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Paycheck calculator

Gross to take-home using 2026 IRS brackets, the $16,100 / $32,200 standard deduction, Social Security wage base $184,500, and a W-4 extra-withholding number that aims near a $0 refund. Numbers update as you type. The URL is shareable.

Read how to read a stub and how to fill out a W-4 first. This is not the IRS Publication 15-T table — it is an educational annualize-then-split estimate.

Traditional 401(k) and HSA cut federal withholding. Traditional 401(k) does not cut FICA. HSA payroll contributions usually do. Roth 401(k) cuts nothing until you withdraw.

Take-home this paycheck

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2026 figures used: standard deduction $16,100 single / $32,200 joint / $24,150 HOH; Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500; Medicare 1.45% + 0.9% Additional Medicare over $200k ($250k joint); Child Tax Credit modeled at $2,200 per qualifying child. Confirm Publication 15-T and your state. Not tax advice.

1099 / Schedule C is a different stack — SE tax plus four estimated payments, not a W-4. Use the self-employed calculator. Want the W-4 sequence for two jobs, a side hustle, or a bonus? Premium playbook, PayPal.

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