Home Salary Hub States Guides Methodology About Contact

Methodology

This page matters because weak methodology kills trust in financial search. The calculator is an estimate model, not a payroll engine.

TuBoost estimates W-2 take-home pay using federal tax logic, FICA, an editable state layer and optional local tax input. Real paychecks can differ because withholding, credits, benefits and supplemental wages change the result.

Federal tax layerFICA layerEditable state and local layer

How the estimate is built

Gross salary is reduced by any pre-tax deductions entered on the page.
Federal taxable income is estimated using the selected filing status and the matching standard deduction.
Social Security and Medicare are calculated separately so the deduction stack is easier to understand.
State income tax starts from a state-specific estimate layer and can be overridden by the user.
Local tax is optional and matters most for city-tax and local-wage-tax locations.

Where the estimate can diverge from a pay stub

Withholding settings

Form W-4 choices can make a paycheck look very different from a simple annual tax-liability estimate.

Pre-tax benefits

401(k), HSA, insurance and similar deductions reduce taxable wages and change take-home pay.

Supplemental wages

Bonuses, RSUs and overtime can be withheld differently from base salary.

Pages that explain the moving parts

FICA guide Filing-status guide Local-tax guide