Method (2026)
Updated 2026-09-21 for tax year 2026. This page is the constant list the paycheck and 1099 tools ship. Loan pages use the standard amortizing formula, not a tax table.
Standard deduction (2026)
| Filing status | Deduction we subtract |
|---|---|
| Single | $16,100 |
| Married filing jointly | $32,200 |
| Head of household | $24,150 |
Taxable wages on the paycheck tool are annual pay minus that deduction. The 1099 tool also subtracts half of self-employment tax before it stacks federal brackets. Neither tool subtracts 401(k), HSA, QBI, or itemized deductions.
Federal ordinary brackets (2026)
After the standard deduction, ordinary income is stacked. We do not tax every dollar at the top rate. Caps below are taxable income, not gross pay.
| Rate | Single, up to | Joint, up to | HOH, up to |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10% | $12,400 | $24,800 | $17,700 |
| 12% | $50,400 | $100,800 | $67,450 |
| 22% | $105,700 | $211,400 | $105,700 |
| 24% | $201,775 | $403,550 | $201,750 |
| 32% | $256,225 | $512,450 | $256,200 |
| 35% | $640,600 | $768,700 | $640,600 |
| 37% | above | above | above |
Head of household’s 10% cap in our table is $17,700, which is the IRS figure we coded — not a rounded guess.
FICA and self-employment tax
W-2: Social Security 6.2% up to a $184,500 wage base, Medicare 1.45% with no wage cap, extra 0.9% Medicare above $200,000 single or $250,000 joint. The employer match is not shown on the leftover because it never hits the stub.
1099: self-employment tax is 12.4% + 2.9% on 92.35% of net earnings if net is at least $400. Social Security stops at the same wage base. Extra 0.9% Medicare uses the same high-income lines. Below $400 net we charge no SE tax.
Worked federal slice: $60,000 single
Gross $60,000 minus $16,100 is $43,900 taxable. The 10% slice is $12,400 × 0.10 = $1,240. The rest, $31,500, is in the 12% band: $3,780. Federal income tax is $5,020. Social Security is $3,720. Medicare is $870. Texas adds $0. Annual leftover is $50,390. California at our 9.3% planning rate on the same $43,900 taxable is $4,082.70 of state tax and $46,307.30 leftover. Those are the same dollars the paycheck page prints.
State planning rate
Nine states have no wage income tax in our table: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wyoming. Others get a single planning rate so Texas vs California is possible in one click. Progressive states are not a full state return. Your W-4 and the state form win.
Loans
Mortgage and auto use M = P × r(1+r)^n / ((1+r)^n − 1) with monthly r and n months. Zero APR is principal divided by n. We do not add tax, insurance, or PMI unless those dollars are already inside P.
Example the mortgage page will match: $350,000 at 6.5% for 30 years is $2,212.24 a month, $446,406.40 of interest if you keep the note. The same principal at 5.75% is $2,042.50 a month and $385,300.00 of interest. A 15-year note at 6.5% is $3,048.88 a month and $198,798.40 of interest.
IRS publications, your state, and the lender’s Loan Estimate override this page if they disagree. Constants above are what the buttons use today, not a screenshot of an old brochure.