W4 Withholding Calculator
Estimate how much federal tax should be withheld from each paycheck to roughly break even at filing.
A simplified estimate — the actual IRS W-4 form accounts for multiple jobs, other income, and itemized deductions too.
About the W4 Withholding Calculator
The W4 Withholding Calculator gives you an instant answer from just a few inputs — filing status, annual salary, number of dependent children, and more. It runs entirely in your browser, so the numbers you enter stay private and never touch a server, and the result recalculates the moment you change a value. It's free to use with no sign-up, no limits, and nothing to install.
Worth Knowing
The W-4 form tells your employer how much federal tax to withhold, and the goal for most people is to land near break-even — a small refund or a small balance due — rather than a big swing either way. The form was redesigned in 2020 to drop the old 'allowances' in favor of dollar amounts, which confuses people used to the old version. Major life changes like marriage, a new child, or a second job are the moments to revisit it.
How to Use
- Enter Filing status into the first field of the W4 Withholding Calculator.
- Fill in the rest: Annual salary, Number of dependent children, Pay frequency.
- Your result appears instantly as you type — there's no submit button or page reload.
- A simplified estimate — the actual IRS W-4 form accounts for multiple jobs, other income, and itemized deductions too.