Your inputs

Estimate a paycheck

Gross pay per period

Your pay before deductions for a single pay period.

Effective tax rate

Your overall (blended) tax rate on taxable pay, 0% through 60%.

Advanced assumptions

Pre-tax deductions

Retirement, health, and similar contributions taken before tax. Use 0 if none.

Your inputs are calculated locally and are not stored.

Estimated take-home pay$1,440.00

From $2,000.00 gross, this pay period keeps $1,440.00 after deductions and tax.

Pre-tax deductions: $200.00
Tax withheld: $360.00
Gross pay: $2,000.00

Formula & methodology

How take-home pay is estimated

Pre-tax deductions = Gross × (Deduction % ÷ 100)
Taxable pay = Gross − Pre-tax deductions
Tax withheld = Taxable pay × (Tax rate % ÷ 100)
Net pay = Taxable pay − Tax withheld

Pre-tax deductions are removed from gross pay first, so they lower the amount that is taxed. The remaining taxable pay is multiplied by your effective tax rate to estimate withholding, and what is left is your take-home pay. This is a simplified estimate: you supply a single effective tax rate, whereas real payroll tax is bracketed and varies by jurisdiction.

Worked example

$2,000 gross, 10% pre-tax deductions, 20% tax

Suppose your gross pay for the period is $2,000, you contribute 10% to pre-tax deductions, and your effective tax rate is 20%. Pre-tax deductions are $200, leaving $1,800 of taxable pay. Tax withheld is 20% of $1,800, or $360. Net pay is $1,800 − $360 = $1,440.

Assumptions

What this calculator assumes

You enter a single effective (blended) tax rate. Real payroll tax is bracketed and varies by country, state, and province.
Pre-tax deductions are entered as one combined percentage of gross pay.
All deductions and tax apply to one pay period, whatever its length.
No post-tax deductions, credits, or one-off adjustments are modeled.
Money values are rounded to the nearest cent for display.

Common questions

Paycheck FAQ

What tax rate should I enter?

Use your effective rate — total tax divided by total pay — not your top marginal bracket. You can estimate it from a recent pay stub or a prior tax return, then refine the figure.

Why is my real paycheck different?

Actual withholding depends on tax brackets, allowances, and local rules that this simplified model does not replicate. Use an official withholding estimator for a precise figure.

Primary sources

Sources and review notes

Methodology last checked Jul 14, 2026. Formula implementation is covered by deterministic unit tests. No financial professional review is claimed yet.