Estimate the federal income tax, Social Security tax, and Medicare tax withheld from your paycheck.
Weekly
Bi-weekly
Semi-monthly
Monthly
Single
Married Filing Jointly
Married Filing Separately
Head of Household
Estimated Withholding
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Federal Income Tax
—
Social Security Tax (6.2%)
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Medicare Tax (1.45%)
—
Total Estimated Taxes
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Estimated Net Pay
Understanding Your Paycheck Taxes
Understanding how taxes are calculated and withheld from your paycheck is crucial for effective personal finance management. This calculator helps estimate the primary federal taxes deducted from your earnings.
Key Components of Withholding:
Gross Pay: This is your total earnings before any deductions.
Pay Frequency: How often you receive your paycheck (weekly, bi-weekly, etc.). This affects how annual tax tables are applied.
Filing Status: Your marital status and whether you have dependents influence your tax bracket and standard deduction. Common statuses include Single, Married Filing Jointly, Married Filing Separately, and Head of Household.
Allowances (or Dependents): The number of allowances you claim on your W-4 form (or equivalent) tells your employer how much to withhold. Generally, more allowances mean less tax withheld. Note: The IRS has modernized the W-4, and this calculator uses a simplified allowance model for estimation purposes.
The Calculation Logic (Simplified):
This calculator provides an estimate based on simplified assumptions. Actual withholding depends on your specific W-4, state and local taxes (if applicable), and other factors. The core federal taxes calculated are:
Social Security Tax:
A fixed rate of 6.2% is applied to your gross pay up to an annual wage base limit ($168,600 for 2024). For this calculator, we assume your pay period's contribution does not exceed this limit.
Social Security Tax = Gross Pay * 0.062
Medicare Tax:
A fixed rate of 1.45% is applied to all your earnings, with no wage limit. Additional Medicare tax may apply for higher earners.
Medicare Tax = Gross Pay * 0.0145
Federal Income Tax:
This is the most complex part, as it depends heavily on your W-4 information (filing status and allowances). Employers use IRS tables to determine withholding. This calculator estimates this by:
Determining your taxable income for the pay period. This involves subtracting an estimated amount for allowances from your gross pay. The value of an allowance is tied to the standard deduction, which varies by filing status and year. For simplicity, we use a representative per-allowance value.
Annualizing this taxable income to compare against federal income tax brackets.
Calculating the annual tax liability based on the relevant tax brackets for your filing status.
Pro-rating the annual tax liability back to your pay period.
Note: This calculator uses a simplified method for estimating federal income tax withholding based on allowances, which is a legacy concept. The current W-4 emphasizes direct claiming of tax credits and deductions. For precise calculations, consult the IRS withholding estimator or your payroll provider.
Example Calculation:
Let's say you have:
Gross Pay: $2,000 (Bi-weekly)
Filing Status: Single
Allowances: 1
Estimated Calculation:
Social Security Tax: $2,000 * 0.062 = $124.00
Medicare Tax: $2,000 * 0.0145 = $29.00
Federal Income Tax (Estimate): This involves more complex lookup tables and annualization. Assuming a simplified calculation where allowances reduce taxable income, and then applying tax brackets for a single filer, the estimated federal income tax might be around $150-$200. (The exact figure varies greatly by the specific tax tables used).
Estimated Net Pay: $2,000.00 – ~$328.00 = ~$1,672.00
This example illustrates the process; actual results from the calculator may differ due to the specific methodology employed.
Disclaimer:
This calculator is intended for informational and educational purposes only. It provides an estimate and should not be considered definitive tax advice. Tax laws are complex and subject to change. Consult with a qualified tax professional or refer to official IRS resources for accurate and personalized tax guidance.
// Tax rates and constants (simplified for estimation)
var SOCIAL_SECURITY_RATE = 0.062;
var MEDICARE_RATE = 0.0145;
// Approximate value of one allowance for federal income tax withholding calculation (based on 2023/2024 standard deductions – simplified)
// For a Single filer, the 2024 standard deduction is $14,600. If we assume roughly 10 pay periods (e.g. bi-weekly), roughly $1460 per period allowance.
// This is a highly simplified proxy. Actual W-4 calculations are more nuanced.
var ALLOWANCE_VALUE_PER_PERIOD = {
'single': 1460, // Simplified for ~10 pay periods / year for bi-weekly
'married_filing_jointly': 730, // Simplified for ~10 pay periods / year for bi-weekly
'married_filing_separately': 730, // Simplified for ~10 pay periods / year for bi-weekly
'head_of_household': 1460 // Simplified, similar to single, but HoH standard deduction is higher.
};
// Approximate tax brackets (Simplified for estimation – Federal Income Tax)
// These are simplified annual brackets and are pro-rated per period.
var TAX_BRACKETS = {
'single': [
{ max: 11600, rate: 0.10 },
{ max: 47150, rate: 0.12 },
{ max: 100525, rate: 0.22 },
{ max: 191950, rate: 0.24 },
{ max: 243725, rate: 0.32 },
{ max: 609350, rate: 0.35 },
{ max: Infinity, rate: 0.37 }
],
'married_filing_jointly': [
{ max: 23200, rate: 0.10 },
{ max: 94300, rate: 0.12 },
{ max: 201050, rate: 0.22 },
{ max: 383900, rate: 0.24 },
{ max: 487450, rate: 0.32 },
{ max: 731200, rate: 0.35 },
{ max: Infinity, rate: 0.37 }
],
'married_filing_separately': [
{ max: 11600, rate: 0.10 },
{ max: 47150, rate: 0.12 },
{ max: 100525, rate: 0.22 },
{ max: 191950, rate: 0.24 },
{ max: 243725, rate: 0.32 },
{ max: 365600, rate: 0.35 },
{ max: Infinity, rate: 0.37 }
],
'head_of_household': [
{ max: 16550, rate: 0.10 },
{ max: 63100, rate: 0.12 },
{ max: 104550, rate: 0.22 },
{ max: 178150, rate: 0.24 },
{ max: 230100, rate: 0.32 },
{ max: 579400, rate: 0.35 },
{ max: Infinity, rate: 0.37 }
]
};
function calculateTaxes() {
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 fedTaxResultElement = document.getElementById('federalTax');
var ssTaxResultElement = document.getElementById('socialSecurityTax');
var medicareTaxResultElement = document.getElementById('medicareTax');
var totalWithholdingResultElement = document.getElementById('totalWithholding');
var netPayResultElement = document.getElementById('netPay');
// Reset previous results
fedTaxResultElement.innerText = "–";
ssTaxResultElement.innerText = "–";
medicareTaxResultElement.innerText = "–";
totalWithholdingResultElement.innerText = "–";
netPayResultElement.innerText = "–";
// 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 (must be 0 or greater).");
return;
}
// — Social Security Tax Calculation —
var socialSecurityTax = grossPay * SOCIAL_SECURITY_RATE;
ssTaxResultElement.innerText = "$" + socialSecurityTax.toFixed(2);
// — Medicare Tax Calculation —
var medicareTax = grossPay * MEDICARE_RATE;
medicareTaxResultElement.innerText = "$" + medicareTax.toFixed(2);
// — Federal Income Tax Calculation (Simplified Estimate) —
var annualGrossPay;
var payPeriodsPerYear;
switch (payFrequency) {
case 'weekly':
payPeriodsPerYear = 52;
break;
case 'biweekly':
payPeriodsPerYear = 26;
break;
case 'semimonthly':
payPeriodsPerYear = 24;
break;
case 'monthly':
payPeriodsPerYear = 12;
break;
default:
payPeriodsPerYear = 26; // Default to bi-weekly
}
annualGrossPay = grossPay * payPeriodsPerYear;
// Estimate taxable income per period after allowances
// This is a gross simplification. Real W-4 withholding is more complex.
var allowanceValue = ALLOWANCE_VALUE_PER_PERIOD[filingStatus] || 1460; // Default to single if status is unknown
var taxableIncomePerPeriod = grossPay – (allowances * allowanceValue / payPeriodsPerYear);
if (taxableIncomePerPeriod < 0) {
taxableIncomePerPeriod = 0;
}
var annualTaxableIncome = taxableIncomePerPeriod * payPeriodsPerYear;
// Calculate estimated annual federal income tax based on brackets
var annualFederalTax = 0;
var brackets = TAX_BRACKETS[filingStatus] || TAX_BRACKETS['single'];
var previousMax = 0;
for (var i = 0; i previousMax) {
taxableAmountInBracket = Math.min(annualTaxableIncome, bracket.max) – previousMax;
annualFederalTax += taxableAmountInBracket * bracket.rate;
previousMax = bracket.max;
} else {
break; // Taxable income is below this bracket's start
}
if (annualTaxableIncome 0) ? annualFederalTax / payPeriodsPerYear : 0;
if (federalIncomeTax < 0) { // Ensure tax isn't negative
federalIncomeTax = 0;
}
fedTaxResultElement.innerText = "$" + federalIncomeTax.toFixed(2);
// — Total Withholding and Net Pay —
var totalWithholding = socialSecurityTax + medicareTax + federalIncomeTax;
totalWithholdingResultElement.innerText = "$" + totalWithholding.toFixed(2);
var netPay = grossPay – totalWithholding;
netPayResultElement.innerText = "$" + netPay.toFixed(2);
}