How this calculator works
Choose your pay frequency and enter earnings for that pay period. For a salary, enter the annual amount. Federal withholding uses the 2026 IRS percentage method with your W-4 entries. Florida and California have built-in state rules; for another state, enter its withholding and any other payroll levies yourself.
Example calculation
At $25 per hour for 80 regular hours, biweekly gross pay is $2,000. With a Single W-4, no adjustments or deductions, Florida wages and no prior-year-to-date wages, estimated federal withholding is $156.15, Social Security is $124.00 and Medicare is $29.00. Estimated take-home pay is $1,690.85.
2026 methodology & assumptions
For regular U.S. employee wages with a 2020-or-later W-4. This estimate uses 52 weekly, 26 biweekly, 24 semi-monthly or 12 monthly pay periods. Federal withholding follows IRS Publication 15-T Worksheet 1A. Amounts are rounded to cents.
Social Security uses a $184,500 wage limit and 6.2% employee rate; Medicare uses 1.45%. Additional Medicare withholding is 0.9% on wages above $200,000 paid by the same employer, regardless of filing status. Enter year-to-date taxable wages before this paycheck to model those thresholds.
California uses EDD Method B annualization, including DE 4 allowances and 1.3% uncapped SDI. Period-specific tables may differ slightly because of rounding. Supplemental wages, nonresident-alien adjustments, self-employment tax, local taxes, special exemptions, and multi-state allocation are not automatically modeled. Overtime is not automatically treated as tax-free.
Frequently asked questions
Why can my actual paycheck differ?
Benefits, local taxes, special wage types, employer rounding and your completed withholding forms can change the result. Use your employer’s actual payroll figures for a completed pay stub.
Does biweekly mean twice a month?
No. This calculator uses 26 biweekly periods and 24 semi-monthly periods per year. A payroll calendar with 27 biweekly payments requires a different adjustment.
Sources & further reading
- IRS Publication 15-T (2026)
- IRS Social Security and Medicare withholding rates
- California EDD 2026 Method B tables (PDF)
- California SDI rates
- Florida Department of Revenue: personal income tax
- PayStubPro pay stub guide
Tax configuration reviewed September 19, 2026. Applicable tax year: 2026.