See what actually lands in your account after taxes and deductions, and get the numbers to fill in steps 3 and 4 of your W-4. Mainly for U.S. employees.
Your yearly job income is split into paychecks based on how often you are paid. From each one, the calculator takes federal income tax, Social Security tax at 6.2% up to the yearly wage limit, Medicare tax at 1.45%, any state and city tax, and your pre-tax deductions. Federal income tax is estimated for the whole year from your filing status, dependents, deductions and credits, then spread evenly over your paychecks. Payroll taxes are charged on your gross pay and are not deducted before income tax.
The W-4 tells your employer how much federal tax to withhold. Step 3 is where you claim the child tax credit and the credit for other dependents. Step 4 adjusts for other income, extra deductions and any additional amount you want withheld, which matters most if you have a second job or a working spouse. The figures here are a starting point: your employer's withholding tables work differently from a yearly estimate, so check your first paychecks and adjust if needed.
The calculator works out your estimated federal income tax for the whole year, including deductions and credits, and divides it evenly across your paychecks. Your employer's payroll system uses its own withholding tables, so your actual withholding can differ a little.
The yearly total is the same, but it is split into a different number of paychecks. Bi-weekly pay has 26 checks a year and semi-monthly pay has 24, so each bi-weekly check is smaller. Some years a bi-weekly schedule gives you a 27th check.
Common ones are 401(k) contributions, health insurance premiums and health savings account deposits. They are taken out before income tax, so they lower your federal tax. This calculator still charges Social Security and Medicare on your full pay, which is the safe assumption.
On the W-4 for your highest-paying job, enter the dependents amount in step 3 and the other income, deductions and extra withholding in step 4. If you have a second job or a working spouse, the extra withholding figure shows how much more to have withheld each paycheck to avoid owing at tax time.
No. They are flat percentages of your gross pay. Many states use brackets, deductions or credits, so use your effective state rate for a better estimate. Check your state's tax agency for the exact rules.
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