Federal Withholding Calculator 2026 (Pub 15-T)
See how much federal income tax and FICA come out of each paycheck, using the IRS Publication 15-T percentage method your employer’s payroll system uses. Enter gross pay, pay frequency, and your Form W-4 entries to estimate the withholding and what lands in your account.
Works offline — your inputs never leave this device. How that works
State and local income taxes are not included — those come from your state’s own tables. This models the 2020-and-later Form W-4; if yours predates 2020, the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator handles that path.
Verified 2026-07-31 against IRS Publication 15-T (2026), Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods — section 1, Worksheet 1A and the 2026 Annual Percentage Method Tables for Automated Payroll Systems; FICA rates and wage base from IRS Publication 15 (2026) (effective 2026-01-01)
Estimate only — not legal, tax, or financial advice. Only IRS can determine your actual amounts.
Official source: IRS Publication 15-T — Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods ↗
🎓 Understand this tool
What it is
An estimator for the federal tax taken out of each paycheck: income-tax withholding computed the way payroll software computes it, plus Social Security and Medicare, and what remains before state tax.
How it works
It runs Worksheet 1A of IRS Publication 15-T — the annual percentage method for automated payroll systems. Pay is annualized, the line-1g reduction is subtracted unless the Form W-4 Step 2 box is checked ($12,900 married filing jointly, $8,600 otherwise for 2026), a rate schedule produces a tentative annual amount, Step 3 credits are subtracted, and the result is divided by the number of pay periods before Step 4(c) extra withholding is added.
Getting the most from it
- Enter gross pay for one period and how often you are paid.
- Match the filing status and Step 2 checkbox to what your Form W-4 actually says.
- Add Step 3 credits (commonly $2,000 per qualifying child) and any Step 4 amounts.
- Enter wages paid so far this year so the Social Security wage base is applied correctly.
- Open the step-by-step math to see the adjusted annual wage and which bracket applied.
Reading your result
Compare the income-tax line against your actual pay stub: a large gap usually traces to a Step 2 checkbox that does not match your situation, or to Step 4 entries. Withholding is an estimate the W-4 drives — the return settles the real number.
What it can't tell you
Federal only: state and local income taxes, retirement contributions, health premiums, and other pre-tax deductions are outside it. It models the 2020-and-later Form W-4; pre-2020 forms use a different worksheet with withholding allowances, and the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator covers that path.
Frequently asked questions
Most payroll systems use the annual percentage method in IRS Publication 15-T: your pay is annualized, a standard reduction is subtracted unless the Step 2 box on your W-4 is checked, a rate schedule produces a tentative annual amount, Step 3 credits come off, and the result is divided by your number of pay periods.
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