Methodology & sources

Our calculators estimate take-home pay for a single employee with one job, no other income, standard deductions and no special credits. Everything is computed in your browser from rate tables published by tax authorities. Below is exactly what we include, what we leave out, and where each number comes from.

United States (2026)

• Federal income tax: 2026 brackets (10%–37%) and standard deduction ($16,100 single / $32,200 married filing jointly) from IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32.
• FICA: Social Security 6.2% up to the $184,500 wage base; Medicare 1.45% plus 0.9% Additional Medicare above $200,000 (single) / $250,000 (joint).
• State income tax: brackets, standard deductions, exemptions and personal credits for all 50 states and DC from the Tax Foundation 2026 table (as of January 1, 2026). We model Alabama's federal-tax deduction, Connecticut's exemption phase-out, Utah's taxpayer credit phase-out, Wisconsin's sliding standard deduction and California SDI (1.3%).
• Not included: city and county income taxes (NYC, Maryland counties, Pennsylvania local EIT, Ohio municipalities and others), state disability and paid-leave premiums other than California SDI, Oregon's federal-tax subtraction and New York's high-income benefit recapture.

United Kingdom (2026/27)

• Personal Allowance £12,570, tapered by £1 per £2 above £100,000. rUK bands 20/40/45%; Scottish bands 19/20/21/42/45/48%.
• Employee Class 1 NI: 8% between £12,570 and £50,270, 2% above.
• Student loans: Plan 1 £26,900, Plan 2 £29,385, Plan 4 £33,795, Plan 5 £25,000 (all 9%), Postgraduate £21,000 (6%).
• Pension contributions are treated as salary sacrifice (reducing tax and NI). Source: GOV.UK rates and thresholds for employers 2026 to 2027.

Canada (2026)

• Federal brackets starting at 14.000000000000002%, basic personal amount $16,452 with the high-income phase-down, and the Canada employment amount ($1,501).
• CPP 5.95% (YMPE $74,600, $3,500 exemption) and CPP2 4% to $85,000; enhanced portions are deducted from income, base portions earn credits. EI 1.63% to $68,900.
• Provincial brackets and basic personal amounts from the CRA, including the Ontario surtax, Ontario tax reduction, Ontario Health Premium and BC tax reduction.
• Quebec: QPP 6.3%, QPIP 0.43%, EI 1.30% and the 16.5% federal abatement. Quebec provincial brackets are provisional (TaxTips.ca) until Revenu Québec confirms them.

Australia (2026–27)

• Resident rates 0/15/30/37/45% with the $18,200 tax-free threshold, Low Income Tax Offset (up to $700) and 2% Medicare levy.
• The Medicare levy low-income threshold uses the latest legislated figure; the increase announced in the 2026–27 Budget will be applied once legislated. HELP repayments and the Medicare levy surcharge are not included. Super (12%) is shown as an employer contribution on top of salary.

Ireland (2026)

• Income tax 20%/40% with the €44,000 single / €53,000 married (one income) standard rate band, less personal and employee tax credits.
• USC 0.5/2/3/8% with the €13,000 exemption threshold; PRSI Class A1 at 4.2% with the weekly PRSI credit.
• Pension contributions receive income tax relief only.

Inflation

US CPI-U annual averages (1982–84 = 100) from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, via the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis table, 1913–2025. Value = amount × CPI(to) ÷ CPI(from).

Corrections

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