Frequently Asked Questions

Our calculator uses the most up-to-date 2025 federal and state tax brackets, FICA rates, and standard deductions. While it provides very accurate estimates, your actual paycheck may vary slightly due to factors like local taxes, additional deductions, or employer-specific policies that aren't included in the calculator.

The calculator includes federal income tax, state income tax (where applicable), Social Security tax (6.2%), and Medicare tax (1.45%). It also accounts for pre-tax and post-tax deductions you specify.

Yes! Our calculator supports all 50 U.S. states. Each state has different income tax rates and rules, which are all built into our calculation engine. Some states like Texas, Florida, and Washington have no state income tax, while others like California and New York have progressive tax systems.

Absolutely! Click on 'Show Advanced Options' to enter your overtime hours. The calculator automatically applies the standard 1.5x overtime rate, but you can customize this rate if your employer uses a different multiplier.

Pre-tax deductions are amounts taken from your paycheck before taxes are calculated, which reduces your taxable income. Common examples include 401(k) contributions, health insurance premiums, HSA contributions, and FSA contributions. These deductions lower your tax burden.

Select your pay frequency from the dropdown: Weekly (52 paychecks/year), Bi-weekly (26 paychecks/year), or Monthly (12 paychecks/year). The calculator automatically adjusts all tax calculations and deductions based on your selected frequency.

No! Your privacy is important to us. All calculations are performed entirely in your browser - no data is sent to our servers or stored anywhere. You can use the calculator completely anonymously without creating an account.

Several factors can cause differences: local city/county taxes, employer-specific deductions (like union dues), different tax withholding elections on your W-4, mid-year changes to tax laws, or special circumstances like bonuses that are taxed differently.

While this calculator is optimized for hourly employees, you can estimate salary paychecks by dividing your annual salary by your pay frequency (26 for bi-weekly, 12 for monthly, etc.) and entering that as your 'per paycheck' amount.

We update our tax tables at the beginning of each tax year and whenever there are significant changes to federal or state tax laws. The calculator currently reflects 2025 tax rates and brackets.