W-4 Withholding Calculator

Enter your salary and current withholding to see how much federal tax you need withheld per paycheck.

Estimate federal withholding per paycheck for Form W-4.

Annual salary before tax ($)

Pay frequency

Filing status

Federal tax currently withheld per paycheck ($)

Tax credits you expect to claim ($, e.g. for children)

Other income during the year ($, optional)

Itemized deductions ($, leave 0 for the standard deduction)

How to set your W-4 withholding

Your employer withholds federal income tax from each paycheck based on the Form W-4 you filled out. If too little is withheld you owe tax when you file; if too much is withheld you get a refund but had less money during the year. This calculator estimates the federal income tax you will owe for 2026 from your salary, filing status, expected credits and other income, divides it by your number of paychecks and compares it with what is withheld now. Example: a single filer earning $75,000 with the 2026 standard deduction of $16,100 owes about $7,670 in federal income tax, or about $295.00 per biweekly paycheck.

Adjusting your W-4

Under-withholding: enter an extra dollar amount per paycheck on line 4(c) of the W-4.
Over-withholding: claim credits you qualify for (Step 3) or use the deductions worksheet so less is withheld.
Multiple jobs or a working spouse: withholding can be too low if each job withholds as if it were the only one; use the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator for those cases.

Standard deduction amounts and brackets are from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32. This is an estimate and not tax advice. For the full picture see the paycheck calculator and the tax refund calculator.

How to use the W-4 withholding calculator

Enter your salary, pay frequency and filing status.
Enter the federal tax currently withheld per paycheck (from your paystub) and any credits or other income.
See the withholding you need per paycheck and whether to add or reduce withholding.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if my W-4 withholding is right?

Compare the federal tax withheld per paycheck on your paystub with the amount this calculator says you need. If you are well below it you may owe tax at filing; well above it means a larger refund.

How much federal tax is withheld from a $75,000 salary?

A single filer taking the 2026 standard deduction owes about $7,670 in federal income tax for the year, about $295.00 per biweekly paycheck, before credits.

Where do I add extra withholding on the W-4?

Line 4(c) of Form W-4 is for an extra dollar amount you want withheld from each paycheck.

Does this include Social Security and Medicare?

No. Those are separate payroll taxes. Use the US paycheck calculator for the full breakdown.

Is this the IRS withholding estimator?

No. It is a simplified estimate. The IRS Tax Withholding Estimator is more detailed for complex situations.

← All tools