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W-4 Withholding Calculator

See what your W-4 makes your employer withhold — and fix it before it becomes a tax bill.

Your W-4 Entries

Step 3: × $2,200 each (2026)

Step 3: × $500 each

Interest, dividends, retirement income

From the W-4 Deductions Worksheet (itemizing, etc.)

What Your Employer Will Withhold

Federal Withholding (per bi-weekly paycheck)

$295

$7,670 projected for the full year

Projected Liability

$7,670

Federal income tax for the year

Projected Refund

$0

Over-withheld

Your withholding is roughly on target — within the range where neither a large bill nor a large refund is likely.

Reproduces IRS Pub 15-T (2026) Worksheet 1A — the exact percentage-method computation payroll systems use — with the 2026 Form W-4 Step 3 amounts ($2,200 per qualifying child). Covers federal income tax withholding only; FICA (7.65%) is withheld separately and doesn't depend on your W-4. For multiple jobs with dissimilar pay, use the highest-paying job here and the IRS estimator for Step 4(c) precision.

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How it works

Employers don't guess your withholding — they run a fixed IRS computation (Publication 15-T, Worksheet 1A) over the five entries on your W-4. This calculator runs the same computation, then goes one step further: it projects your actual 2026 federal income tax and shows whether your current W-4 lands you at a refund, a bill, or breakeven.

Pub 15-T percentage method (annualized)

AAWA = wages×periods + 4(a) − 4(b) − offset      withholding = (table(AAWA) − Step3)/periods + 4(c)
offset
$8,600 ($12,900 MFJ); $0 when the Step 2 box is checked
table
2026 annual percentage-method table (standard or checkbox variant)
Step3
$2,200 × children under 17 + $500 × other dependents

Worked example

  • Single, $90,000 salary, bi-weekly pay
  • Default W-4: only Step 1 completed
  1. Annualized wages = $90,000; minus $8,600 offset = $81,400 adjusted annual wage
  2. Standard table: $5,800 + 22% × ($81,400 − $57,900) = $10,970 tentative annual tax
  3. $10,970 ÷ 26 = $421.92 withheld per paycheck

Annual withholding ≈ $10,970 — exactly the 2026 liability on $90,000, so a single-job default W-4 lands at breakeven.

Good to know

  • FICA (6.2% Social Security + 1.45% Medicare) is withheld separately and is not affected by your W-4 entries.
  • Two jobs with dissimilar pay: the Step 2 checkbox over-withholds; use the Multiple Jobs Worksheet or put the gap in Step 4(c) on the higher-paying job.
  • This models the 2026 form; older "allowances"-style W-4s on file still use a legacy computation.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much federal tax will be withheld from my paycheck in 2026?

Your employer runs your W-4 through the IRS Pub 15-T percentage method: your pay is annualized, reduced by a fixed offset ($8,600, or $12,900 married filing jointly, unless the Step 2 box is checked), run through the 2026 withholding tables, then reduced by your Step 3 dependent credits and increased by any Step 4(c) extra. This calculator reproduces that exact computation.

Why do I owe taxes every year even though I never changed my W-4?

The default W-4 assumes this job is your household's only income and that you take the standard deduction. Two jobs, a working spouse, side income, or investment income all add tax the tables never see. Fix it with the Step 2 checkbox (two similar jobs), Step 4(a) for other income, or a flat Step 4(c) amount per paycheck.

What changed on the 2026 W-4?

Step 3 now uses $2,200 per qualifying child under 17 (up from $2,000, per the One Big Beautiful Bill Act) plus $500 per other dependent, and the deductions worksheet reflects the 2026 standard deduction of $16,100 single / $32,200 married filing jointly. The underlying Pub 15-T offsets ($8,600/$12,900) are unchanged.

Is it better to get a refund or owe a little?

A large refund is an interest-free loan to the IRS — money you could have held all year. The practical target is to land within a few hundred dollars of zero: no penalty risk (penalties generally need a balance of $1,000+ and less than 90% paid in), and no cash locked up.

Can I fix under-withholding late in the year?

Yes — and withholding has a superpower: the IRS treats it as paid evenly through the year no matter when it happens. A big Step 4(c) amount in November can erase an underpayment penalty that accrued since April, which a January estimated payment cannot do.