Free W-4 Calculator & Tax Withholding Estimator
A W-4 calculator estimates your federal income tax for the year and tells you what to enter on Form W-4 so your employer withholds the right amount from each paycheck. This one projects your 2026 tax, compares it with what you have withheld so far, and gives the Step 2, Step 3, and Step 4 entries that leave you owing about $0 or getting the refund you choose.
2026 Form W-4 and Pub 15-TQuick answer
A single filer earning $50,000 with one job and no dependents should have about $146.92 of federal income tax withheld per biweekly paycheck in 2026, and about $506.54 at $100,000. To owe about $0, add any gap to Step 4(c).
Your 2026 withholding estimate
Results update as valid inputs change. A positive result is a refund; a negative one is a balance due.
Counting your remaining paychecks...
Estimate only. This W-4 calculator estimates 2026 federal income tax only. It does not cover state or local income tax, self-employment tax, the alternative minimum tax, the net investment income tax, the refundable part of the child tax credit, or every credit, and it is not tax advice. Double-check with the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator and the Form W-4 instructions.
How to fill out a W-4 in 2026
Form W-4 tells your employer how much federal income tax to take from each paycheck. Most people with one job and no dependents only need Step 1 and Step 5. Everything else fine-tunes withholding so it matches the tax you will actually owe.
Step 1: Personal information and filing status
Enter your name, address, and Social Security number, and check Single or Married filing separately, Married filing jointly, or Head of household. Everyone must complete Step 1 and Step 5.
Step 2: Multiple jobs or spouse works
Complete this only if you hold more than one job at a time or are married filing jointly and your spouse also works. Check the box on every W-4 when the jobs pay about the same; otherwise put the extra tax for the second job in Step 4(c) of the highest-paying job.
Step 3: Claim dependents and other credits
If your income is $200,000 or less ($400,000 married filing jointly), multiply qualifying children under 17 by $2,200 and other dependents by $500, then add other credits you expect. Claim this on only one W-4 in the household.
Step 4(a): Other income
Interest, dividends, retirement income, and other income that has no withholding. Adding it here raises withholding so you do not owe at tax time.
Step 4(b): Deductions
Use the Deductions Worksheet for itemized deductions above the standard deduction, student loan interest and IRA deductions, and the 2026 deductions for qualified tips, overtime, seniors 65 and older, and car loan interest. A larger 4(b) lowers withholding.
Step 4(c): Extra withholding
A flat dollar amount added to every paycheck. This is the simplest way to close a gap, cover a second job, or build a refund.
Step 5: Sign and date
The form is not valid until you sign it. Give it to your employer's payroll contact, not the IRS. Changes usually take effect within one or two pay periods.
How the withholding estimate works
Your projected 2026 tax
Wages so far plus your remaining paychecks, other jobs, and other income, minus adjustments and the larger of the standard deduction ($16,100.00 single, $32,200.00 joint, $24,150.00 head of household) or itemized deductions, and the new tips, overtime, senior, and car loan deductions. The 2026 brackets give the tax, less the $2,200 child tax credit, the $500 credit for other dependents, and other credits.
What your employer withholds
Payroll uses the IRS Publication 15-T percentage method: it annualizes each paycheck, adds Step 4(a), subtracts Step 4(b) and a built-in $8,600 ($12,900 joint) unless Step 2 is checked, applies the withholding schedule, subtracts Step 3, divides by your pay periods, and adds Step 4(c).
Step 4(c) = (projected tax + target refund - withheld so far - other jobs - remaining withholding) / paychecks left, rounded up
How to use the W-4 calculator
1. Enter your filing status and paycheck
Pick the filing status you will use on your 2026 return, how often you are paid, gross pay per paycheck, and pre-tax deductions such as 401(k), health insurance, and FSA contributions.
2. Add what your pay stub shows so far
Enter year-to-date taxable wages and federal income tax withheld, plus your current federal withholding per paycheck. The calculator counts the paychecks left this year from today's date.
3. Add other jobs, dependents, income, and deductions
Include a second job or working spouse, children under 17 and other dependents, income with no withholding, itemized deductions, and the 2026 deductions for tips, overtime, seniors, and car loan interest.
4. Pick your goal and copy the W-4 entries
Choose to owe about $0, get a target refund, or withhold a fixed extra amount. Copy the recommended Step 1 to Step 4 entries onto a new Form W-4 and give it to your employer.
W-4s for nannies, caregivers, and household employees
Nannies, caregivers, housekeepers, and other household employees are not subject to federal income tax withholding unless both the employer and the employee agree to it. Families still withhold Social Security and Medicare once wages reach the yearly threshold.
- If you agree to withhold, the employee gives the family a completed Form W-4, and the family withholds federal income tax from each paycheck using Publication 15-T.
- The family reports the withholding on Schedule H with its own Form 1040 and on the employee's Form W-2 at year end.
- If you do not withhold, the caregiver may need to make quarterly estimated payments or raise withholding at another job; this calculator's Step 4(a) and Step 4(c) results show how much.
Estimate the family's side with the nanny tax calculator, see a caregiver's net pay with the household employee paycheck calculator or take-home pay calculator, check withholding on a holiday bonus with the bonus tax calculator, or promise a net amount with the gross-up calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How do I fill out a W-4 to owe nothing?
Estimate your full-year tax, subtract what has been withheld so far and what your other jobs will withhold, and divide what is left by your remaining paychecks. Put that amount in Step 4(c) as extra withholding, claim dependents in Step 3, and list other income in Step 4(a). This calculator does that math and rounds Step 4(c) up so you land within a few dollars of $0.
Should I check the Step 2 box on my W-4?
Check the Step 2 box only if you have two jobs at the same time, or are married filing jointly with a working spouse, and the two jobs pay about the same. Check it on both W-4s. If one job pays much more, leave it unchecked and add the extra tax for the second job in Step 4(c) of the higher-paying job instead.
How much federal tax should be withheld from $50,000 or $100,000?
For a single filer with one job, no dependents, and the 2026 standard deduction, about $3,820 a year ($146.92 per biweekly paycheck) should be withheld from a $50,000 salary, and about $13,170 a year ($506.54 per biweekly paycheck) from $100,000. That matches the projected 2026 federal income tax of $3,820 and $13,170.
What is a tax withholding estimator?
A tax withholding estimator projects your federal income tax for the year, compares it with the tax your paychecks will withhold, and shows whether you are headed for a refund or a balance due. It then suggests Form W-4 entries to adjust. The IRS offers one at apps.irs.gov, and this calculator gives the same kind of estimate without an account.
Do nannies need a W-4?
Only if the family and the nanny agree to withhold federal income tax. Household employers are not required to withhold income tax, but they must still withhold Social Security and Medicare once 2026 cash wages reach $3,000. If both agree, the nanny gives the family a W-4, the family withholds from each paycheck, and reports it on Schedule H and the nanny's Form W-2.
Official sources
2026 brackets, deductions, credits, and withholding schedules come from the IRS, including the changes made by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
- IRS Form W-4 (2026), Employee's Withholding Certificate
- IRS Publication 15-T (2026), Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods
- IRS Tax Withholding Estimator
- IRS Schedule 1-A (Form 1040), Additional Deductions
- IRS Publication 926, Household Employer's Tax Guide
Estimate only for 2026 federal income tax, not tax advice. It does not cover state or local income tax, self-employment tax, the alternative minimum tax, the net investment income tax, the refundable portion of the child tax credit, or every credit and deduction. Check your result with the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator (https://apps.irs.gov/app/tax-withholding-estimator) and the Form W-4 instructions (https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-w-4).
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