Federal withholding calculator
The calculator already has a $52,000 salary paid weekly. Change your filing status and the W-4 steps to see how much federal income tax is withheld from each paycheck.
Enter your pay to see your take-home pay.
Where your pay goes
| Item | Per paycheck | Per year |
|---|
Federal tax per year is the tax of one paycheck times the number of paychecks. Social Security and Medicare per year apply the rates to the whole year of pay.
How it’s calculated
- Formula
net pay = gross pay − taxes − deductions- With your numbers
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Before you rely on this
An estimate for tax year 2026, not tax advice
This is an estimate based on the 2026 federal figures. It is not tax advice, and your employer’s payroll system may withhold slightly different amounts.- The paycheck shown is like the first paycheck of the year: Social Security tax (6.2%) has not reached its yearly limit of $184,500. Later in the year, high earners stop paying it and take home more.
- The state and local percents are the ones you type. We don’t calculate state or local tax, and the state picker only tells you if a state has no income tax on wages.
- State payroll contributions, such as disability insurance or paid family leave, are not included.
- Local taxes are not modeled beyond the percent you type: city, county, and school district taxes differ by place.
- Not modeled: Forms W-4 from before 2020, bonus and other supplemental pay withheld at a flat rate, wage garnishments, credits other than the child credit, and tax you settle on your return. Additional Medicare Tax (0.9%) is withheld on pay above $200,000 a year.
- These figures expire: we review them every October and November, when the IRS publishes the next year’s numbers.
Verified on October 8, 2026. Sources: IRS, Publication 15-T (2026), Percentage Method Tables for Automated Payroll Systems; IRS, Topic no. 751, Social Security and Medicare withholding rates. States with no income tax on wages, from each tax agency: Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Washington.
How to use it
- Choose whether you enter the pay of one paycheck, a yearly salary, or an hourly wage, and how often you are paid.
- Pick your filing status and fill in your W-4: the Step 2 box, children for Step 3, and the Step 4 amounts if you use them.
- Add what comes out before tax (traditional 401(k), a Section 125 health plan) and after tax, then type your state and local withholding percent.
- Read your net pay per paycheck and per year, with every tax in the table.
- Copy the result or a link that opens the calculator with your numbers.
Frequently asked questions
How much federal tax is withheld on $52,000?
$78.08 per weekly paycheck for a single filer who claims nothing on the W-4, $4,060.16 a year.
Does withholding equal the tax I owe?
Not exactly. Withholding is an estimate spread over the year. Your tax is settled on your return, so you can get a refund or owe more.
How federal withholding works
Your employer withholds federal income tax with the IRS percentage method in Publication 15-T and your Form W-4: filing status, the Step 2 box, the Step 3 child credit, and the Step 4 amounts. For a single filer earning $1,000.00 a week, the withholding is $78.08, or $4,060.16 over 52 paychecks.
Withholding is not your final tax. You settle the difference on your return, which the tax refund calculator estimates.
Where the pay goes
| Item | Per paycheck | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $1,000.00 | $52,000.00 |
| Federal income tax | $78.08 | $4,060.16 |
| Social Security | $62.00 | $3,224.00 |
| Medicare | $14.50 | $754.00 |
| Net pay | $845.42 | $43,961.84 |
This is an estimate for tax year 2026 with no state or local tax, 401(k), or other deductions. It is not tax advice.
Use the paycheck calculator with your own numbers, or compare with the self-employment tax calculator if you work for yourself.
Updated on October 8, 2026