Calculate estimated federal income tax withheld from your paycheck.
Single
Married Filing Jointly
Married Filing Separately
Head of Household
Estimated Federal Income Tax Withheld Per Paycheck
$0.00
Note: This is an estimate and does not include state/local taxes, FICA taxes (Social Security & Medicare), or other deductions.
Understanding Your Paycheck Income Tax Withholding
Calculating the exact income tax withheld from your paycheck can seem complex due to varying tax brackets, filing statuses, and deductions. This calculator provides an estimate of your federal income tax withholding based on your annual salary, pay frequency, and filing status. It's a useful tool for budgeting and understanding your take-home pay.
How It Works: The Tax Brackets and Withholding
The U.S. federal income tax system is progressive, meaning higher earners pay a larger percentage of their income in taxes. This is achieved through tax brackets. For the purpose of paycheck withholding, employers use the IRS's Publication 15-T, Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods, to estimate the amount of tax to deduct from each paycheck. This calculator simplifies that process by applying estimated tax bracket percentages to your gross pay per period.
Your filing status (Single, Married Filing Jointly, etc.) significantly impacts your tax liability and withholding. Different statuses have different standard deduction amounts and tax bracket thresholds.
Key Inputs Explained:
Annual Gross Salary: The total amount you earn before any deductions.
Pay Frequency (per year): How many times you are paid each year (e.g., 52 for weekly, 26 for bi-weekly, 24 for semi-monthly, 12 for monthly). This is crucial for determining your gross pay per paycheck.
Filing Status: Your status as determined by the IRS (Single, Married Filing Jointly, Married Filing Separately, Head of Household). This determines the tax brackets and standard deduction used for calculation.
Additional Withholding: An optional amount you can choose to have withheld from each paycheck, usually to cover potential tax liabilities from other income sources or to ensure you don't owe taxes at year-end.
Simplified Calculation Logic:
This calculator performs the following steps:
Calculates your gross pay per paycheck: Annual Gross Salary / Pay Frequency.
Applies simplified tax bracket estimations based on filing status to the gross pay per paycheck. Note: Real-world withholding often involves more complex calculations considering allowances/credits and quarterly tax payments. This calculator uses a simplified bracket approach for estimation.
Adds any specified additional withholding.
Displays the total estimated federal income tax withheld per paycheck.
Limitations and Next Steps:
This calculator provides an estimate. Actual tax withholding can be influenced by:
State and local income taxes.
FICA taxes (Social Security and Medicare), which are separate from income tax withholding.
Other deductions like health insurance premiums, retirement contributions (401k, IRA), etc.
Tax credits and deductions claimed on your tax return, which are generally applied when you file, not necessarily during payroll withholding unless specifically set up.
For precise figures, consult your employer's HR or payroll department, review your pay stub carefully, or consult a tax professional.
function calculateTax() {
var annualSalary = parseFloat(document.getElementById("annualSalary").value);
var payFrequency = parseFloat(document.getElementById("payFrequency").value);
var filingStatus = document.getElementById("filingStatus").value;
var additionalWithholding = parseFloat(document.getElementById("additionalWithholding").value);
// Basic validation
if (isNaN(annualSalary) || annualSalary <= 0) {
alert("Please enter a valid Annual Gross Salary.");
return;
}
if (isNaN(payFrequency) || payFrequency <= 0) {
alert("Please enter a valid Pay Frequency (number of pay periods per year).");
return;
}
if (isNaN(additionalWithholding) || additionalWithholding $578,125
],
married_jointly: [
{ limit: 22000 / 12, rate: 0.10 },
{ limit: 89450 / 12, rate: 0.12 },
{ limit: 190750 / 12, rate: 0.22 },
{ limit: 364200 / 12, rate: 0.24 },
{ limit: 462500 / 12, rate: 0.32 },
{ limit: 693750 / 12, rate: 0.35 },
{ limit: Infinity, rate: 0.37 }
],
married_separately: [ // Similar to single, but with different income thresholds
{ limit: 11000 / 12, rate: 0.10 },
{ limit: 44725 / 12, rate: 0.12 },
{ limit: 95375 / 12, rate: 0.22 },
{ limit: 182100 / 12, rate: 0.24 },
{ limit: 231250 / 12, rate: 0.32 },
{ limit: 346875 / 12, rate: 0.35 }, // Lower threshold than single
{ limit: Infinity, rate: 0.37 }
],
head_of_household: [
{ limit: 15700 / 12, rate: 0.10 }, // Monthly equivalent of $15,700
{ limit: 59850 / 12, rate: 0.12 }, // Monthly equivalent of $59,850
{ limit: 95350 / 12, rate: 0.22 }, // Monthly equivalent of $95,350
{ limit: 182100 / 12, rate: 0.24 },
{ limit: 231250 / 12, rate: 0.32 },
{ limit: 578125 / 12, rate: 0.35 },
{ limit: Infinity, rate: 0.37 }
]
};
var selectedRates = taxRates[filingStatus] || taxRates['single']; // Default to single if status not found
var taxableIncomePerPeriod = grossPayPerPaycheck; // Simplified: assumes no deductions for withholding calc
var currentTaxableAmount = 0;
for (var i = 0; i currentTaxableAmount) {
var incomeInThisBracket = Math.min(taxableIncomePerPeriod, bracket.limit) – currentTaxableAmount;
taxableInBracket = Math.max(0, incomeInThisBracket); // Ensure it's not negative
estimatedTax += taxableInBracket * bracket.rate;
} else {
break; // All income accounted for
}
currentTaxableAmount = bracket.limit;
}
// Round to two decimal places
estimatedTax = parseFloat(estimatedTax.toFixed(2));
var totalWithholding = estimatedTax + additionalWithholding;
document.getElementById("result-value").innerText = "$" + totalWithholding.toFixed(2);
}