Texas tax calculator
This tool estimates the taxes and deductions taken from a worker’s paycheck. You may have a pay stub, payroll screen, or job offer open and want to compare gross wages with expected net earnings.
A common mistaken assumption is that because Texas has no individual state income tax, no other taxes apply. Federal income tax withholding, Social Security tax, Medicare tax, and voluntary contributions can still reduce net pay.
Your next decision is whether the estimate matches the payroll information in front of you.
Enter your payroll information
- Gross wages for this paycheck
- Pay frequency: weekly, biweekly, semimonthly, monthly, or annual
- Filing status from Form W-4
- Form W-4 Step 2 checkbox status
- Dependents and other credits from Step 3
- Other income from Step 4(a)
- Itemized amounts from Step 4(b)
- Additional withholding from Step 4(c)
- Pretax deductions, such as an eligible 401(k), health plan, or FSA contribution
- Year-to-date Social Security wages
- Year-to-date Medicare wages
Estimated results
- Federal tax withheld
- Social Security tax
- Medicare tax and any Additional Medicare Tax
- State tax: $0
- Total taxes
- Total deductions
- Estimated take-home pay
The calculator is for employees receiving wages reported on Form W-2. It does not calculate self-employment tax, bonuses handled under a supplemental wage method, stock compensation, local taxes outside Texas, or employer liabilities.
Takeaway: Texas has no employee state income tax withholding, but federal and FICA amounts still affect every covered paycheck. Verify the federal entries against Form W-4 and the wage and deduction fields against the employer’s payroll record.
The next section explains what each result means.
What do the payroll results mean?
The results separate gross pay, taxable wages, withholding, benefits, and net pay. Gross earnings are compensation before taxes or deductions.
Taxable wages may be lower when a qualifying pretax benefit reduces the amount subject to federal income tax. A contribution does not necessarily reduce Social Security or Medicare wages.
The plan’s tax treatment controls that result.
The federal amount is the estimated sum withheld from the current paycheck based on the Form W-4 details entered. It is not the worker’s final annual liability.
A second job, a spouse’s earnings, investment income, credits, or itemized deductions may change the amount owed when the return is filed.
FICA consists of Social Security and Medicare taxes. For 2026, the employee Social Security rate is 6.2% on covered wages up to the annual wage base.
The Medicare rate is 1.45% on covered wages without a wage-base limit. Additional Medicare Tax withholding can begin after an employer pays an employee more than the applicable threshold during the calendar year.
Net earnings are gross earnings minus taxes and payroll deductions. They exclude employer-paid charges, including the employer share of FICA and state unemployment tax.
Those employer costs do not normally reduce an employee’s paycheck.
Takeaway: Read the result as a paycheck estimate, not as a completed federal income tax return or personalized advice. Verify each wage and deduction field against the employer’s payroll statement.
Those definitions lead directly to the methodology.
How does the calculator estimate 2026 taxes?
The calculator estimates 2026 taxes by applying official payroll rules to the information entered. It annualizes taxable wages according to the selected frequency, adjusts that amount using Form W-4 entries, applies the relevant federal table, and converts the annual result back to one payroll period.
The method follows the Internal Revenue Service, or IRS, 2026 Publication 15-T. It uses the filing status, Step 2 election, credits, other income, deductions, and additional withholding supplied by employees.
The tables estimate prepayments rather than final annual liability. Actual income tax may be lower than, close to, or higher than the paycheck amount when the full-year return is calculated.
For FICA, the calculator applies 6.2% Social Security tax to covered wages remaining below the 2026 wage base of $184,500. It applies 1.45% Medicare tax to covered wages and 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax to wages an employer pays above $200,000 during the year.
These figures come from IRS Publication 15 for 2026.
Texas has no individual state income tax, so the state result is zero. The estimate does not include property tax, sales tax, franchise tax, vehicle tax, or other taxes.
It also excludes unemployment tax because employers, rather than employees, generally pay that obligation. For context, the Texas Workforce Commission publishes separate 2026 unemployment rates for employers.
Displayed currency is rounded to the nearest cent. The methodology was updated August 10, 2026.
Payroll software may produce a small difference when it uses different intermediate rounding, benefit classifications, or supplemental-pay rules.
Takeaway: Verify the federal entries against Form W-4 and the unemployment amount against the employer’s Texas Workforce Commission notice.
The worked example shows the calculation sequence in dollars.
Worked example: What is the take-home pay?
The estimated take-home pay is gross earnings minus pretax deductions, employee taxes, and after-tax deductions.
Example: Consider an employee with $2,500 of biweekly gross pay and a $100 eligible pretax deduction. Assume the benefit reduces income tax, Social Security, and Medicare wages, leaving $2,400 of taxable wages.
The FICA calculation is:
- Social Security tax: $2,400 × 6.2% = $148.80
- Medicare tax: $2,400 × 1.45% = $34.80
- State income tax: $0
- Total FICA: $183.60
Assume the 2026 IRS method produces $200 of federal withholding after processing the employee’s Form W-4 entries. Estimated take-home pay is $2,500 − $100 − $148.80 − $34.80 − $200 = $2,016.40.
For a contrasting case, suppose the $100 deduction is after-tax. Federal and FICA calculations would then start from $2,500 rather than $2,400.
The state result would remain zero, but Social Security and Medicare withholding would increase because the benefit would no longer reduce those wage bases. Employees should confirm the deduction’s treatment with their payroll department.
Takeaway: A deduction’s classification can change net pay even when gross pay and the state result stay the same. Verify the classification against the payroll plan documents or with the employer’s payroll department.
The FAQs turn that example into the next practical decision.
Texas tax calculator FAQs
The answers below clarify accuracy, assumptions, privacy, and the next payroll action.
How accurate is this tax calculator?
This calculator is an estimate based on 2026 federal rules and the inputs provided. Accuracy depends on the pay frequency, taxable-benefit treatment, year-to-date wages, and Form W-4 information entered.
Compare the result with the employer’s payroll statement before changing withholding.
Why is Texas state income tax withholding zero?
Texas has no individual state income tax, so employees generally do not see state income tax withheld from wages. Federal taxes and FICA still apply.
Sales tax, property tax, and other state or local obligations are outside this paycheck calculation.
Does the calculator include unemployment tax?
No. Unemployment tax is generally an employer payroll cost, not an employee paycheck deduction.
Employers should use the assigned state rate and taxable-wage information from the Texas Workforce Commission rather than treating the amount as employee withholding.
Does an FSA reduce every payroll tax?
Not always. An eligible FSA contribution may reduce income tax and FICA wages, but the plan and contribution type control the treatment.
Employees should compare the treatment shown on the pay stub with the payroll plan documents.
Is my payroll information private?
This page is not a secure repository for tax records. Do not enter names, Social Security numbers, bank details, or copies of Form W-4.
Use only the numerical inputs needed for the estimate.
What should I do after calculating my paycheck?
Compare the estimate with a recent pay stub, confirm deduction classifications with payroll, and review Form W-4 if federal withholding appears unsuitable. Before changing payroll instructions, use IRS resources or consult a qualified professional for advice based on your circumstances.