Financial Disclaimer
These are estimates of payroll withholding, not a calculation of the tax you owe, and not advice.
What an estimate can and cannot tell you
Withholding is a prepayment, not a tax bill. The figures on this site model what an employer is likely to withhold from a paycheck under the IRS percentage method. What you finally owe is settled on your tax return, where credits, itemised deductions, other income, capital gains and household circumstances all apply and none of them are modelled here.
Where estimates diverge from reality
- Your employer tracks year-to-date wages. This calculator annualises, which changes how the Social Security cap and the Additional Medicare threshold appear.
- Local wage taxes are excluded where no verified rate is on file. In Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan cities and New York City that can be 1% to 4% of wages.
- Imputed income, such as employer-paid life cover above $50,000, raises taxable wages and is not modelled.
- Multi-state work, reciprocity agreements and non-resident withholding are not modelled.
- Rounding conventions differ between payroll systems.
Not tax advice
Nothing on this site is tax, legal or financial advice, and using it creates no professional relationship. For anything that turns on your circumstances, and particularly for W-4 decisions, multi-state work, equity compensation or a year with a large bonus, speak to a CPA or an enrolled agent.
Verify before you act
If a figure here matters to a decision, check it against your own pay stub and against your state published withholding guide, both of which are linked on every state page. Read the methodology for the full list of assumptions and exclusions.
These figures are estimates for informational purposes and are not tax advice. Actual withholding depends on your employer’s payroll system, your year-to-date wages and your specific W-4. Federal rates come from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 and the SSA 2026 announcement; state rates come from each state’s own withholding guide, with the source and verification date published on every state page. Read the methodology, or see who maintains this data.