Payroll Withholding Calculator

The amount your employer holds back for federal income tax on each paycheck comes straight from how you filled out your W-4. Estimating that per-paycheck figure ahead of time helps you avoid both underpayment penalties and the quieter cost of lending the IRS money interest-free all year, particularly with the 2026 standard deduction at $16,100 for single filers and $32,200 for married filing jointly.

The math follows the annual percentage method in IRS Publication 15-T (Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods) for 2026, for a 2020-or-later Form W-4 with the Step 2 box unchecked. Your salary is reduced by the standard deduction built into those tables ($16,100 single or married filing separately, $32,200 joint), taxed at the 2026 rates, reduced by $2,200 for each dependent you enter (the Step 3 amount for a child under 17), divided by your number of paychecks, and topped up by any extra withholding per check. There are no fields for other income or deductions (Step 4(a) and 4(b)), the Step 2 checkbox, head of household status or the $500 amount for other dependents, so a W-4 that uses them will withhold a different amount.

Life events such as marriage or a new child change the picture, so a yearly W-4 review is worth the few minutes it takes. Withholding most often goes wrong when significant non-W2 income or large itemized deductions go unaccounted for, pushing you into over- or under-withholding. Treat the result here as an estimate; your actual tax liability may differ once the return is filed.