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FREE PAYROLL TAX CALCULATOR · 2025 & 2026Federal income tax
Federal income tax
Withholding Calculator
Model federal wage withholding for 2025 or 2026 using your pay frequency and modern W-4 elections. Review an annual projection or a single paycheck.
Use the calculator free. Preparing a pay stub is a separate paid service.
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01
Your wage details
Calculate this employee tax on its own.
ESTIMATED EMPLOYEE TAX2026
$7,670.00
Projected annual withholding
Taxable wage basis annual$75,000.00
Federal income tax withholding only. This is not final income tax liability or take-home pay.
Tax breakdown
Annual| Tax component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax withholding | $7,670.00 |
| Total employee tax | $7,670.00 |
Each average is rounded separately. Adding the rounded components may differ from the rounded total by one cent.
Example: $75,000 annual covered wages · 2026 · Single · 26 checks
Calculation details
- W-4 filing status
- Single
- W-4 Step 2 checkbox
- Not applied
- Method
- IRS Publication 15-T · Worksheet 1A
TURN REAL DETAILS INTO DOCUMENTS
Paperwork, with a little more clarity.
Estimating pay costs nothing. Document preparation is a separate purchase: enter figures from your records, choose a layout and check the preview.
PAY STUB MAKERMake room for
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Simple$3.99USDper pay stub
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FIND YOUR PREFERRED LAYOUT
RegularEarnings and deductions in a familiar grid.
ModernA contemporary statement with clear sections.
ClassicA structured layout for detailed records.
Illustrations use fictional details. Each design has its own price; calculator inputs stay separate from document orders.
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Explore invoicesREAD THE W-4 ASSUMPTIONS
Withholding starts with your certificate.
Federal wage withholding is collected from payroll toward income tax. The amount changes with taxable wages, payroll frequency and the choices on Form W-4.
Follow the payroll worksheet
For a W-4 dated 2020 or later, the selected year’s Publication 15-T Worksheet 1A and automated percentage method determine this estimate. The method annualizes a check’s federal taxable wages, applies the worksheet adjustments and rate schedule, subtracts the relevant credit amount, and adds extra withholding for the check.
Enter elections in the right units
Steps 3, 4(a) and 4(b) use annual dollar amounts. Step 4(c) is extra withholding for each check. Step 2 checkbox treatment changes the schedule; it does not import wages from another job. Use the W-4 deductions worksheet amount for Step 4(b), rather than subtracting a standard deduction from wages.
A projection has limits
Annual mode models equal scheduled wages for a complete year and adds the rounded results of those checks. It does not reconstruct a midyear job change, changing pay or earlier W-4 elections. Paycheck mode calculates only the entered check.
Keep payroll and tax returns separate
This result excludes FICA, state and local withholding and does not determine final income-tax liability or a refund. Household income, credits and deductions can change the return. For multiple jobs or a midyear household review, use the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator.
WORK THROUGH AN EXAMPLE · 2026
Follow a $2,000 biweekly check.
For 2026, use Single, 26 checks, Step 2 unchecked and zero optional amounts. Worksheet 1A annualizes wages to $52,000, then applies an $8,600 adjustment. Adjusted annual wages of $43,400 produce $4,060 tentative annual withholding. Dividing by 26 gives $156.15 after rounding. The same basic inputs give $161.60 per check under the 2025 tables.
- Paycheck wage basis
- $2,000.00
- 2026 federal withholding
- $156.15
- 2025 federal withholding
- $161.60
Federal income tax questions, answered.
Should I enter gross pay?
Enter wages subject to federal income-tax withholding for the period you select. Pre-tax benefits can make that amount different from gross pay.
Can this tell me the best W-4 elections?
No. You supply the elections. The tool applies the payroll method but does not recommend credits, establish exemption eligibility or combine household income.
Will the annual result match my tax return?
No. It projects wage withholding on the stated assumptions. A return determines liability using your complete tax situation.
CHECK THE DETAILS
Check the method behind the figures.
Select the payroll year you want to model and supply the correct taxable or covered wage basis. This calculator does not classify benefits or decide whether wages are taxable.
Rules were reviewed on October 26, 2026 for the two supported years. Later changes require another review. Use the result as a planning comparison alongside payroll records, rather than as a tax-return calculation.
FROM ESTIMATE TO RECORD
Create your pay stub nowGive recorded payroll a clear layout.
Enter earnings and deductions from your records, select a document design and review the preview before payment.