Methodology & sources

Every calculator on this site shows its math. Here is where the rules come from.

Work-time calculators

Overtime rules follow the U.S. Department of Labor's Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) provisions: overtime at not less than 1.5× the regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek. Break guidance (paid short breaks vs. unpaid meal periods) follows DOL FLSA guidance. Where a state sets a higher standard (for example California's daily overtime), we say so on the calculator page, and the state-specific version controls.

Paycheck calculators

Federal withholding follows IRS Publication 15-T (2026), Percentage Method for automated payroll systems (Worksheet 1A), for Forms W-4 from 2020 or later — including the Step 2 checkbox schedules, Step 3 credits, and Step 4 adjustments. Social Security and Medicare follow the statutory FICA rates and the 2026 Social Security wage base ($184,500), including the 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax withholding above $200,000. State withholding follows each state tax agency's published tables and instructions, including local taxes where a dedicated state page says they are modeled. Texas and Florida levy no state income tax on wages, so their state line is $0. Each paycheck page states the exact table edition it uses.

California (2026)

California withholding uses the Employment Development Department's California Withholding Schedules for 2026 — Method B (Exact Calculation Method): annualized wages, the Table 1 low-income exemption, $1,000 per additional DE 4 allowance (Table 2), the Table 3 standard deduction, the Tables 5–7 rate schedules, and the Table 4 credit of $168.30 per regular allowance. California taxes pre-tax deductions such as 401(k) contributions, so they do not reduce California taxable wages here. SDI is 1.3% of gross wages with no wage cap (EDD, 2026; the cap was removed by SB 951 from 2024). The EDD notes its per-period tables are a minor simplification of Method B, so employer results can differ by a cent or two.

New York (2026)

New York State, New York City, and Yonkers withholding use the NYS Department of Taxation and Finance's Publication NYS-50-T (1/26) booklets — the editions effective January 1, 2026, reflecting the rate reductions under Chapter 59 of the Laws of 2025. State and city tax use the exact calculation method (Method II): the Table A deduction allowance ($7,400 / $7,950 state; $5,000 / $5,500 city) plus $1,000 per IT-2104 exemption, then the annual rate schedules; at the highest incomes the state's Method III flat rates apply. Yonkers resident tax is 16.75% of the state tax; the Yonkers nonresident earnings tax is 0.50% of gross wages after the Method VIII phase-out exclusion. Paid Family Leave is the 2026 employee rate of 0.432% of gross wages, capped at $411.91 per year (paidfamilyleave.ny.gov). The disability (DBL) contribution — 0.5% of wages, max $0.60 per week under Workers' Compensation Law §209 — is optional for employers and is included only when selected.

Accuracy & limits

Calculators are tested against fixed cases before publication and re-tested whenever a source table changes. Results are still estimates: your employer's payroll may round differently, and your personal situation (extra W-4 entries, pre-tax benefits, garnishments, local rules we do not yet model) can change the answer. Nothing on this site is tax, legal, or financial advice.

Primary sources

U.S. Department of Labor — Wage and Hour Division (FLSA overtime and hours-worked guidance): dol.gov/agencies/whd
IRS Publication 15-T — Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods: irs.gov
Social Security Administration — annual wage base announcements: ssa.gov
State tax agencies — withholding tables linked from each state calculator page.
California EDD — California Withholding Schedules for 2026, Method B; 2026 California Employer's Guide (DE 44): edd.ca.gov
NYS Dept. of Taxation and Finance — Publication NYS-50-T (1/26), NYS / NYC / Yonkers booklets: tax.ny.gov
NYS Paid Family Leave — 2026 employee contribution figures: paidfamilyleave.ny.gov