W-4 Withholding Calculator (2026)

It projects your federal income tax for 2026 and compares it with the tax that will be withheld by the end of the year. The difference is your expected refund or the amount you would owe, and it tells you what to enter on Form W-4 to close the gap.

On your latest pay stub, in the year-to-date column for federal income tax. The line above it, for the current pay period, is the amount withheld per paycheck.

The total of your credits for dependents: the child tax credit for each child under 17 and $500 for each other dependent. Your employer then withholds less over the year.

An extra amount withheld from every paycheck. It is the simplest way to cover a shortfall: if the calculator shows $470 owed with four paychecks left, adding about $117.50 to Step 4(c) covers it.

A refund is money you lent the government without interest. Many people prefer to withhold close to their actual tax and keep more in each paycheck, while leaving a small cushion.

Usually not if you owe less than $1,000, or if your withholding covers at least 90% of this year's tax or 100% of last year's (110% if your income was over $150,000).

No. Your W-4 stays in effect until you change it. Update it when you marry or divorce, have a child, start a second job, or your income changes a lot.

Each employer withholds as if that job were your only income, so two incomes are often under-withheld. Check Step 2 on the W-4, or add the extra amount from this calculator to Step 4(c) on one job.

No. It covers federal income tax only. State withholding uses your state's own form, and Social Security and Medicare are always withheld at 7.65%.

It follows the same idea with fewer questions. For complex situations, such as several jobs, large capital gains or self-employment, the IRS estimator asks for more detail.