Frequently Asked Questions
Is this accurate for the 2026 tax year?
Federal income tax and FICA are computed from the actual 2026 IRS tax brackets and standard deduction, sourced directly from the IRS's own inflation-adjustment announcement for the year. State tax is exact — $0 — only for the 9 states with no wage income tax; everywhere else it's an estimate based on the rate you enter.
Why does my state show "Estimated" instead of "Exact"?
Only 9 states (Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming) have no tax on wage income, so those are exact at $0. Every other state's income tax code isn't modeled in this tool, so it asks for your own effective state tax rate instead of presenting an unverified number as fact.
Does this account for 401(k) or health insurance deductions?
Not yet. This calculator currently assumes the standard deduction and no pre-tax withholding — it doesn't model 401(k) contributions, health insurance premiums, or other pre-tax deductions.
Is my salary data stored or sent anywhere?
No. Every calculation runs entirely in your browser — nothing you enter is sent to a server, logged, or stored. See the Privacy Policy for details.
What's the difference between gross pay and take-home pay?
Gross pay is your salary before any taxes are withheld. Take-home pay (net pay) is what's left after federal income tax, FICA (Social Security and Medicare), and state income tax are subtracted.
Does this include Social Security and Medicare (FICA)?
Yes — the standard 6.2% Social Security and 1.45% Medicare rates, plus the Additional Medicare Tax above the statutory threshold for your filing status.
Can I calculate from an hourly wage instead of a salary?
Not currently — this calculator takes an annual salary as input. Hourly-wage support isn't built yet.
How often are the tax figures updated?
At the start of each tax year, against the IRS's own newly published Revenue Procedure for that year.