Methodology

• 2026 federal income tax brackets for single, married filing jointly, and head of household views.
• The 2026 federal standard deduction for those filing statuses.
• Social Security on wages up to the 2026 wage base.
• Medicare on all wages, plus the additional Medicare layer for higher earners.
• A state-specific estimated effective rate for wage income, with a manual override field.
• An optional local income tax field for cities or localities with wage tax.

• Exact employer withholding tables from every payroll system.
• Every tax credit, dependent adjustment, or supplemental wage edge case.
• Every city, school district, or county payroll tax automatically.
• Non-wage income, self-employment tax, or complex tax-return situations.

That is why the tool should be used for comparison and budgeting, not for filing or payroll compliance.

Use the default estimate to get direction fast. Then update filing status, pre-tax deductions, and any state or local tax assumptions that are visible on your pay stub. If you are making a job, move, or raise decision, compare at least three scenarios: your current state, a no-tax state, and one higher-tax state.