Weekly (52 per year)
Bi-Weekly (26 per year)
Semi-Monthly (24 per year)
Monthly (12 per year)
Your Estimated Net Pay
$0.00
Understanding Your Paycheck Taxes
This calculator helps you estimate the taxes deducted from your paycheck, giving you a clearer picture of your net earnings. Understanding these deductions is crucial for financial planning and budgeting. The primary taxes you'll encounter are Federal Income Tax, State Income Tax (if applicable in your state), and FICA taxes (Social Security and Medicare).
How the Calculation Works:
The calculator takes your Gross Pay (your total earnings before any deductions) and applies the tax rates you provide.
Pre-Tax Deductions: These are deductions like 401(k) contributions, health insurance premiums, or FSA contributions that are subtracted from your gross pay before income taxes are calculated. This can lower your taxable income.
Taxable Income: This is calculated as Gross Pay – Pre-Tax Deductions.
Federal Income Tax: Calculated as Taxable Income * (Federal Tax Rate / 100).
State Income Tax: Calculated as Taxable Income * (State Tax Rate / 100). Note that not all states have an income tax.
FICA Taxes: This covers Social Security and Medicare. The current rate is 7.65% (6.2% for Social Security and 1.45% for Medicare) and is applied to your Gross Pay. There's typically a wage base limit for Social Security, but for simplicity, this calculator applies it to the full gross pay per period.
Total Taxes: The sum of Federal Income Tax, State Income Tax, and FICA Taxes.
Net Pay: This is your take-home pay, calculated as Gross Pay – Total Taxes – Pre-Tax Deductions.
Key Considerations:
Tax Brackets: This calculator uses a flat-rate approximation for income taxes. In reality, federal and state income taxes are progressive, meaning higher income levels are taxed at higher rates (tax brackets). This calculator provides an estimate based on the rates you input.
Filing Status and Allowances: Your actual tax withholding can also be affected by your W-4 form, which includes your filing status (single, married filing jointly, etc.) and the number of allowances you claim.
Other Deductions: This calculator focuses on taxes and basic pre-tax deductions. Your actual paycheck may include other deductions such as post-tax benefits, garnishments, or union dues.
Annualizing: While the calculator works per pay period, you can use it to estimate annual taxes by inputting your gross annual salary and selecting a corresponding pay frequency (e.g., enter annual salary / 12 for monthly).
Disclaimer: This calculator is for informational and estimation purposes only. It does not constitute financial or tax advice. Consult with a qualified tax professional or refer to official government resources for precise calculations.
function calculateTaxes() {
var grossPay = parseFloat(document.getElementById('grossPay').value);
var payFrequency = document.getElementById('payFrequency').value;
var federalTaxRate = parseFloat(document.getElementById('federalTaxRate').value);
var stateTaxRate = parseFloat(document.getElementById('stateTaxRate').value);
var ficaRate = parseFloat(document.getElementById('ficaRate').value);
var preTaxDeductions = parseFloat(document.getElementById('preTaxDeductions').value);
var netPayElement = document.getElementById('netPay');
var taxBreakdownElement = document.getElementById('taxBreakdown');
// Input validation
if (isNaN(grossPay) || grossPay < 0) {
alert("Please enter a valid Gross Pay.");
netPayElement.innerText = "$0.00";
taxBreakdownElement.innerHTML = "";
return;
}
if (isNaN(federalTaxRate) || federalTaxRate < 0) {
alert("Please enter a valid Federal Tax Rate.");
netPayElement.innerText = "$0.00";
taxBreakdownElement.innerHTML = "";
return;
}
if (isNaN(stateTaxRate) || stateTaxRate < 0) {
alert("Please enter a valid State Tax Rate.");
netPayElement.innerText = "$0.00";
taxBreakdownElement.innerHTML = "";
return;
}
if (isNaN(ficaRate) || ficaRate < 0) {
alert("Please enter a valid FICA Tax Rate.");
netPayElement.innerText = "$0.00";
taxBreakdownElement.innerHTML = "";
return;
}
if (isNaN(preTaxDeductions) || preTaxDeductions grossPay) {
alert("Pre-tax deductions cannot exceed gross pay.");
netPayElement.innerText = "$0.00";
taxBreakdownElement.innerHTML = "";
return;
}
// Calculations
var taxableIncome = grossPay – preTaxDeductions;
if (taxableIncome < 0) taxableIncome = 0; // Taxable income cannot be negative
var federalTax = taxableIncome * (federalTaxRate / 100);
var stateTax = taxableIncome * (stateTaxRate / 100);
var ficaTax = grossPay * (ficaRate / 100); // FICA is typically calculated on gross pay
var totalTaxes = federalTax + stateTax + ficaTax;
var netPay = grossPay – totalTaxes – preTaxDeductions;
// Format results
var formatCurrency = new Intl.NumberFormat('en-US', { style: 'currency', currency: 'USD' });
netPayElement.innerText = formatCurrency.format(netPay);
var breakdownHtml = "Tax Breakdown:";
breakdownHtml += "Gross Pay: " + formatCurrency.format(grossPay) + "";
breakdownHtml += "Pre-Tax Deductions: -" + formatCurrency.format(preTaxDeductions) + "";
breakdownHtml += "Taxable Income: " + formatCurrency.format(taxableIncome) + "";
breakdownHtml += "——————–";
breakdownHtml += "Federal Income Tax: " + formatCurrency.format(federalTax) + "";
breakdownHtml += "State Income Tax: " + formatCurrency.format(stateTax) + "";
breakdownHtml += "FICA Tax (Soc. Sec. & Medicare): " + formatCurrency.format(ficaTax) + "";
breakdownHtml += "——————–";
breakdownHtml += "Total Estimated Taxes: " + formatCurrency.format(totalTaxes) + "";
taxBreakdownElement.innerHTML = breakdownHtml;
}