Paycheck Calculator
Estimate your take-home pay per paycheck based on gross pay, pre-tax deductions, and your own estimated effective tax rate.
Why this uses your own tax rate estimate
Rather than applying a fixed set of tax brackets (which change periodically and vary by filing status, state, and personal circumstances), this calculator asks you to enter your own estimated effective tax rate — the combined percentage of income that goes to federal, state, and payroll taxes overall. You can find a reasonable estimate from a recent pay stub, a tax estimator tool, or last year's actual effective rate.
This approach trades some convenience for accuracy — a hardcoded bracket table would need constant updates to stay correct and still wouldn't account for your state, filing status, or credits, whereas your own effective rate, if reasonably accurate, gives a more personally relevant estimate.
What counts as a pre-tax deduction
Pre-tax deductions reduce your taxable income before tax is calculated — common examples include traditional 401(k) contributions, health insurance premiums, and health savings account (HSA) contributions. Post-tax deductions, like Roth 401(k) contributions or wage garnishments, don't reduce taxable income and aren't part of this field.
Getting this distinction right matters for accuracy — including a post-tax deduction here would understate your taxable income and therefore your estimated tax, throwing off the final take-home figure.
Frequently asked questions
Why doesn't this calculator use actual tax brackets?
Tax brackets change periodically and vary by filing status, state, and personal circumstances — asking for your own effective tax rate (from a recent pay stub or tax tool) avoids embedding numbers that could go stale or not apply to your specific situation.
Where can I find my actual effective tax rate?
Divide the total tax withheld on a recent pay stub or tax return by your gross income for that period — that gives a reasonably accurate personal effective rate to use here.