Calculate your estimated payroll taxes based on your gross pay and filing status.
Weekly (52 per year)
Bi-Weekly (26 per year)
Semi-Monthly (24 per year)
Monthly (12 per year)
Single
Married Filing Jointly
Married Filing Separately
Head of Household
Estimated Payroll Taxes: $0.00
This does NOT include state or local taxes.
Understanding Payroll Taxes
Payroll taxes are taxes employers and employees are required to pay on earned wages. These taxes fund critical government programs such as Social Security and Medicare. The specific amounts deducted depend on your gross pay, pay frequency, and filing status. This calculator provides an estimate of the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) taxes, which include Social Security and Medicare contributions.
How the Calculation Works:
This calculator estimates the following federal payroll taxes:
Social Security Tax: Currently set at 6.2% of gross wages, up to an annual wage base limit. For 2024, this limit is $168,600.
Medicare Tax: Currently set at 1.45% of all gross wages, with no wage limit.
Additional Medicare Tax: An extra 0.9% is applied to earnings exceeding certain thresholds ($200,000 for single filers, $250,000 for married filing jointly). This calculator simplifies this by applying it to the total gross pay if it exceeds typical thresholds for a *single* pay period, as a very rough proxy. For precise calculations, consult a tax professional.
Taxable Wages
The Social Security tax is applied only up to the annual wage limit ($168,600 for 2024). The Medicare tax is applied to all wages. Additional Medicare tax applies to earnings above specific thresholds.
Filing Status Impact
While filing status primarily affects income tax, it also influences the Additional Medicare Tax threshold. This calculator uses simplified assumptions for the Additional Medicare Tax calculation based on the provided filing status.
FICA Tax Rates (as of current knowledge):
Social Security: 6.2% (Employee Share)
Medicare: 1.45% (Employee Share)
Additional Medicare Tax: 0.9% (Employee Share on income above thresholds)
Wage Base Limits (2024):
Social Security Wage Base Limit: $168,600
Additional Medicare Tax Thresholds:
Single, Head of Household, Qualifying Widow(er): $200,000
Married Filing Separately: $125,000
Married Filing Jointly: $250,000
Important Disclaimer:
This calculator is for *estimation purposes only*. It does not account for all potential deductions, tax credits, state or local taxes, or specific employment situations. Tax laws are complex and subject to change. For accurate tax advice, please consult with a qualified tax professional or refer to official IRS publications.
function calculatePayrollTaxes() {
var grossPay = parseFloat(document.getElementById("grossPay").value);
var payFrequency = document.getElementById("payFrequency").value;
var filingStatus = document.getElementById("filingStatus").value;
var additionalWages = parseFloat(document.getElementById("additionalWages").value) || 0; // Default to 0 if empty
var resultDiv = document.getElementById("result");
resultDiv.style.display = 'block';
// Basic validation
if (isNaN(grossPay) || grossPay < 0) {
resultDiv.innerHTML = "Please enter a valid gross pay.";
resultDiv.style.backgroundColor = "#dc3545"; // Red for error
return;
}
if (isNaN(additionalWages) || additionalWages medicareThreshold) {
additionalMedicareTax = (totalAnnualWages – medicareThreshold) * additionalMedicareRate;
// Ensure additional tax doesn't exceed the total wages above the threshold
additionalMedicareTax = Math.min(additionalMedicareTax, totalAnnualWages – medicareThreshold);
}
// — Total Estimated FICA Taxes —
var totalFicaTaxes = socialSecurityTax + medicareTax + additionalMedicareTax;
// — Display Results —
resultDiv.innerHTML = "Estimated Payroll Taxes: $" + totalFicaTaxes.toFixed(2) + " (This is your estimated employee share of FICA taxes per year. It does NOT include federal/state income tax or state/local payroll taxes.)";
resultDiv.style.backgroundColor = "var(–success-green)"; // Reset to green
}