South Carolina Paycheck Calculator
Use this calculator to estimate your net pay per pay period in South Carolina, factoring in federal and state taxes, as well as common deductions. This tool provides an estimate based on current tax laws and standard deductions.
Understanding Your South Carolina Paycheck
A paycheck calculator helps you estimate how much money you'll actually take home after all deductions and taxes are withheld from your gross pay. This is often referred to as your "net pay." Understanding the components of your paycheck is crucial for budgeting and financial planning.
Key Components of Your Paycheck
Your gross pay is the total amount you earn before any deductions. From this, several amounts are subtracted to arrive at your net pay:
1. Federal Taxes
- Federal Income Tax: This is the largest deduction for most people. The amount withheld depends on your gross income, filing status (Single, Married Filing Jointly, Head of Household), and the number of dependents you claim on your W-4 form. The U.S. uses a progressive tax system, meaning higher earners pay a higher percentage of their income in taxes.
- Social Security Tax (FICA – SS): This is a flat tax of 6.2% on your earnings up to an annual limit (e.g., $168,600 for 2024). This funds retirement, disability, and survivor benefits.
- Medicare Tax (FICA – Med): This is a flat tax of 1.45% on all your earnings, with no income limit. It funds hospital insurance for the elderly and disabled. An additional 0.9% Medicare tax applies to higher earners (over $200,000 for single filers, $250,000 for married filing jointly).
2. South Carolina State Taxes
South Carolina has its own state income tax, which is also progressive. The amount withheld depends on your taxable income, filing status, and the number of exemptions you claim. South Carolina's tax brackets and standard deduction are applied to your income after certain adjustments.
- SC Income Tax: Calculated based on your annual taxable income, SC standard deduction, and personal exemptions.
3. Deductions
Deductions are amounts taken out of your paycheck for various benefits or contributions. They can be categorized as pre-tax or post-tax:
- Pre-tax Deductions: These are subtracted from your gross pay before federal and state income taxes are calculated. This reduces your taxable income, potentially lowering your tax liability. Common examples include contributions to a 401(k) or 403(b) retirement plan, health insurance premiums, and Flexible Spending Account (FSA) contributions.
- Post-tax Deductions: These are subtracted from your pay after all taxes have been calculated. Examples include Roth 401(k) contributions, union dues, charitable contributions, or certain life insurance premiums.
How the Calculator Works
Our South Carolina Paycheck Calculator takes your gross pay and pay frequency to annualize your income. It then applies the relevant federal and state tax laws (including standard deductions and credits for dependents) and your specified pre-tax and post-tax deductions to estimate your net pay per period. Please note that this calculator provides an estimate and should not be considered tax advice. Actual withholdings may vary based on specific circumstances, additional W-4 adjustments, and other factors.
Example Calculation
Let's consider an example for a bi-weekly paid employee in South Carolina:
- Gross Pay per Pay Period: $2,000
- Pay Frequency: Bi-weekly (26 pay periods/year)
- Federal Filing Status: Single
- Federal Dependents: 0
- SC Filing Status: Single
- SC Exemptions: 1 (for self)
- Pre-tax Deductions: $100 per pay period (e.g., 401k)
- Post-tax Deductions: $20 per pay period (e.g., Roth 401k)
Based on these inputs, the calculator would perform the following steps:
- Calculate annual gross pay ($2,000 * 26 = $52,000).
- Subtract annual pre-tax deductions ($100 * 26 = $2,600) to get federal and state taxable gross.
- Calculate FICA taxes (Social Security and Medicare) based on gross pay.
- Calculate Federal Income Tax based on federal taxable gross, standard deduction, and filing status.
- Calculate South Carolina Income Tax based on SC taxable gross, SC standard deduction, and exemptions.
- Subtract all taxes and post-tax deductions from the gross pay to determine the net pay.
The result would show a breakdown of each deduction and the final estimated net pay.
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function calculatePaycheck() {
var grossPay = parseFloat(document.getElementById("grossPay").value);
var payFrequency = parseInt(document.getElementById("payFrequency").value);
var federalFilingStatus = document.getElementById("federalFilingStatus").value;
var federalDependents = parseInt(document.getElementById("federalDependents").value);
var scFilingStatus = document.getElementById("scFilingStatus").value;
var scExemptions = parseInt(document.getElementById("scExemptions").value);
var preTaxDeductions = parseFloat(document.getElementById("preTaxDeductions").value);
var postTaxDeductions = parseFloat(document.getElementById("postTaxDeductions").value);
// Validate inputs
if (isNaN(grossPay) || grossPay < 0 ||
isNaN(federalDependents) || federalDependents < 0 ||
isNaN(scExemptions) || scExemptions < 0 ||
isNaN(preTaxDeductions) || preTaxDeductions < 0 ||
isNaN(postTaxDeductions) || postTaxDeductions additionalMedicareThreshold) {
annualMedicareTax += (annualGrossPay – additionalMedicareThreshold) * additionalMedicareRate;
}
// — Federal Income Tax —
var federalStandardDeduction;
var federalTaxBrackets;
if (federalFilingStatus === "single") {
federalStandardDeduction = 14600;
federalTaxBrackets = [
{ rate: 0.10, min: 0, max: 11600 },
{ rate: 0.12, min: 11601, max: 47150 },
{ rate: 0.22, min: 47151, max: 100525 },
{ rate: 0.24, min: 100526, max: 191950 },
{ rate: 0.32, min: 191951, max: 243725 },
{ rate: 0.35, min: 243726, max: 609350 },
{ rate: 0.37, min: 609351, max: Infinity }
];
} else if (federalFilingStatus === "married_jointly") {
federalStandardDeduction = 29200;
federalTaxBrackets = [
{ rate: 0.10, min: 0, max: 23200 },
{ rate: 0.12, min: 23201, max: 94300 },
{ rate: 0.22, min: 94301, max: 201050 },
{ rate: 0.24, min: 201051, max: 383900 },
{ rate: 0.32, min: 383901, max: 487450 },
{ rate: 0.35, min: 487451, max: 731200 },
{ rate: 0.37, min: 731201, max: Infinity }
];
} else if (federalFilingStatus === "hoh") {
federalStandardDeduction = 21900;
federalTaxBrackets = [
{ rate: 0.10, min: 0, max: 16550 },
{ rate: 0.12, min: 16551, max: 63100 },
{ rate: 0.22, min: 63101, max: 100500 },
{ rate: 0.24, min: 100501, max: 191950 },
{ rate: 0.32, min: 191951, max: 243700 },
{ rate: 0.35, min: 243701, max: 609350 },
{ rate: 0.37, min: 609351, max: Infinity }
];
}
var federalTaxableIncome = annualGrossPay – annualPreTaxDeductions – federalStandardDeduction;
federalTaxableIncome = Math.max(0, federalTaxableIncome); // Cannot be negative
var annualFederalIncomeTax = 0;
for (var i = 0; i bracket.min) {
var taxableInBracket = Math.min(federalTaxableIncome, bracket.max) – bracket.min;
annualFederalIncomeTax += taxableInBracket * bracket.rate;
}
}
// Apply Federal Dependent Credits (simplified: direct reduction of tax)
var childTaxCredit = 2000;
var otherDependentCredit = 500;
var totalFederalCredits = 0;
if (federalDependents > 0) {
// This is a simplification. W4 logic is more complex with qualifying children vs other dependents.
// For a basic calculator, we'll assume all dependents are qualifying children for the $2000 credit,
// or if not, then the $500 credit. Let's use $2000 per dependent for simplicity.
totalFederalCredits = federalDependents * childTaxCredit; // Assuming all are qualifying children
}
annualFederalIncomeTax = Math.max(0, annualFederalIncomeTax – totalFederalCredits);
// — South Carolina State Income Tax —
var scStandardDeduction = 12000; // 2024 SC standard deduction
var scExemptionAmount = 4610; // 2024 SC exemption amount per exemption
var scTaxBrackets = [
{ rate: 0.00, min: 0, max: 3200 },
{ rate: 0.03, min: 3201, max: 6400 },
{ rate: 0.04, min: 6401, max: 9600 },
{ rate: 0.05, min: 9601, max: 12800 },
{ rate: 0.06, min: 12801, max: 16000 },
{ rate: 0.07, min: 16001, max: Infinity }
];
var scTaxableIncome = annualGrossPay – annualPreTaxDeductions – scStandardDeduction – (scExemptions * scExemptionAmount);
scTaxableIncome = Math.max(0, scTaxableIncome); // Cannot be negative
var annualSCTax = 0;
for (var j = 0; j bracket.min) {
var taxableInBracket = Math.min(scTaxableIncome, bracket.max) – bracket.min;
annualSCTax += taxableInBracket * bracket.rate;
}
}
// — Per Pay Period Calculations —
var perPeriodSocialSecurityTax = annualSocialSecurityTax / payFrequency;
var perPeriodMedicareTax = annualMedicareTax / payFrequency;
var perPeriodFederalIncomeTax = annualFederalIncomeTax / payFrequency;
var perPeriodSCTax = annualSCTax / payFrequency;
var totalTaxes = perPeriodSocialSecurityTax + perPeriodMedicareTax + perPeriodFederalIncomeTax + perPeriodSCTax;
var netPay = grossPay – preTaxDeductions – totalTaxes – postTaxDeductions;
// Display results
var resultDiv = document.getElementById("result");
resultDiv.innerHTML = `
Estimated Paycheck Breakdown
Gross Pay: $${grossPay.toFixed(2)}
Pre-tax Deductions: -$${preTaxDeductions.toFixed(2)}
Federal Income Tax: -$${perPeriodFederalIncomeTax.toFixed(2)}
Social Security Tax: -$${perPeriodSocialSecurityTax.toFixed(2)}
Medicare Tax: -$${perPeriodMedicareTax.toFixed(2)}
South Carolina State Tax: -$${perPeriodSCTax.toFixed(2)}
Post-tax Deductions: -$${postTaxDeductions.toFixed(2)}
Estimated Net Pay: $${netPay.toFixed(2)}
Disclaimer: This calculator provides an estimate based on 2024 tax laws and common assumptions. It is not financial or tax advice. Actual withholdings may vary based on specific W-4 elections, additional deductions, and other factors. Consult a tax professional for personalized advice.
`;
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