Payroll Deductions Calculator

Read a pay stub from top to bottom

Gross pay is what you earned before payroll removes taxes, benefits, retirement contributions, and any other authorized items. Enter that amount for one paycheck, not your yearly salary. Each line below can be entered as a flat dollar amount or as a percentage of that gross check. The running breakdown shows the calculated dollar value of every line and subtracts the sum from gross to find the estimated net deposit.

You can select weekly, biweekly, semimonthly, or monthly pay to see an annualized projection. The frequency does not change the calculation for the current check. It only multiplies that check's gross, deductions, and net by the typical number of pay periods in a year. If your wages or benefits change through the year, treat the projection as a scenario rather than a forecast.

Pretax and after-tax deductions are different

The arithmetic here subtracts entered amounts without calculating how one deduction affects another. In real payroll, traditional 401(k) contributions usually reduce federal taxable wages but not FICA wages. Qualified health premiums may reduce both. Roth 401(k) contributions are generally made after income tax. A percentage of gross entered here is always a percentage of the full gross check, regardless of the tax treatment of the deduction.

To match a real stub, copy its itemized withholding amounts into the dollar fields. If you instead use percentages, enter estimated effective withholding rates, not necessarily your top federal bracket. Progressive federal income tax, W-4 elections, credits, local taxes, and pretax benefit rules can all change the amounts withheld. This is a paycheck ledger, not a tax calculation engine.

Use the totals to plan cash flow

Your employer's gross figure may include overtime, bonuses, or shift premiums that do not repeat every payday. When testing a budget, use a normal check rather than the best check of the year. Then look at net pay, not gross pay, when planning rent, bills, and automatic savings. A separate emergency reserve can help when overtime varies.

If the entered deductions exceed gross pay, the calculator can show a negative net amount. That is a warning that your assumptions do not fit this paycheck, not a prediction that payroll will deposit a negative amount. Recheck whether a deduction was entered both as a percentage and as a dollar amount, or whether an annual benefit contribution was mistaken for a per-check amount.

Compare this estimate against the pay stub's year-to-date column periodically. Social Security may stop withholding once covered wages reach the annual wage base; insurance premiums can change at enrollment; and an annual 401(k) limit may stop contributions. For personalized withholding changes, review your Form W-4 or ask your payroll department rather than treating this worksheet as tax advice.