How ExactTakeHome Calculates Take-Home Pay

ExactTakeHome is a US paycheck calculator that computes net pay from gross salary using primary government sources. All figures are estimates for W-2 employees; actual withholding depends on your employer's payroll system and W-4 elections.

Federal income tax withholding

Federal withholding follows IRS Publication 15-T — Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods (2026). The engine applies the percentage method for the selected filing status and pay frequency, using the 2026 Form W-4 assumptions unless the user adjusts Step 2–4 fields.

FICA (Social Security & Medicare)

• Social Security: 6.2% on wages up to the SSA 2026 wage base
• Medicare: 1.45% on all wages per IRS Topic 751
• Additional Medicare: 0.9% on wages above $200,000 per IRS Topic 560

State income tax

State withholding uses each jurisdiction's 2026 Department of Revenue tables or published flat rates. Nine states have no broad wage income tax. Local income taxes are included where ExactTakeHome supports them (e.g. NYC, Philadelphia).

Default assumptions

Unless otherwise noted on a page: single filing status, biweekly pay, standard W-4 withholding, no pre-tax deductions. Research rankings and salary pages use these same defaults so results are comparable across states.

Accuracy & updates

Tax data lives in versioned JSON files sourced from IRS, SSA, and state DOR publications. The calculation engine runs 400+ regression tests at 100% branch coverage. Data is updated when official 2026 tables change.