How the 2026 tax estimate works
The calculator applies the 2026 federal standard deduction and progressive federal tax brackets, then estimates employee Social Security and Medicare taxes.
State version
Select any state or Washington, DC. The state field loads a representative 2026 planning rate that you can edit. States with graduated brackets, deductions, credits, county taxes, or city taxes can differ materially from this estimate.
Not included
- Tax credits, dependents, itemized deductions, bonuses, and investment income.
- Local income taxes and state payroll programs.
- Employer benefits and post-tax deductions.
This is an educational planning estimate, not tax, legal, or financial advice.
2026 references: IRS federal brackets, IRS payroll tax rates, and state rate structures.
In depth
Take-home pay, step by step
A salary offer and the amount that lands in your bank account can be thousands of dollars apart. This section walks through exactly how the calculator above gets from gross pay to an estimated take-home figure, so you can check the math yourself and see which inputs move the result the most.
1. Start with gross pay for the year
Everything is converted to an annual figure first. An hourly rate is multiplied by your weekly hours and by the weeks you are actually paid (52 minus any unpaid weeks). A per-paycheck amount is multiplied by the number of paychecks in a year. Working from the annual number avoids the most common mistake in paycheck math: assuming a month is exactly four weeks.
The same $75,000 salary on different pay schedules
| Pay schedule | Paychecks per year | Gross per paycheck |
|---|
| Weekly | 52 | $1,442.31 |
| Biweekly (every two weeks) | 26 | $2,884.62 |
| Semimonthly (twice a month) | 24 | $3,125.00 |
| Monthly | 12 | $6,250.00 |
Biweekly and semimonthly sound similar but are not: biweekly pay produces two "three-paycheck months" a year, which matters if you budget by paycheck.
2. Subtract pre-tax deductions and the standard deduction
Traditional 401(k) contributions and most employer health premiums reduce the income that federal income tax is calculated on. The calculator then subtracts the 2026 standard deduction: $16,100 for single filers and $32,200 for married couples filing jointly. What remains is taxable income.
3. Apply the brackets to taxable income
2026 federal income tax brackets (taxable income)
| Rate | Single | Married filing jointly |
|---|
| 10% | $0 – $12,400 | $0 – $24,800 |
| 12% | $12,401 – $50,400 | $24,801 – $100,800 |
| 22% | $50,401 – $105,700 | $100,801 – $211,400 |
| 24% | $105,701 – $201,775 | $211,401 – $403,550 |
| 32% | $201,776 – $256,225 | $403,551 – $512,450 |
| 35% | $256,226 – $640,600 | $512,451 – $768,700 |
| 37% | Over $640,600 | Over $768,700 |
Only the dollars inside each band are taxed at that band's rate. For a single filer earning $75,000 with no pre-tax deductions, taxable income is $58,900. The first $12,400 is taxed at 10% ($1,240), the next $38,000 at 12% ($4,560), and the last $8,500 at 22% ($1,870), for a federal income tax estimate of $7,670. That is an effective federal income tax rate of about 10.2%, even though the top dollar is taxed at 22%.
4. Add Social Security and Medicare (FICA)
Employees pay 6.2% Social Security tax on wages up to the 2026 wage base of $184,500, and 1.45% Medicare tax on all wages. An additional 0.9% Medicare tax applies to wages above $200,000 for single filers ($250,000 for joint filers). On $75,000, FICA comes to $4,650 + $1,087.50 = $5,737.50. Note that traditional 401(k) contributions still count as wages for FICA, even though they lower income tax.
5. Add state tax, then compare
The state step uses one editable planning rate rather than every state's brackets, credits and local taxes, so treat it as a ballpark. In the $75,000 example with California's 9.3% planning rate, the state line is $6,975 and estimated annual take-home pay is about $54,618. Switching the state to Texas removes that line and raises take-home pay to roughly $61,593.
What changes the result the most
- Pre-tax 401(k) contributions. Contributing $6,000 a year cuts the federal income tax estimate in the example from $7,670 to $6,350, because those dollars come off the 22% band first. Take-home pay falls by less than the contribution. The 2026 employee limit is $24,500.
- Filing status. Joint filers get wider brackets and a larger standard deduction, which is why a second earner's pay can be taxed at a higher marginal rate than they expect.
- Your state. For many middle-income earners, the state line is the biggest difference between two job offers in different places.
Estimate vs. withholding
Your employer withholds tax using your Form W-4 and IRS withholding tables, which can differ from your actual tax for the year. If your estimate here is very different from your pay stub, the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator can tell you whether to update your W-4.
Sources
Figures checked October 2026. Tax rules change; confirm with the linked official pages before filing or signing anything.