Updated for 2026 IRS & FLSA rates

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Payroll Calculate employer & employee payroll taxes Federal withholding, FICA, FUTA, SUTA, net pay, gross-up, and more. 9 tools → Income & Tax Understand your actual take-home pay Salary, bonuses, commission, W-4 withholding, quarterly estimates. 11 tools → Business Run the numbers on your business Margins, ROI, break-even, loans, COGS, debt payoff, cap rates. 12 tools → Time & Hours Track hours, shifts, and PTO Time cards, weekly timesheets, overtime, shift differential, PTO accrual. 5 tools → HR & Documents Generate professional HR documents Pay stubs, invoices, direct deposit forms, minimum wage reference. 4 tools → Full Library See all 151+ tools Browse, search, and filter every calculator by category. Open library →
33M+
US small businesses with employees
$8.50
Average payroll processing cost per employee/mo (ADP)
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Calculations run this year (est.)
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Free tools — payroll, income, HR & business

Who Uses FreePayrollCalc

Real people, real payroll decisions

From HR teams running W-4 estimates to freelancers comparing 1099 vs W-2 — these are the scenarios people run through our calculators every week.

I run this every time an employee updates their W-4 or asks how a raise will affect their check. Saves me 20 minutes of digging through ADP for a quick estimate.

Sarah M.
HR Manager · Professional Services, 31 employees

Before making our first hire I had no idea employer taxes add ~12% on top of salary. This showed me the real number — I adjusted my budget before it became a cash flow problem.

James K.
Owner · Home Services Business, Texas

When I left my W-2 to go freelance, I used the 1099 vs W-2 calculator to figure out what hourly rate I needed to cover self-employment tax and net the same amount. Took 5 minutes.

Priya T.
Independent Marketing Consultant, California

How It Works

Accurate results in under 2 minutes

01
Enter employee details
Gross pay, pay frequency, filing status, state, and any pre-tax deductions. No account, no email, no tracking.
02
We apply current rates
2026 federal tax tables, SSA wage base ($176,100), FUTA/SUTA thresholds, and your state's exact income tax rate.
03
Get a full breakdown
Every deduction line-itemized — federal, state, Social Security, Medicare — plus annual projections and employer cost.
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FAQ

Common payroll questions

Our calculators use the official IRS Publication 15 (Circular E) withholding tables and 2025/2026 tax brackets. Federal estimates are within $0.01 of IRS-standard payroll software. State taxes use the most current rates from each state's Department of Revenue. Results are for estimation — always verify with your payroll provider for final deductions.
The Social Security Administration adjusts the taxable wage base annually. For 2025 it was $176,100. The 2026 figure will be announced by SSA in October 2025 — our calculator is updated immediately when the official rate is released. Social Security tax is 6.2% for employees (and 6.2% matched by employers) up to that wage limit. Medicare (1.45%) has no wage cap.
Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), salaried employees earning below the exempt salary threshold ($684/week as of the 2024 rule, currently under legal review) must receive overtime pay. Salaried employees above the threshold in exempt roles (executive, administrative, professional) are not owed FLSA overtime. See our Overtime Pay Calculator for a detailed breakdown.
FUTA (Federal Unemployment Tax Act) is a federal employer-only tax of 6% on the first $7,000 of each employee's wages — most employers pay a net 0.6% after the state credit. SUTA (State Unemployment Tax Act) varies by state, ranging from 0.1% to over 8% depending on your state and experience rating. See our Employer Payroll Tax Calculator for combined cost.
PTO can accrue three ways: (1) per pay period — annual days ÷ number of pay periods (e.g., 10 days ÷ 26 biweekly periods = 0.385 days/period); (2) per hour worked — a rate like 0.04 hours of PTO per hour worked = 1 day per 25 hours; (3) lump sum — full balance granted at the start of the year. Use our PTO Accrual Calculator to project balances under all three methods.