ExactTakeHome Editorial Policy

Our Commitment to Accuracy

ExactTakeHome is a YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) website. Our take-home pay calculations use IRS Publication 15-T federal withholding tables and official state employer withholding schedules for all 51 US jurisdictions. We do not publish estimates from secondary aggregators or unverified sources.

Every rate, bracket, wage base, and payroll deduction value is loaded from our tax data files, each carrying a primary source URL and effective date. Nothing is hardcoded in the calculation layer.

CPA Review Process

All tax calculation methodology has been reviewed by Kevin Marshall, CPA (Arizona CPA License #15690, Arizona State Board of Accountancy).

The CPA engagement produced two resolved findings that demonstrate our editorial rigour:

• Utah nonrefundable credit: Utah provides a nonrefundable tax credit for eligible Social Security and retirement income. Our engine implements this credit per Utah statute — it reduces final tax liability but does not generate a refund beyond tax owed. This is statutory behaviour, correctly implemented.
• Head of household withholding bracket discrepancy: IRS Publication 15-T withholding computation amounts for head of household differ from the annual standard deduction on a tax return. This is intentional IRS payroll withholding design, not an engine error. Our methodology documents both figures explicitly.

Data Sources

• Federal: IRS Publication 15-T (2026)
• FICA: Internal Revenue Code §3101; SSA wage base publications
• State: Official state employer withholding publications for all 51 jurisdictions
• Local: Official municipal tax schedules where applicable

Update Schedule

Tax rates are updated annually ahead of each tax year. 2026 rates reflect the latest published federal and state withholding schedules. OBBBA (P.L. 119-21) permanently extended the prior tax framework — no sunset applies.

When state or federal legislation is enacted mid-year, we monitor flagged jurisdictions and update within five business days of an effective date.

Corrections Policy

If you identify an error in our calculations, contact us at hello@exacttakehome.com. We review and correct confirmed errors within five business days.

What We Are Not

ExactTakeHome provides per-paycheck withholding estimates based on IRS Publication 15-T employer withholding procedures. We do not provide tax advice, tax return preparation, legal guidance, or financial planning services. Our results represent estimated withholding, not final annual tax liability. Always consult a qualified CPA or tax professional for advice specific to your personal tax situation.