Calculate your state liability and take-home pay
The calculator estimates how annual gross wages become take-home pay after federal tax, New York State tax, Social Security, Medicare and selected payroll deductions.
Enter your details
- Tax year: 2026
- Annual gross wages: $________
- Filing status: Single / Married filing jointly / Married filing separately / Head of household
- Payment frequency: Weekly / Biweekly / Semimonthly / Monthly / Annually
- Location: Outside New York City and Yonkers / New York City / Yonkers
- Pre-tax retirement contribution: $________ per year
- Pre-tax health insurance contribution: $________ per year
- Other pre-tax contributions: $________ per year
- Additional withholding: $________ per period
- Additional New York withholding: $________ per period
Calculate estimated taxes
The result should show these estimates:
| Result | Annual | Per pay period |
|---|---|---|
| Gross wages | - | - |
| Pre-tax deductions | - | - |
| Federal withholding | - | - |
| New York liability | - | - |
| Social Security | - | - |
| Medicare | - | - |
| Local liability, if applicable | - | - |
| Total taxes and deductions | - | - |
| Estimated take-home pay | - | - |
Start with estimated take-home pay, then review every assumption. Two employees can receive different low, middle or high results even when they earn the same gross wages on the same schedule because their filing status, deductions or local taxes differ.
This tool is intended for an employee receiving wages reported on Form W-2. Business earnings, self-employment tax, investment gains, credits, itemized expenses and unusual compensation require a more complete calculation.
The explanation below defines what the estimate includes.
What does the calculator result mean?
The result is a planning estimate of gross wages minus selected contributions and estimated payroll taxes. It is not the final liability shown on a filed return.
Gross wages are the employee’s compensation before taxes or deductions. The annual figure should include regular wages and taxable compensation expected during the year.
If earnings may change, use low, middle and high annual estimates to see how take-home pay responds.
Pre-tax deductions are amounts removed from wages before one or more liabilities are calculated. Common examples include eligible retirement contributions, employer health insurance premiums, a flexible spending account (FSA) and certain commuter benefits.
Their treatment varies: a contribution may reduce taxable earnings without reducing Social Security or Medicare wages.
Federal income tax is estimated separately from the New York amount. The calculation uses filing status, the applicable standard deduction and progressive Internal Revenue Service (IRS) rates.
Progressive rates apply in layers, so earning more does not cause every dollar to be taxed at the highest applicable rate.
New York income tax is also progressive. The calculation begins with estimated taxable earnings and applies the relevant schedule.
Additions, subtractions, credits and benefit-recapture rules can cause the filed result to differ from a payroll estimate.
Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) charges consist of Social Security and Medicare taxes. For 2026, the employee Social Security rate is 6.2% on covered wages up to $184,500.
The employee Medicare rate is 1.45%, with no general wage cap. Employers must also withhold an additional 0.9% Medicare tax after paying an employee more than $200,000 in covered wages during the calendar year, regardless of filing status.
These figures come from IRS Topic No. 751, updated January 20, 2026.
Take-home pay is the money remaining after the included taxes and deductions. Net pay does not automatically represent disposable funds because rent, debt, private insurance and other household costs are outside the calculation.
The methodology explains how each included figure is produced.
How is the 2026 tax estimate calculated?
The 2026 estimate annualizes wages, subtracts eligible contributions, applies progressive tax schedules, adds payroll taxes and divides the result by the selected number of pay periods.
The calculator follows this sequence:
- Annual gross wages are calculated from the entered annual or periodic pay.
- Eligible pre-tax deductions are subtracted from each tax base to which they apply.
- Taxable earnings for the IRS calculation are estimated using filing status and the applicable deduction.
- Federal tax is calculated progressively under the 2026 IRS rate schedule.
- New York taxable earnings are estimated using the selected filing status and entered adjustments.
- New York tax is calculated under the 2026 schedule.
- New York City or Yonkers tax is added only when the selected location requires it.
- Social Security and Medicare taxes are calculated on covered wages.
- Included taxes, insurance contributions and other payroll items are subtracted from gross wages.
- Annual take-home pay is divided by 52, 26, 24 or 12 to show weekly, biweekly, semimonthly or monthly pay.
For 2026 federal tax, the standard deduction is $16,100 for single employees and married employees filing separately, $32,200 for married couples filing jointly and $24,150 for heads of household. Marginal rates run from 10% through 37%, with each rate applying only to earnings within its bracket.
The dated figures are published in the IRS 2026 inflation-adjustment release.
New York revised its 2026 personal income tax schedules to reflect enacted rate reductions. Employers must use the revised tables for payroll paid from January 1 through December 31, 2026.
The responsible authority is the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, which provides the current tax rates and tables.
Payroll withholding and annual liability are related but different calculations. An employer generally uses wages, pay frequency and the employee’s Form IT-2104 elections to determine withholding.
The 2026 Publication NYS-50-T-NYS provides wage-bracket tables, exact calculation methods and top-rate methods for employees.
The estimate is updated for tax year 2026 using official material available on August 8, 2026. Displayed currency is rounded to the nearest cent, while intermediate calculations should retain greater precision.
The worked example shows the calculation.
Worked example: $80,000 of employee income
This worked example estimates the major 2026 payroll taxes for a single New York employee earning $80,000 outside New York City and Yonkers, with no pre-tax deductions, credits or additional withholding.
Assume the employee receives 26 biweekly payments. Gross pay is $80,000 ÷ 26, or about $3,076.92 per period.
Because the example has no retirement, FSA or health insurance contributions, the starting taxable and payroll wage figure remains $80,000.
For federal tax, estimated taxable income is $80,000 minus the 2026 single standard deduction of $16,100, giving $63,900. The amount is calculated in layers:
- Tax the first $12,400 at 10%: $1,240
- Tax earnings from $12,400 to $50,400 at 12%: $4,560
- Tax the remaining $13,500 at 22%: $2,970
- Estimated federal income tax: $8,770
For an illustrative New York withholding calculation, apply the annual single exact-calculation schedule in Publication NYS-50-T-NYS after the publication’s required adjustments and exemptions. At $80,000 of net wages in this simplified example, the applicable calculation is $586 plus 5.4% of the portion above $13,900.
The resulting estimated withholding is $4,155.40. Actual annual income tax can differ because a return uses adjusted gross income, deductions, credits and other return-specific rules.
Social Security tax equals 6.2% of $80,000, or $4,960. Medicare tax equals 1.45% of $80,000, or $1,160.
The additional Medicare charge does not apply because the employee’s wages do not exceed the employer withholding threshold.
The simplified annual result is:
| Tax calculation | Estimated amount |
|---|---|
| Gross wages | $80,000.00 |
| Federal income tax | $8,770.00 |
| New York withholding estimate | $4,155.40 |
| Social Security tax | $4,960.00 |
| Medicare tax | $1,160.00 |
| Total included taxes | $19,045.40 |
| Estimated take-home pay | $60,954.60 |
| Estimated biweekly take-home pay | $2,344.41 |
This example excludes New York City tax, Yonkers tax, unemployment insurance, paid family leave, disability insurance, retirement contributions, health insurance, credits and post-tax items. Those items can move take-home pay through a low, middle or high range relative to this simplified result.
The limitations below identify when a different calculation is needed.
What assumptions and limitations apply?
The calculator assumes regular W-2 employee wages, 2026 rules and consistent earnings across the selected pay periods.
It does not prepare a federal or New York return. The estimate may omit itemized expenses, refundable and nonrefundable credits, dependent benefits, capital gains, stock compensation, tips, overtime adjustments, bonus treatment, multiple-job calculations and changes in residence during the year.
New York City and Yonkers impose local income taxes that do not apply throughout New York. An address alone is therefore insufficient to calculate local tax.
Employees should select their actual residence and work situation rather than treating every location alike.
Workers who live in New Jersey, Connecticut or Pennsylvania but work in New York can face nonresident filing and resident-state credit rules. The same issue can arise when an employee moves from California, Massachusetts, Michigan, Ohio or another jurisdiction during the year.
This tool does not reconcile multistate returns or taxes.
Self-employed people and business owners generally calculate their taxes differently from employees. A business estimate may need self-employment taxes, deductible business expenses, quarterly payments and entity-level considerations.
A wage calculator should not be the only basis for business decisions or expected pay.
Payroll deductions also require care. Health insurance, retirement contributions and FSA entries do not always reduce income, Social Security and Medicare liabilities in the same way.
Employees should compare the estimate with their pay statement and plan documents before changing an election.
The tool does not request a Social Security number, bank information or complete return. Users should avoid entering sensitive personal information into any calculator that does not need it.
The frequently asked questions cover accuracy, privacy and the next action.
Frequently asked questions
The answers below explain how to use the estimate and decide what to verify next.
Is this New York income tax calculator accurate?
The calculator is suitable for planning when its earnings, location, filing status and deductions match the employee’s facts. Its result can differ from actual withholding or filed taxes because payroll elections, credits, multiple jobs and return adjustments are not fully represented.
Compare the estimate with a recent pay statement and official instructions.
Does the calculator include New York City tax?
New York City tax should be included only when the user selects city residency and the applicable local calculation. The main New York tax calculation does not include city taxes.
Yonkers also has separate resident and nonresident rules, so the correct location matters.
Does it include federal taxes?
Yes. The estimate includes federal income tax when that output is selected, along with employee Social Security and Medicare taxes.
Actual paycheck withholding may differ because an employer uses Form W-4 information and IRS payroll methods rather than a simplified annual return estimate.
How do insurance and retirement deductions change take-home pay?
Eligible insurance, FSA and retirement contributions can reduce the earnings subject to some taxes. They do not necessarily reduce every tax base.
Enter only the amount expected for the year, then check whether each contribution is treated as pre-tax for income, Social Security and Medicare purposes.
Can an employer use this calculator to run payroll?
An employer should use official payroll tables or compliant payroll processes instead of relying on this planning tool. New York requires employers to apply the 2026 withholding methods, report employee wages and remit withheld taxes on time.
Publication NYS-50-T-NYS is the primary reference.
Is my information stored?
This page should not require highly sensitive information to produce a basic estimate. Do not enter a Social Security number, bank account, password or complete return.
Review the site’s privacy notice to determine whether ordinary entries or analytics data are retained.
Why does my paycheck show a different tax amount?
A paycheck may differ because the employer uses the employee’s Form W-4, New York Form IT-2104, actual pay frequency, taxable benefits, insurance treatment and additional payroll items. Bonuses and commissions may also use supplemental methods.
Compare gross pay and each line item before comparing net pay or taxes.
What should I do after calculating my taxes?
Use low, middle and high earnings estimates if your annual wages are uncertain, then compare the result with year-to-date withholding and take-home pay. Employees who appear materially underwithheld should review Form W-4 and Form IT-2104 or consult a qualified professional.
Verify current New York rates with the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance before acting.
New York Taxes is an independent tax reference, not a government website. This calculator provides a planning estimate rather than personalized tax, legal, accounting, business or investment advice.
The next decision should begin where the tool began: enter accurate facts, review the estimated amount and verify the assumptions against official records.