Paycheck calculator
Free paycheck calculator for US 2026 federal withholding and employee FICA. Estimate pay per check, see the tax breakdown, and check year-to-date limits.
By Calcr · Updated
Free paycheck calculator for US federal tax in 2026
Estimate one regular paycheck after federal income tax withholding and employee FICA. Enter gross pay for the current period, pay frequency, W-4 filing status and wages already paid by this employer during 2026. The result separates federal withholding, Social Security, Medicare and Additional Medicare. It does not estimate state or local taxes, benefits or other deductions, so it is not a complete bank-deposit prediction.
Before you calculate
This version uses the IRS 2026 percentage method for a 2020-or-later Form W-4 with Step 2 unchecked and Steps 3 and 4 blank. All entered gross wages are assumed taxable for both federal withholding and FICA. Weekly means 52 payments, every two weeks means 26, twice monthly means 24 and monthly means 12. Do not confuse biweekly with semimonthly.
Use the year-to-date field for wages before the current check, from the same employer. It determines how much of this check remains below the Social Security cap or above the Additional Medicare withholding threshold. It does not turn this into a full-year tax-return calculation. Enter dollar amounts to no more than two decimal places.
How the paycheck estimate works
For federal withholding, the tool annualizes the current regular pay, applies Worksheet 1A's adjustment, uses the standard annual withholding schedule for the selected status, and divides the resulting annual withholding by the payment count. The adjustment is $12,900 for married filing jointly and $8,600 for the other supported statuses. These are worksheet adjustments, not additional personal deductions to claim on a return. See IRS Publication 15-T for 2026.
Employee Social Security is 6.2% of covered wages up to the 2026 wage base of $184,500. Medicare is 1.45% without that cap. Additional Medicare withholding is 0.9% of this employer's wages above $200,000 during the year. The employer withholding threshold is not a determination of your final filing-status-dependent liability. These rules are documented by IRS Publication 15 and the SSA wage-base reference.
Each tax component rounds to cents before subtraction from gross pay. The main result is current gross minus those four employee withholding amounts. Employer payroll taxes are not subtracted from the employee's pay in this model.
Worked paycheck examples
A regular biweekly check
Gross pay of $2,000 every two weeks, single status and no prior wages gives annualized wages of $52,000. Worksheet 1A reduces that to an adjusted annual amount of $43,400. The standard schedule gives $4,060 annual withholding, or $156.15 per check after rounding. Social Security is $124 and Medicare is $29. There is no Additional Medicare withholding, leaving an estimate of $1,690.85.
A monthly check
For $4,000 monthly, single status and zero prior wages, annualized wages are $48,000. Federal withholding is $298.33 per check, Social Security is $248 and Medicare is $58. The estimated amount after these federal deductions is $3,395.67. This is not comparable to a $4,000 biweekly check: the annualized wages and payment count differ even though the per-check gross input looks identical.
Crossing the Social Security cap
With $183,000 already paid and a current biweekly check of $4,000, only $1,500 of the new check remains under the $184,500 Social Security cap. Social Security is therefore $93, rather than $248. For single status, federal withholding is $540.38 and Medicare is $58, leaving $3,308.62. The year-to-date input changes FICA on this check, not the annualized federal withholding formula.
Crossing the Medicare withholding threshold
Change prior wages to $199,000 while retaining that $4,000 biweekly check and single status. Social Security is already capped. Of the new pay, $3,000 exceeds $200,000, so Additional Medicare withholding is $27. With regular Medicare of $58 and federal withholding of $540.38, the result is $3,374.62. Entering only an annual salary would hide this within-year change.
When to use this estimate, and when to use another method
Use it to understand a simple regular check, compare payment frequencies under consistent assumptions or check the arithmetic behind employee FICA. Keep a pay stub beside the result and compare each line separately. A difference in federal taxable wages, benefit treatment or W-4 entries can explain why an actual check differs.
Use the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator or qualified assistance for multiple jobs, spouse income, credits, itemized deductions, midyear changes, nonresident status, tipped wages, overtime deductions, bonuses or self-employment. This form does not model those cases. It also does not apply state unemployment, disability or local payroll rules. Do not use its result to file payroll or decide a tax payment without checking the applicable rules.
FAQ
Is this my exact take-home pay?
No. It covers the listed federal withholding components under fixed assumptions. A bank deposit can also reflect state tax, insurance, retirement contributions, garnishments and other adjustments. Compare the gross and taxable wage definitions before comparing net amounts. A matching total by chance does not verify every payroll line.
Does federal withholding equal my final income tax?
No. Withholding is collected during the year. Final liability depends on the return, income, deductions, credits and filing circumstances. This tool does not calculate a refund or balance due. Its selected W-4 status is an input to the withholding schedule, not advice about how you should file.
Why did Social Security decrease on a later check?
The annual wage cap may have been reached. Only the portion of the current check below the cap is taxed here. Enter prior wages accurately and exclude the current check from that field. Medicare has no corresponding wage cap, so regular Medicare continues after Social Security stops.
Can I enter a yearly salary?
First divide the regular annual salary by your actual payment count, then enter one period's gross pay. Do not enter the entire salary as monthly gross. This model assumes the current check represents regular recurring pay; irregular compensation or a 27-payment year needs a separate payroll treatment.
Are my salary and tax inputs uploaded?
The calculation runs in your browser. Optional site analytics do not receive calculator inputs or results, and you can leave optional services disabled. Copying a result or sending it elsewhere is a separate action under your control. Use invented values if you are only exploring how withholding changes.
Related tools and guides
For reference only. This estimate is not financial, tax or legal advice and does not replace an employer's payroll calculation.