Check Payment Calculator
US, 2026 tax year · figures follow that year's rules
Check payment calculator works out Take-home pay per period and Gross per period from What this calculator answers, How pay is entered and Gross pay. The default figures on this page give take-home pay per period of 3,850.81; change any entry and the result, the working and the sources update together.
Your figures
Updates as you typeHow this is worked out
6 steps
- Annual gross = 130000 over 26 pay periods.
- Annualised taxable income = 130000 - 0 pre-tax - 16100 standard deduction = 113900
- Federal tax on that = 19934; per period 766.69
- Social Security 6.2% on wages up to 184500 = 310
- Medicare 1.45% with no cap = 72.5
- Take-home per period = 3850.81
Deduction breakdowntable
| item | amount |
|---|---|
| Gross pay | 5,000 |
| Federal income tax | -766.69 |
| Social Security | -310 |
| Medicare | -72.5 |
| Net pay | 3,850.81 |
Pay stubtable
| section | item | current | yearToDate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earnings | Regular pay | 5,000 | 5,000 |
| Earnings | Gross pay | 5,000 | 5,000 |
| Taxes withheld | Federal income tax | 766.69 | 766.69 |
| Taxes withheld | Social Security | 310 | 310 |
| Taxes withheld | Medicare | 72.5 | 72.5 |
| Net pay | Net pay | 3,850.81 | 3,850.81 |
Its 13 worked examples are re-run on every release, last on 15 September 2026. What changed
Sources and references
11 sources
Keep this result
Save it, change one figure, then compare the two
The calculation stays free. Save this scenario, adjust one assumption, save that too, and put them side by side to see exactly what the change costs you. A free account keeps 5 scenarios and 2 comparisons; Personal makes both unlimited and adds exports and private links. Nothing is saved unless you press Save.
What the check payment calculator calculates
Estimates net take-home pay from gross wages after federal income tax withholding, Social Security, Medicare, state tax and pre-tax deductions.
How to use this check payment calculator
Enter What this calculator answers, How pay is entered, Gross pay and Hourly rate. Take-home pay per period updates as you type, and “Use a worked example” loads checked figures you can adjust. Change one figure at a time to see what drives the result.
How the result is worked out
Open “How this is worked out” beside the result for the step-by-step calculation behind Take-home pay per period, Gross per period and Annual gross.
The method follows IRS Revenue Procedure 2024-40, inflation-adjusted items for tax year 2025, IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32, modifying Rev. Proc. 2024-40 for the One Big Beautiful Bill ACT (P.L. 119-21), IRS, Federal income tax rates and brackets, Social Security Administration, Contribution and Benefit Base and IRS Publication 15-T, Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods.
FICA on a 5,000 biweekly cheque example
With Gross pay: 5000, Pay frequency: biweekly, Filing status: single, Tax year: 2025, the calculator returns Social Security: 310, Medicare: 72.5. This example is checked against an independent source in the test suite.
What you can compare
Change one input at a time to see how it affects Take-home pay per period, Gross per period and Annual gross. The inputs you can vary are What this calculator answers, How pay is entered, Gross pay, Hourly rate, Regular hours in the pay period and Overtime hours in the pay period.
Understanding Take-home pay per period, Gross per period and Annual gross
An estimate. Actual withholding depends on your employer's payroll system, your Form W-4 entries, and state and local rules. It is not a substitute for your pay stub or the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator.
Results are general information, not financial, tax, legal, medical or engineering advice. Check any decision that matters with a qualified professional.
See something wrong? Report a problem with this calculator
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate how much my check is going to be?
Estimates net take-home pay from gross wages after federal income tax withholding, Social Security, Medicare, state tax and pre-tax deductions. Open “How this is worked out” beside the result to see each step for your own figures.
How do I calculate a biweekly paycheck?
It needs What this calculator answers, How pay is entered, Gross pay, Hourly rate, Regular hours in the pay period and Overtime hours in the pay period. Nothing else is required, and the figures stay in your browser.
How much tax is taken out of $300?
On the figures this page opens with — gross pay 5,000 USD — the take-home pay per period is 3,850.81. No single number fits everyone: change any figure above and the answer updates as you type, with each step of the arithmetic beside it.
How much is $20 an hour per paycheck?
The result gives Take-home pay per period, Gross per period, Annual gross, Annual take-home, Federal income tax and Social Security, each labelled with its unit so the figure can be read on its own.
How do I calculate my paycheck in Wisconsin?
The page opens with worked default figures: take-home pay per period of 3,850.81. Replace them with your own and every figure updates as you type.
What information do I need for the check payment calculator?
You need What this calculator answers, How pay is entered, Gross pay, Hourly rate, Regular hours in the pay period, Overtime hours in the pay period, Overtime rate multiple and Which pay period of the year this is. The page opens with default figures that give take-home pay per period of 3,850.81, so you can see the scale before entering your own.