Home/USA/Paycheck Withholding Calculator
2026 Federal Tax & FICA Estimate

2026 Paycheck Take-Home Pay Calculator

Estimate how annual salary may be divided between federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, state tax, and take-home pay.

Pay Details

Paycheck Breakdown

Enter your annual gross salary and click Calculate Take-Home Pay.

⭐ Recommended FX Partner Zero Bank Markup 50+ Currencies
Wise International Money Transfer — Transparent International Wire Transfers

Bypass expensive bank markup fees when transferring USD, GBP, EUR, CAD, or INR. Fast, secure cross-border payments.

Calculate Wise Rate Zero Hidden Currency Markup

How This 2026 Paycheck Estimate Works

This calculator provides a simplified annual take-home-pay estimate. It applies the 2026 federal standard deduction and federal income-tax brackets for a single taxpayer, then adds employee Social Security and Medicare taxes and an optional state effective tax rate.

Federal Income Tax

The estimate uses the 2026 single-filer standard deduction of $16,100 and the 2026 federal marginal tax brackets. This is an annual income-tax estimate, not an exact reproduction of an employer's Form W-4 withholding calculation.

Social Security

For 2026, employee Social Security tax is 6.2% on covered wages up to $184,500. The maximum employee Social Security tax at the wage base is $11,439.

Medicare

Employee Medicare tax is 1.45% on covered wages with no wage-base limit. Employers also withhold an additional 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax from an employee's wages once wages paid by that employer exceed $200,000 during the calendar year.

Why Your Actual Paycheck Can Differ

Actual paycheck withholding can differ substantially because employers use Form W-4 information and IRS payroll withholding methods. Filing status, multiple jobs, dependents, additional income, deductions, credits, pre-tax benefits, retirement contributions, state taxes and local taxes can all change the amount actually withheld.

International Students and FICA

Some nonresident alien students and exchange visitors can qualify for Social Security and Medicare tax exemptions under specific IRS rules. Visa classification alone does not establish eligibility. The applicable exemption depends on the person's tax residency, visa classification, activities and the relevant calendar-year rules.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

For 2026, the employee Social Security tax rate is 6.2% and applies to covered wages up to the $184,500 Social Security wage base. The maximum employee Social Security tax for 2026 is $11,439. Medicare tax continues without a wage-base limit.

Employers must withhold the 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax from an employee's wages once that employee's wages exceed $200,000 in the calendar year, regardless of filing status. For final individual tax liability, the threshold is $200,000 for single and head-of-household taxpayers, $250,000 for married filing jointly, and $125,000 for married filing separately.

Certain nonresident alien students and exchange visitors in F-1, J-1, M-1 or Q-1 status can qualify for an exemption from Social Security and Medicare taxes under the applicable IRS rules. The exemption is not automatic solely because a person holds one of these visa classifications. The student's nonresident-alien status, activity, and applicable calendar-year rules must be considered. After the relevant exemption period, the person may become subject to FICA if otherwise covered.

Gross pay is the total compensation reported for the applicable payroll period. Form W-2 Box 1 reports federal income-tax wages, which can differ from gross pay because certain exclusions and pre-tax benefits may reduce federal taxable wages. The treatment of a particular 401(k), health-plan, HSA or FSA contribution depends on the applicable tax rules and plan.

Form W-4 provides the information an employer uses to calculate federal income-tax withholding. The 2026 withholding method considers filing status, whether the Step 2 multiple-jobs box is checked, adjustments entered on the form, and additional withholding. This calculator does not reproduce the full IRS Form W-4 withholding worksheets.

Several states do not impose a broad individual income tax on wage income, including Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Wyoming. Washington generally has no individual wage income tax, while New Hampshire's former tax on interest and dividends was being phased out and is now eliminated. State tax treatment can include local taxes and special rules, so verify the current rule for your residence and work location.

Have questions about FICA tax limits, Form W-4, or zero-tax states?

⬆️ Refer to FAQ Section Above
Official U.S. Government Portals

• IRS Tax Withholding Estimator (Form W-4): irs.gov/w4app
• IRS Publication 15-T (Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods): irs.gov/p15t

Related Tools
👉 Expat State Tax & Paycheck Comparison Calculator →👉 F-1 FICA Tax Refund Calculator & Form 843 Guide →👉 IRS Substantial Presence Test Calculator →