Paycheck Tax Calculator (2026)
See where your paycheck goes. Estimate federal income tax withholding, FICA and take-home pay for 2026, and check whether your withholding is on track.
Reviewed by Teja K, CPA ·
Before any deductions
401(k), health premiums, HSA
Federal income tax
$0
Social Security
$0
Medicare
$0
Estimated take-home pay
$0
Per paycheck
Annual take-home
$0
$0 gross
Marginal rate
10%
Effective federal + FICA rate
0.0%
Federal estimate for 2026 assuming a standard Form W-4. State and local tax not included.
What comes out of a US paycheck
Four things reduce gross pay before it reaches your account, and they behave very differently from each other.
- Federal income tax — based on your Form W-4, your filing status and your pay rate. This is the only one you can adjust directly.
- Social Security — a flat 6.2% on wages up to $184,500 for 2026. Once you cross that ceiling it stops for the rest of the year, so high earners see their take-home rise in the final months.
- Medicare — a flat 1.45% with no ceiling, plus an additional 0.9% on wages above $200,000.
- Pre-tax deductions — 401(k) contributions, health premiums and HSA contributions, which reduce your federal taxable wages.
State income tax also applies in most states and is not modelled here. Nine states have no personal income tax, so identical gross pay produces materially different take-home depending on where you live.
How your W-4 controls the federal amount
Your employer does not decide your withholding — your Form W-4 does. The form was redesigned in 2020 and no longer uses "allowances". Instead it asks about multiple jobs, dependents and other income, and your employer applies the IRS tables to what you declared.
The default assumption is that the salary in front of it is your only income. That is why withholding so often falls short for two-income households and anyone with a second job: each employer withholds as though its paycheck were the whole picture, so both under-withhold against your true combined bracket.
- Started a new job, or added a second one.
- Got married or divorced, or your spouse started or stopped working.
- Had a child, or a dependent aged out of the Child Tax Credit.
- Started earning meaningful freelance, investment or rental income.
- Received a large refund or owed a large balance last year.
A big refund is not a win. It means you overpaid by that amount across the year and lent it to the government for free. Adjusting your W-4 moves that money into your regular paychecks instead.
How this calculator works
It uses the annualised-wage approach: your pay is projected to a full year, the standard deduction for your filing status is applied, the result is run through the federal brackets, and the annual tax is divided back across your pay periods. That is the shape of the IRS percentage method for a default W-4.
Because it assumes a standard W-4 with no additional adjustments, your real paystub will differ if you claimed dependents, declared other income, or asked for extra withholding in Step 4. Bonuses are also often withheld at a flat supplemental rate rather than through the tables, which is why a bonus paycheck can look unusually heavily taxed.
Social Security and Medicare are charged on gross pay here. Some pre-tax benefits (notably health premiums under a cafeteria plan) are also exempt from FICA, so your actual FICA may be slightly lower than shown.
Sources
Frequently Asked Questions
How much tax is taken out of my paycheck?
It depends on your pay rate and filing status, but every employee pays 7.65% in FICA — 6.2% Social Security up to $184,500 of wages for 2026, plus 1.45% Medicare with no cap. Federal income tax sits on top and is progressive, so it rises as a share of pay as your income increases. Most middle-income employees see total federal deductions somewhere between 15% and 25% of gross.
Why did my take-home pay increase later in the year?
You most likely crossed the Social Security wage base of $184,500. Once your year-to-date wages pass it, the 6.2% Social Security deduction stops for the rest of the calendar year and resets in January. Medicare has no ceiling and continues.
Why is my bonus taxed so heavily?
Bonuses are usually withheld at a flat supplemental rate of 22% rather than through the normal tables, which can look much higher than your usual withholding. It is a withholding rule, not a separate tax — the bonus is taxed as ordinary income on your return, and any over-withholding comes back as refund.
How do I change my federal withholding?
Submit a new Form W-4 to your employer at any time; you do not have to wait for a new year or open enrolment. To withhold more, use Step 4(c) to add a specific extra dollar amount per paycheck — that is the most reliable lever if you have been ending up with a balance owing.
Does this include state tax?
No, this is federal only. Most states levy their own income tax with their own brackets and rules, and some cities add a local tax as well. Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming have no personal income tax on wages.
Do 401(k) contributions reduce my taxes?
Traditional 401(k) contributions reduce your federal taxable wages, so they lower income tax withholding immediately. They do not reduce Social Security or Medicare, which are charged on gross pay. Roth 401(k) contributions reduce neither, because they are made after tax in exchange for tax-free growth.
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