Tax Withholding Calculator

Check if your paycheck withholding is right for 2025. See your estimated federal tax, FICA, state tax, and whether you're on track for a refund or balance due.

Income & Filing

Gross Pay (per paycheck)

Pay Frequency

Filing Status

State

Annual gross: $78,000(Rates range 0.25-4.75%)

Pre-Tax Deductions

Per-paycheck amounts that reduce your taxable income

401(k)/403(b)

2025 limit: $23,500

HSA

2025: $4,300 individual

Health Insurance

FSA

2025 limit: $3,300

Other Pre-Tax

W-4 Adjustments

Match these to your W-4 form filed with your employer

Step 3: Dependents

Children under 17

$2,000 credit each

Other dependents

$500 credit each

Step 4: Other Adjustments

Other Income (annual)

Interest, dividends, side income

Deduction Preference

Extra Withholding (per paycheck)

W-4 Step 4(c)

Side Income / 1099

Freelance, gig work, or self-employment income

I have 1099 income

Additional Tax Credits

Education Credit

For tuition and education expenses

Saver's Credit

For low-to-moderate income retirement savers (AGI under ~$38K single / ~$76K joint)

Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)

For low-to-moderate income workers. Uses children under 17 count above. MFS filers ineligible.

Year-to-Date Tracker

Enter what's been withheld so far to see if you're on track

Enable

Results

Estimated Refund: $0

Your withholding looks about right.

Federal Tax (annual)

$8,774

$337.46/paycheck

FICA (annual)

$5,967

$229.50/paycheck

State Tax (annual)

$3,315

~4.25% effective

Total Tax (annual)

$18,056

23.1% of gross

Effective Federal Rate

11.2%

What you actually pay

Marginal Rate

22.0%

Your next dollar's rate

Total Effective Rate

23.1%

Fed + FICA + State

Paycheck Breakdown

Gross Pay

$3,000.00

Federal

−$337.46

FICA

−$229.50

State

−$127.50

Take-Home

$2,305.54

FICA Breakdown

Social Security (6.2%)

$4,836

Cap: $176,100

Medicare (1.45%)

$1,131

Total FICA

$5,967

Federal Tax Computation

W-2 Gross Income$78,000

Adjusted Gross Income$78,000

− Standard Deduction($15,000)

Taxable Income$63,000

Federal Tax (before credits)$8,774

Net Federal Tax$8,774

W-4 Recommendation

Based on your inputs, here's what to put on your W-4 to get close to $0 owed / $0 refund

Filing Status

Single

Step 3: Claim Dependents

Leave blank — no dependents claimed

Step 4(a): Other Income

Leave blank — no other income

Step 4(b): Deductions

Leave blank — standard deduction applies

Step 4(c): Extra Withholding

Enter $0 — your withholding looks well-calibrated.

Your Tax Brackets

What-If Scenarios

See how changes would affect your taxes

Enable

Understanding Tax Withholding

Marginal vs. effective tax rate is one of the most misunderstood concepts in personal finance. Your marginal rate is the percentage on your last dollar of income. Your effective rate is the actual percentage of total income you pay. Because lower brackets apply first, your effective rate is always lower than your marginal rate.

Withholding isn't your tax bill. Your employer withholds an estimate based on your W-4. When you file, your actual liability is calculated. If too much was withheld, you get a refund. Too little, you owe. A large refund means you gave the government an interest-free loan all year.

FICA taxes fund Social Security (6.2% up to $176,100) and Medicare (1.45% on all wages, plus 0.9% surtax for high earners). Unlike income tax, FICA applies from dollar one with no deduction.

Self-employment tax is the self-employed version of FICA — you pay both the employee and employer portions (15.3% total). Half is deductible from your income tax. Quarterly estimated payments are required to avoid penalties.

The ideal withholding leaves you owing $0 to $500 at filing. Too large a refund means less cash throughout the year. Owing more than $1,000 may trigger an underpayment penalty from the IRS.

This calculator provides estimates based on 2025 tax law. Actual results depend on your complete tax situation. This is not tax advice — consult a tax professional for guidance.