2026 Payroll Engine Methodology Review
Review Status
An independent methodology review of the ExactTakeHome payroll calculation engine for tax year 2026 is planned. This page will be updated when the review is complete with the reviewer's name, credentials, review date, and scope of findings.
Until the review is complete, this site's accuracy claims are based on: automated regression tests against published IRS and state tax authority data, and manual cross-checks against official withholding tables.
Planned Review Scope
- IRS Publication 15-T federal income tax withholding sequence
- Social Security wage base application and cap handling
- Medicare and Additional Medicare Tax (0.9%) threshold logic
- Pre-tax deduction ordering (401(k), HSA, FSA) relative to federal taxable wages
- State withholding table accuracy — selected state sample
- State-specific SDI, PFL, and local tax handling where applicable
- Pay frequency proration correctness
- Selected regression test case verification
Reviewer
Reviewer name, credential type, license number, state registry, and review date will be published here upon completion. Do not assume a review is complete until this section is populated.
Current Accuracy Verification Method
Until independent review is complete, accuracy is verified by:
- Automated regression tests: 404+ regression tests covering edge cases, bracket boundaries, FICA caps, deduction ordering, and multi-state scenarios. Tests run on every code change.
- Primary-source cross-check: Each state's rates are sourced from the official Department of Revenue and verified against the published withholding table before each annual update.
- Change log: All rate changes are documented in the public Changelog with the source publication cited.
Related Research
Found a calculation error? Email us at hello@exacttakehome.com. We investigate within 48 hours and publish corrections in the Changelog.