Weekly (52 per year)
Bi-weekly (26 per year)
Semi-monthly (24 per year)
Monthly (12 per year)
Single
Married
Head of Household
%
%
Your Estimated Net Pay
$0.00
*This is an estimate and may not reflect exact amounts due to specific tax laws, local taxes, or employer-specific deductions.
Understanding Your California Paystub
A paystub, also known as a payslip or earnings statement, is a crucial document provided by your employer detailing your compensation and the deductions taken from your gross pay. For employees in California, understanding these deductions is key to comprehending your net earnings and ensuring accuracy. This calculator provides an estimated net pay based on common federal and California state tax withholding parameters.
Key Components of Your Paystub:
Gross Pay: The total amount of money you earned before any deductions are taken out. This is usually based on your hourly rate or salary and the number of hours or days worked.
Federal Income Tax Withholding (FITW): Taxes withheld for the U.S. federal government. The amount depends on your gross pay, filing status (Single, Married, Head of Household), and the number of allowances you claim on your W-4 form.
California State Income Tax Withholding (CA SITW): Taxes withheld for the state of California. Similar to federal withholding, this is influenced by your gross pay, filing status, and allowances claimed on the DE 4 form (California's equivalent to the W-4).
Social Security Tax: A mandatory federal payroll tax that funds Social Security benefits. Currently, it's 6.2% of your gross wages up to an annual limit ($168,600 in 2024).
Medicare Tax: A federal payroll tax that funds Medicare. It's 1.45% of all your gross wages, with no income limit. There's an additional Medicare tax for high earners.
Pre-Tax Deductions: Contributions made before taxes are calculated, such as for 401(k) retirement plans, health insurance premiums, or Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs). These deductions reduce your taxable income.
Post-Tax Deductions: Deductions taken after taxes have been calculated, such as certain union dues or wage garnishments.
Net Pay: This is your "take-home pay"—the amount of money you actually receive after all taxes and deductions have been subtracted from your gross pay.
How the Calculator Works:
This calculator estimates your net pay by performing the following steps:
Calculate Taxable Income: Gross Pay minus Pre-Tax Deductions.
Estimate Federal Withholding: This is a simplified estimation. Actual federal withholding is complex and often uses IRS tax tables. Our calculator uses a basic allowance-based approach, which can vary.
Estimate California State Withholding: Similar to federal, this uses a simplified allowance-based method based on California's tax brackets and the DE 4 form. Actual CA withholding is also based on detailed tables.
Calculate Social Security and Medicare Taxes: These are straightforward percentages (6.2% and 1.45%) of the gross pay, subject to Social Security wage limits.
Sum Deductions: Add up the estimated Federal Income Tax, CA State Income Tax, Social Security Tax, Medicare Tax, and any specified pre-tax and additional withholdings.
Calculate Net Pay: Gross Pay minus Total Deductions.
Important Considerations:
Simplified Tax Calculations: Payroll tax withholding is complex. This calculator provides an approximation. For precise figures, consult your official paystub or a payroll professional.
Tax Brackets and Allowances: Federal and state tax amounts are sensitive to your filing status and the number of allowances. Adjusting these values can significantly change your net pay.
Annual Limits: Social Security tax is only applied up to a certain income threshold per year. This calculator applies it per pay period without tracking annual accumulation, which is a common simplification.
Local Taxes: Some California cities or counties have local income taxes that are not included in this calculation.
Employer-Specific Plans: Deductions for benefits like health, dental, vision, life insurance, and retirement plans can vary widely.
Use this calculator as a tool to get a general idea of your take-home pay in California. For definitive information, always refer to your official paystub and consult with your HR or payroll department.
// Constants for tax rates and thresholds (as of recent data, subject to change)
var SOCIAL_SECURITY_RATE = 0.062;
var MEDICARE_RATE = 0.0145;
var CA_MED_TAX_THRESHOLD = 168600; // Example threshold for additional Medicare tax for high earners (not fully implemented in this simplified calc)
function calculatePaystub() {
// — Input Values —
var grossPay = parseFloat(document.getElementById("grossPay").value);
var payFrequency = document.getElementById("payFrequency").value;
var filingStatus = document.getElementById("filingStatus").value;
var allowances = parseInt(document.getElementById("allowances").value) || 0;
var additionalFederal = parseFloat(document.getElementById("additionalFederal").value) || 0;
var additionalState = parseFloat(document.getElementById("additionalState").value) || 0;
var pretaxDeductions = parseFloat(document.getElementById("pretaxDeductions").value) || 0;
var socialSecurityRateInput = parseFloat(document.getElementById("socialSecurity").value) / 100;
var medicareRateInput = parseFloat(document.getElementById("medicare").value) / 100;
// — Basic Input Validation —
if (isNaN(grossPay) || grossPay < 0) {
alert("Please enter a valid Gross Pay amount.");
return;
}
if (isNaN(allowances) || allowances < 0) {
alert("Please enter a valid number of Allowances.");
return;
}
if (isNaN(additionalFederal) || additionalFederal < 0) {
alert("Please enter a valid Additional Federal Withholding amount.");
return;
}
if (isNaN(additionalState) || additionalState < 0) {
alert("Please enter a valid Additional CA State Withholding amount.");
return;
}
if (isNaN(pretaxDeductions) || pretaxDeductions < 0) {
alert("Please enter a valid Pre-Tax Deductions amount.");
return;
}
// — Determine Pay Periods Per Year —
var payPeriodsPerYear;
switch (payFrequency) {
case "weekly":
payPeriodsPerYear = 52;
break;
case "biweekly":
payPeriodsPerYear = 26;
break;
case "semimonthly":
payPeriodsPerYear = 24;
break;
case "monthly":
payPeriodsPerYear = 12;
break;
default:
payPeriodsPerYear = 26; // Default to bi-weekly
}
// — Calculate Deductions —
// 1. Social Security Tax
var socialSecurityTax = grossPay * socialSecurityRateInput;
// Note: This simplified calculator does not implement the annual wage limit for SS.
// 2. Medicare Tax
var medicareTax = grossPay * medicareRateInput;
// Note: This simplified calculator does not implement the Additional Medicare Tax for high earners.
// 3. Taxable Income for Income Tax
var taxableIncomeForIncomeTax = grossPay – pretaxDeductions;
if (taxableIncomeForIncomeTax < 0) taxableIncomeForIncomeTax = 0; // Cannot have negative taxable income
// 4. Federal Income Tax Withholding (Simplified Estimation)
// This is a highly simplified estimation. Real withholding uses complex IRS tables.
// A common method involves annualized taxable income and tax brackets.
// For demonstration, let's use a basic percentage approach adjusted by allowances.
var federalTaxRateEstimate = 0.15; // Placeholder rate, varies greatly
var federalAllowanceFactor = allowances * 50; // Placeholder value per allowance, varies
var estimatedFederalTax = (taxableIncomeForIncomeTax – federalAllowanceFactor) * federalTaxRateEstimate;
if (estimatedFederalTax < 0) estimatedFederalTax = 0;
estimatedFederalTax += additionalFederal; // Add any extra withholding requested
// 5. California State Income Tax Withholding (Simplified Estimation)
// Similar to federal, this uses simplified logic. Actual CA withholding uses DE 4 and state tables.
// CA has different brackets and allowance values.
var caStateTaxRateEstimate = 0.05; // Placeholder rate
var caStateAllowanceFactor = allowances * 40; // Placeholder value per allowance
var estimatedCAStateTax = (taxableIncomeForIncomeTax – caStateAllowanceFactor) * caStateTaxRateEstimate;
if (estimatedCAStateTax < 0) estimatedCAStateTax = 0;
estimatedCAStateTax += additionalState; // Add any extra withholding requested
// — Total Deductions —
var totalDeductions = socialSecurityTax + medicareTax + estimatedFederalTax + estimatedCAStateTax;
// — Net Pay Calculation —
var netPay = grossPay – totalDeductions;
if (netPay < 0) netPay = 0; // Net pay cannot be negative
// — Display Results —
var formattedNetPay = netPay.toLocaleString('en-US', { style: 'currency', currency: 'USD' });
document.getElementById("netPay").innerText = formattedNetPay;
}
function resetForm() {
document.getElementById("grossPay").value = "";
document.getElementById("payFrequency").value = "biweekly";
document.getElementById("filingStatus").value = "single";
document.getElementById("allowances").value = "0";
document.getElementById("additionalFederal").value = "0";
document.getElementById("additionalState").value = "0";
document.getElementById("pretaxDeductions").value = "0";
document.getElementById("socialSecurity").value = "6.2";
document.getElementById("medicare").value = "1.45";
document.getElementById("netPay").innerText = "$0.00";
}