Paycheck Tax Withholding Calculator
Estimate federal withholding and take-home pay from one paycheck.
Enter your values
ⓘ Live results
Results
- Take-home pay
- $1,888.23
- Income tax withheld
- $282.00
- FICA (7.65%)
- $179.78
- Annual take-home
- $49,093.85
Working
- 1taxable $2,350.00 x 12% = $282.00
Quick answer
Withholding is your gross pay for the period multiplied by your effective tax rate, plus payroll taxes. What remains after deductions is your take-home pay.
net = gross - (gross x tax rate) - FICA - deductions
How to use the Paycheck Tax Withholding Calculator
- 1Enter your gross pay for one pay period and how often you are paid.
- 2Add pre-tax deductions such as 401(k) or health premiums.
- 3Read the take-home figure and the annualised total.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Gross pay this period2500 $
- Pay frequencyBiweekly
- Effective income tax rate12 %
- Pre-tax deductions150 $
Results
- Take-home pay$1,888.23
- Income tax withheld$282.00
- FICA (7.65%)$179.78
- Annual take-home$49,093.85
- taxable $2,350.00 x 12% = $282.00
Frequently asked questions
Why is my real cheque different?
State and local tax, garnishments and post-tax benefits vary by employer, so treat this as a close planning estimate.
What effective rate should I use?
Divide last year's federal tax by your gross income; most households land between 8% and 18%.
About this calculator
- Built and reviewed by James Whitfield · How we build and test calculators
- Report an error
Results are estimates for general information. For medical, legal, structural or financial decisions, confirm with a qualified professional.