State module scope (v1): Florida and the eight other states that do not tax wages are fully included at $0. For every other state, this version computes federal tax and FICA only — state withholding schedules are added state by state, only when the full schedule has been verified against that state's Department of Revenue publication. Nothing is guessed. Estimator only; not tax advice; runs entirely in your browser.
How this is calculated
| Slice | Rule |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | Annualize the pay, subtract the standard deduction for your filing status, apply the 10–37% bracket tables, divide by the number of checks. This matches the IRS Publication 15-T annualized percentage method for a default W-4 (no extra entries in Steps 2–4) |
| Social Security | 6.2% of wages up to the wage base — $184,500 for 2026 ($176,100 for 2025), so the annual maximum is $11,439.00 / $10,918.20 |
| Medicare | 1.45% of all wages, no cap |
| Additional Medicare withholding | Employers must withhold an extra 0.9% on wages over $200,000 paid to you in the year, whatever your filing status |
What this estimate leaves out (and your real stub won't): pre-tax 401(k) and health premiums (which lower the income-tax slice), W-4 Steps 2–4 entries (multiple jobs, dependents, extra withholding), garnishments, and local taxes. Treat the result as the clean-baseline check your stub should be explainable from.
Worked example (check it by hand)
Single filer, $75,000 salary, bi-weekly, 2026, Florida. Federal: $75,000 − $16,100 = $58,900 taxable → $1,240 + $4,560 + 22% × $8,500 ($1,870) = $7,670 a year → $295.00 per check. Social Security: $4,650 a year → $178.85. Medicare: $1,087.50 → $41.83. Take-home: $61,592.50 a year, $2,368.94 per check. The calculator's default inputs reproduce this example.
Self-employed instead? No employer splits your 15.3% — but half of it is deductible. Run the self-employment tax calculator →
Frequently asked questions
Why is my real check smaller than this?
Almost always pre-tax deductions (retirement, health premiums) and W-4 entries. The federal slice here is the default-W-4 baseline; your stub's difference should be traceable to those items line by line.
When does Social Security tax stop during the year?
The moment your year-to-date wages pass the wage base ($184,500 in 2026). High earners see checks grow late in the year for exactly this reason. Each employer applies the cap independently — with two jobs, excess withholding is credited on your return.
Does Florida really take nothing?
Correct — Florida has no state income tax on wages, and neither do AK, NV, SD, TN, TX, WA or WY (NH taxes neither wages nor, since 2025, interest and dividends). That's why those nine are the v1 state module.
Sources
- IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32 — 2026 brackets and standard deductions ($16,100 / $32,200 / $24,150 / $16,100); Revenue Procedure 2024-40 as increased by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act for 2025 ($15,750 / $31,500 / $23,625 / $15,750).
- IRS Publication 15-T — the annualized percentage withholding method this estimator follows for a default W-4.
- Social Security Administration, 2026 COLA Fact Sheet — wage base $176,100 → $184,500, employee rate 7.65% (6.2% + 1.45%), Additional Medicare withholding over $200,000: ssa.gov/news/en/cola/factsheets/2026.html.
- Florida Constitution art. VII and Florida DOR — no individual income tax; equivalent provisions for the other eight no-wage-tax states in the module.
Last updated October 20, 2026. Estimator only — not tax advice, and not a substitute for your employer's payroll calculation.
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