Tax FAQs

The standard deduction reduces your federally taxable income before brackets are applied. For 2026, it is estimated at $16,100 for single filers and $32,200 for married filing jointly — giving you a powerful untaxed income base.

Nine states have no broad-based personal income tax: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington (wages only), and Wyoming. These are marked with ★ in the state selector on the calculator.

Social Security is withheld at 6.2% on wages up to the 2026 wage base ($184,500). Medicare is 1.45% on all wages, plus an additional 0.9% surtax on wages above $200,000 for single filers ($250,000 for married filing jointly).

Over 13 states allow municipalities to levy their own income taxes. Cities like New York City (up to 3.876%), Philadelphia (3.79%), Detroit (2.4%), and Louisville (2.28%) can meaningfully reduce your net pay on top of federal and state taxes.

Traditional 401(k) contributions are pre-tax — they reduce your federally taxable income dollar-for-dollar. The 2026 employee contribution limit is $23,500, or $31,000 if you are age 50 or older (catch-up contribution). Use the slider on the calculator to model different contribution levels.

A Health Savings Account (HSA) lets you contribute pre-tax dollars for qualified medical expenses. For 2026, the limit is $4,300 for self-only HDHP coverage or $8,550 for family coverage. HSA contributions reduce your federal taxable income and most state taxable incomes as well.

Your effective rate is the average rate across all your income — your total tax owed divided by your gross income. Your marginal rate is the rate applied to your last dollar earned (the top bracket you've reached). The marginal rate is most useful for evaluating the cost of earning extra income or the value of a raise.

This tool uses 2026 IRS bracket projections and enacted state tax law. Results are estimates — your actual withholding may vary based on W-4 elections, tax credits, itemized deductions, and other factors specific to your situation. Always verify with a qualified tax professional.

The Additional Medicare Tax is an extra 0.9% levied on wages above $200,000 for single filers or $250,000 for married filing jointly. It applies on top of the regular 1.45% Medicare rate, bringing the total Medicare rate to 2.35% on wages above those thresholds. The calculator applies this automatically.

The Compare Locations page lets you run the same salary through two different locations side by side — useful for relocation decisions. You can compare any US state and city combination. Navigate to Compare in the top menu or footer to access it.

Yes. You can toggle between standard deduction and itemized deductions on the main calculator. When itemized is selected, enter your total itemized deduction amount (mortgage interest, charitable donations, state taxes paid, etc.) and the calculator will use that figure instead of the standard deduction.

States that allow local income taxes include: Ohio, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Michigan, Indiana, Missouri, Maryland, New York, Alabama, Colorado, Delaware, Iowa, and Kansas. The calculator supports 60+ individual city jurisdictions across these states.