💵 Income Tax & Take-Home Pay Calculator
Estimate your after-tax income with detailed federal, state, and FICA tax breakdowns. See exactly how much of your paycheck you actually keep.
Your Information
📊 Your Tax Breakdown
📖 Usage Examples
👤 Single Filer in Texas
Sarah earns $85,000/year as a software developer in Austin, TX (no state income tax). She contributes $5,000 to her 401(k).
👫 Married Couple in California
Mike and Lisa file jointly with $160,000 combined income. They max out two 401(k)s ($46,000 total pre-tax).
💼 Freelancer with Side Income
Tom earns $55,000 W-2 salary plus $20,000 freelance income. He contributes $3,000 to a traditional IRA.
❔ Frequently Asked Questions
The US uses a progressive tax system with marginal brackets. Only income within each bracket is taxed at that bracket's rate. For example, a single filer pays 10% on the first $11,600, 12% on the next $35,550, 22% on the next $53,375, and so on. This means your effective rate is always lower than your top marginal rate.
FICA stands for the Federal Insurance Contributions Act. It comprises two parts: Social Security (6.2%) on income up to $168,600 (2024 cap), and Medicare (1.45%) on all wages. An additional 0.9% Medicare surtax applies to income above $200,000. These fund retirement, disability, and healthcare programs.
Your marginal tax rate is the rate you pay on your last dollar of income — the bracket your highest earnings fall into. Your effective tax rate is the actual percentage of your total income that goes to taxes. Because of the progressive brackets, your effective rate is always lower than your marginal rate.
Nine states (AK, FL, NV, NH, SD, TN, TX, WA, WY) have no state income tax. Others use flat rates (e.g., CO at 4.4%, IL at 4.95%) or progressive brackets (e.g., CA up to 13.3%, NY up to 10.9%). This tool uses estimated effective rates for progressive states to provide a reasonable approximation.
Pre-tax deductions reduce your taxable income, which lowers both your federal and state tax bills. For example, contributing $10,000 to a 401(k) could save ~$2,200 in federal tax (at 22% bracket) plus state tax savings, while building your retirement savings simultaneously.
This calculator uses 2024 IRS tax brackets, standard deductions, and state-level tax data. It provides a close estimate for most W-2 employees. It does not account for itemized deductions, tax credits (EITC, child tax credit, etc.), capital gains, or other specialized situations. For exact figures, consult a tax professional or use IRS Form 1040-ES.
💵 About the Income Tax & Take-Home Pay Calculator
This calculator is designed to give you a clear, honest picture of what your salary actually turns into after taxes. Unlike vague "rule of thumb" estimates that say you will lose roughly 25-30% to taxes, our tool breaks down exactly where each dollar goes: federal income tax (using progressive 2024 brackets), state income tax (with state-specific rates for all 50 states plus DC), Social Security (6.2% up to the $168,600 wage cap), and Medicare (1.45% on all wages plus the 0.9% surtax above $200,000).
The calculator also accounts for pre-tax deductions like 401(k) contributions, traditional IRA contributions, HSA contributions, and other benefits that reduce your taxable income. This is critical because a $75,000 salary with $10,000 in 401(k) contributions and a $75,000 salary with no contributions produce very different tax bills and take-home amounts.
We use the 2024 IRS tax brackets and standard deduction amounts: $14,600 for single filers, $29,200 for married filing jointly, and $21,900 for heads of household. State tax rates range from 0% in nine no-tax states to double-digit rates in states like California, Hawaii, and Oregon. For progressive state tax systems, we use estimated average effective rates to provide reasonable estimates without requiring detailed state-level bracket calculations.
This tool is ideal for: comparing job offers in different states, understanding how much a raise will actually increase your take-home pay, planning the tax impact of 401(k) contribution changes, and getting a realistic preview of what your first paycheck at a new job will look like. The results are estimates and should not be used for actual tax filing. Always consult a tax professional for definitive advice.