What this site is
Paycheck Facts publishes free tools and reference material that explain how take-home pay is calculated in the United States. The flagship tool is a paycheck calculator covering federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and the individual income tax of all 50 states plus the District of Columbia for the 2026 tax year.
Everything runs client-side in your browser. There is no account, no paywall, no email capture and no server that ever sees the numbers you type.
Who we are
The site is maintained by a small independent editorial team with backgrounds in software engineering and personal finance publishing. We are not a tax preparation firm, a payroll provider or a financial adviser, and we have no commercial relationship with any of them. That independence is the point: we have no incentive to steer you toward a product.
We are also not licensed tax professionals. Everything here is general educational information about how the tax code works, not advice about your specific situation. For that, see a CPA or an enrolled agent.
How we source our numbers
Every figure in our calculators traces back to a primary source. We do not copy numbers from other calculator sites, which is how errors propagate across the internet.
- Federal brackets and the standard deduction come from the IRS annual inflation-adjustment revenue procedure. For 2026 that is Revenue Procedure 2025-32.
- The Social Security wage base comes from the SSA Contribution and Benefit Base table.
- Retirement contribution limits come from the annual IRS notice, for 2026 Notice 2025-67.
- State brackets, deductions and exemptions come from the Tax Foundation's annual state income tax review, cross-checked against the state revenue department where a figure looks anomalous or a state changed its law mid-cycle.
Our corrections policy
Tax data changes, and sources occasionally disagree. When we find or are told about an error we fix it and note the change. We would much rather publish a correction than leave a wrong number up.
If you spot something that looks wrong, tell us and include the state, filing status and income you used so we can reproduce it. We read every report.
How we make money
The site is funded entirely by display advertising served through Google AdSense. We do not sell leads, we do not accept payment for placement or favourable coverage, and no advertiser sees or influences our tax data or editorial content. Advertising is clearly separated from content.
We collect no personal data ourselves. Google and its partners may set cookies to serve advertising; that is explained in full in our privacy policy, including how to opt out.
A word on accuracy
We work hard to be right, and we publish our sources so you can check us. But a browser-based calculator cannot know about your tax credits, your itemised deductions, your city's local income tax or the mid-year raise your employer processed. Treat the output as a well-sourced estimate, not as a substitute for your actual paystub or a professional's advice.
Get in touch
Questions, corrections, press enquiries or partnership requests all go to the same place: our contact page.