Your paycheck, split by federal withholding
Federal income tax withheld versus the rest of your gross pay. FICA and state taxes are not shown.
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Tax
W-4 Withholding Calculator
Estimate the federal income tax withheld from each paycheck based on your salary, pay frequency, filing status, dependents, and any extra withholding on your W-4.
Federal withholding per paycheck
$0
Annual federal withholding—
Gross per paycheck—
Effective federal rate—
Take-home (fed only)—
What is W-4 withholding?
Withholding is the federal income tax your employer removes from each paycheck and sends to the IRS on your behalf. The amount is set by the information you put on IRS Form W-4: your filing status, whether you claim dependents, and any extra amount you request. The goal is to withhold roughly what you will owe for the year so you neither owe a large balance nor lend the government an oversized interest-free refund.
The method
taxable income = annual salary − standard deduction
tax = federal brackets applied to taxable income
annual withholding = tax − (children × $2,000 credit)
per paycheck = annual withholding ÷ pay periods + extra
tax = federal brackets applied to taxable income
annual withholding = tax − (children × $2,000 credit)
per paycheck = annual withholding ÷ pay periods + extra
Worked example
A single filer earning $70,000 paid biweekly (26 checks), no dependents: subtract the $14,600 standard deduction to get $55,400 taxable. The brackets produce about $7,800 in tax, or roughly $300 withheld per paycheck before FICA and state tax.
Frequently asked questions
What does a W-4 do?
It tells your employer how much federal income tax to withhold from each paycheck based on your filing status, dependents, and extra amount.
How is federal withholding calculated?
Annualize pay, subtract the standard deduction, apply the tax brackets, subtract the child tax credit, divide by pay periods, and add any extra.
How do I withhold more or less?
Add an amount on line 4(c) to withhold more, or claim eligible dependents/deductions to withhold less.
Does this include Social Security and Medicare?
No, only federal income tax. FICA and state/local taxes are separate.
Is this exactly what my employer withholds?
It is a close annualized estimate; payroll systems may differ slightly.