Paycheck calculator
Type your pay, how often you're paid and your filing status. It takes off federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and any 401(k) the way payroll does.
Estimate · figures checked Oct 29, 2026 · guidance, not advice · sources
- State and local taxes are not taken off.
- It covers one job, with a Form W-4 from 2020 or later and nothing in Steps 2 to 4. The year's 401(k) limit isn't applied.
Plan around your paycheck
The Paycheck Budget App starts from what lands in your account and shows what's safe to spend until the next paycheck.
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What comes out of a paycheck
Federal income tax, Social Security at 6.2% of wages up to $184,500 in 2026, and Medicare at 1.45%, with 0.9% more on wages over $200,000 in the year. A traditional 401(k) comes off before federal income tax, but not before Social Security and Medicare.
How withholding is worked out
Employers use the IRS percentage method: your pay for the year, less part of the standard deduction for your filing status, through the 2026 tax brackets, then split across your paychecks. This uses a Form W-4 from 2020 or later with nothing in Steps 2 to 4.
What it leaves out
State and local income taxes, health insurance and other pre-tax benefits, and any extra withholding you asked for. Your refund or bill depends on your whole year's tax return.
A worked example
$60,000 a year, single, paid every two weeks, with no 401(k): $2,307.69 before taxes each paycheck. Federal income tax takes $193.08, Social Security $143.08 and Medicare $33.46, so the take-home is $1,938.07.
Questions
Which filing status should I choose?
The one on your Form W-4. Married filing jointly uses wider brackets; head of household is for unmarried people who pay for more than half the costs of a home for a qualifying person.
Why doesn't it match my pay stub exactly?
Health insurance, other pre-tax benefits and state taxes come off real paychecks too, and some employers round differently.
Where the figures come from
The rates in force, checked October 29, 2026:
- IRS Publication 15-T (2026): the percentage method tables for income tax withholding
- Revenue Procedure 2025-32: the 2026 tax brackets and standard deductions
- IRS: tax inflation adjustments for tax year 2026
- IRS Topic no. 751: Social Security and Medicare withholding rates and the 2026 wage base
Updated