About the paycheck calculator
Take-home pay is gross pay minus pre-tax deductions, taxes and after-tax deductions. Federal income tax follows the 2026 percentage method in IRS Publication 15-T: taxable wages per paycheck are multiplied by the number of paychecks, the Form W-4 adjustments are applied, the annual withholding table gives a yearly amount, and that is divided back by the paychecks. Social Security is 6.2% of wages up to $184,500 and Medicare is 1.45%, plus 0.9% on wages above $200,000.
With the defaults, a $75,000 salary paid every two weeks to a single filer who puts 5% into a 401(k) and $100 into health premiums nets $2,186.09 a paycheck, $56,838.22 over the year. Federal withholding is $241.27 a check.
Each paycheck is worked out in turn, so the table shows the checks that grow once the 401(k) limit or the Social Security wage base is reached. State and local tax are flat rates you enter.
Questions
How is federal income tax withholding calculated in 2026?
With the percentage method in IRS Publication 15-T. Taxable wages per paycheck are multiplied by the paychecks per year, and $8,600 ($12,900 if married filing jointly) is subtracted unless the Form W-4 Step 2 box is checked, along with any Step 4(b) deductions. The 2026 annual table turns that amount into a yearly tax, which is divided back by the paychecks. For a single filer at $60,050, the table gives $5,800 plus 22% of the $2,150 above $57,900: $6,273 a year, $241.27 every two weeks.
What are the Social Security and Medicare tax rates for 2026?
Employees pay 6.2% Social Security on wages up to the 2026 wage base of $184,500, at most $11,439, and 1.45% Medicare on all wages. Employers also withhold a 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax on wages above $200,000 in the calendar year, whatever the filing status (IRS Publication 15, 2026). On a $75,000 salary the two taxes are 7.65% × $75,000 = $5,737.50 a year, before any cafeteria-plan deductions.
Do 401(k) contributions reduce Social Security and Medicare tax?
No. Traditional 401(k) deferrals are exempt from federal income tax withholding but still subject to Social Security and Medicare, according to IRS Publication 15. Health, dental and vision premiums and HSA contributions paid through a Section 125 cafeteria plan are exempt from all three. The 2026 limit on employee 401(k) deferrals is $24,500, plus an $8,000 catch-up from age 50.
How much is $75,000 a year after taxes?
$61,592.32 for a single filer paid every two weeks in a state without income tax, with no pre-tax deductions: 2026 federal withholding of $7,670 and $5,737.68 of Social Security and Medicare leave $2,368.94 a paycheck. Putting 5% into a 401(k) and $100 a paycheck into health premiums cuts take-home pay to $56,838.22, but $6,349.98 of that goes to savings and coverage and federal withholding falls by $1,396.98.
Why is my paycheck bigger late in the year?
Social Security tax stops once your wages for the year pass the $184,500 wage base (2026), and 401(k) deferrals stop at the $24,500 limit. On a $260,000 salary paid twice a month, Social Security ends in the 18th paycheck, adding $656.17 to each later check, while the 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax starts in the 19th and takes $95.25 a check from the 20th.
How accurate is the paycheck calculator?
Accuracy depends on your inputs and the method's assumptions. Decimal arithmetic uses 50 significant digits, but estimates, numerical methods and source data can be less precise; the displayed rounding does not remove those limits. It is checked against 8 worked examples whose answers come from independent sources; for example, “$75,000 salary, biweekly, single, 5% 401(k)” is checked against Python decimal model of Pub. 15-T (2026) Worksheet 1A: (2,884.62 − 144.23 − 100) × 26 − 8,600 = 60,050.02; 5,800 + 22% × 2,150.02 = 6,273.00 ÷ 26 = 241.27; FICA on wages less the Section 125 deduction.
Where does the method come from?
IRS Publication 15-T (2026), Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods: Worksheet 1A and the Annual Percentage Method tables; IRS Publication 15 (2026), Employer's Tax Guide: Social Security and Medicare rates, $184,500 wage base, Additional Medicare Tax, exempt payments; IRS: Questions and answers for the Additional Medicare Tax; IRS: 401(k) limit increases to $24,500 for 2026; Tax Foundation: State individual income tax rates and brackets, 2026.