycheck.
- Optionally enter a flat state income tax rate. Leave it at 0 if your state has no income tax.
Formula
- Federal taxable income = annual gross − 401(k) − HSA/Section 125 − standard deduction (2026: single $16,100.00, joint $32,200.00, head of household $24,150.00)
- Federal income tax = 2026 rate schedule (10% to 37%) applied to taxable income
- Social Security = 6.2% × min(wages − HSA/Section 125, $184,500.00)
- Medicare = 1.45% × wages + 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax above $200,000 (single/HoH) or $250,000 (joint)
- Take-home = gross − pre-tax deductions − federal tax − Social Security − Medicare − state tax
Worked example
Single, $3,000.00 every two weeks ($78,000.00 a year), 5% to a 401(k), no state tax: federal taxable income $58,000.00, federal tax $7,472.00, Social Security $4,836.00, Medicare $1,131.00. Take-home $60,661.00 a year, about $2,333.12 per paycheck.
FAQ
Is this the same as my employer’s withholding?
Not exactly. Employers withhold using IRS Publication 15-T and your Form W-4, which can include extra withholding, other income, deductions and credits. This calculator estimates your actual 2026 annual federal tax with the standard deduction and spreads it evenly over your paychecks.
Which tax credits are included?
None. The Child Tax Credit, Earned Income Tax Credit and other credits, itemized deductions and the deductions for qualified tips, overtime pay and seniors added by the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act are not modelled, so your real tax can be lower.
How is state income tax handled?
States have very different rules – flat rates, brackets, local income taxes and their own deductions. We don’t build those in. If you enter a rate, it is applied to your wages after 401(k) and HSA deductions as a rough estimate.
Why does Social Security stop at high incomes?
Social Security tax only applies to the first $184,500.00 of wages in 2026 (the wage base published by the IRS). Medicare has no cap, and a 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax applies above the threshold for your filing status.
Data sources
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