Paycheck Calculator 2026: W-4 & Take-Home Pay

Swiftly subtracts payroll deductions, computes federal withholding with 2026 Publication 15-T and your W-4 entries, applies editable state and local effective-rate estimates, and calculates Social Security and Medicare on the appropriate payroll wage base. Annualized net is divided by your pay frequency.

This is an average-period planning estimate, not an employer pay stub. Year-to-date Social Security and Medicare totals, exact state and local withholding tables, benefit timing, mid-year raises, one-off bonuses and payroll rounding can all change a particular check. Use your latest stub to refine the editable rates and deductions.

Nine states impose no tax on wage income: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming. Local payroll taxes or other state payroll assessments can still apply in some places.

FICA funds Social Security at 6.2% up to the annual wage base and Medicare at 1.45% on covered wages. Most employees cannot opt out. Narrow exemptions exist for certain religious groups, visa categories and employment arrangements, but claiming federal income-tax exemption does not switch off FICA.

No. Traditional 401(k) deferrals reduce federal and usually state income-tax wages, but they remain in Social Security and Medicare wages. Roth 401(k) contributions do not reduce current income-tax wages either; they are post-tax deductions.

Eligible contributions made through an employer cafeteria plan generally reduce Social Security and Medicare wages as well as income-tax wages. That is different from a traditional 401(k). Eligibility and plan documents matter, so confirm the treatment shown on your pay stub.

Use the one-job withholding check as a planning cue, then verify with the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator. A large refund means more was withheld than needed; a projected balance due may call for Step 4(c) extra withholding. Multiple-job households need all household income for a reliable projection.

A separately paid bonus can be withheld at a 22% optional flat supplemental rate, or 37% above $1 million, but that is withholding rather than the final tax rate. Employers may use aggregate withholding instead. Swiftly spreads the annual bonus entry through the recurring estimate rather than pretending it is a separate bonus check.

Employers withhold an extra 0.9% after an employee’s wages exceed $200,000 in the calendar year, regardless of filing status. On the annual return, the liability thresholds are $200,000 for single and head-of-household filers, $250,000 for married filing jointly and $125,000 for married filing separately, so reconciliation can differ from payroll withholding.

Open Advanced options and enter your local or city effective rate. Swiftly applies it after HSA and other Section 125 benefits while leaving traditional 401(k) in local taxable wages. Local rules vary, so use your pay stub or jurisdiction calculator to confirm the rate and wage base.

Yes. For 2026 the limit is $4,400 for self-only HDHP coverage and $8,750 for family coverage, with a $1,000 catch-up at age 55 or older. Employer contributions count toward the same annual limit, and you must be HSA-eligible.

Current W-4 forms do not use allowances. Use Step 3 for eligible credits, Step 4(a) for other income, Step 4(b) for deductions and Step 4(c) for extra dollars per paycheck. Changing those entries without matching your actual tax situation can create a balance due.

Each employer otherwise withholds as though its job were your only job, which can under-withhold a multiple-job household. The W-4 Step 2 checkbox uses a higher-withholding schedule. For a refund or balance-due projection, include every job and your spouse’s income in the IRS estimator rather than treating one job as the whole household.

No. Take-home pay is after payroll taxes and entered deductions. Housing, food, utilities, transit and other living costs still come out of that amount before you know what is truly available to save or spend.