W-4 Withholding Calculator

Your W-4 decides how much federal tax comes out of every paycheck. Enter your pay and your W-4 entries below — this shows the withholding per paycheck and what it adds up to over a year, using the IRS's official 2026 method.

How are you paid?

Yearly salary ($ before taxes)

Pay schedule

Filing status — W-4 Step 1 (from your W-4)

Step 2 checkbox — two jobs total in the household, or a working spouse

Step 3 — dependents & credits ($ per year)

Step 4(a) — other income ($ per year)

Step 4(b) — deductions above standard ($ per year)

Step 4(c) — extra withholding ($ per paycheck)

Pre-tax deductions per paycheck (401(k), health premiums — these reduce taxable pay)

Federal tax withheld per paycheck

$0.00

just the federal income tax line — Social Security, Medicare and state tax are separate

Gross pay per paycheck	$0.00
Federal withholding per paycheck	$0.00
Projected withholding over a full year	$0.00
Share of gross pay	0%

How to read this

Withholding is a prepayment, not your final tax bill. If your W-4 is filled in accurately and this is your household's only job, the yearly total above lands close to your actual federal tax — the difference comes back as a refund or a balance due when you file. Big refund every year? That usually means too much is being withheld; owed a lot last year? Adding an amount in Step 4(c) spreads the fix across every paycheck — $20 extra per biweekly paycheck is $520 by year-end.

How this calculator works

It follows the IRS's official withholding method (Publication 15-T, 2026, Percentage Method / Worksheet 1A) — the same steps your employer's payroll system uses, including the higher Step 2 checkbox schedules and the Step 3 credit reduction. See our methodology page for sources. For your full paycheck including Social Security, Medicare and state tax, use the Paycheck Calculator.

Estimate for general information only — not tax, legal, or financial advice. Federal method: IRS Publication 15-T (2026). This tool estimates withholding, not your final tax liability.