W-4 Withholding Calculator
The Form W-4 entries that hit your target refund for 2026
Last updated: October 2026 · IRS Publication 15-T (2026) percentage method
Your pay
Gross pay minus pre-tax 401(k), health and HSA deductions.
Your current W-4
The rest of your year
Interest, dividends, retirement income.
The "half" of time-and-a-half only.
Leave at 0 to aim for no refund and nothing owed.
Recommended new Form W-4 (2026)
Step 2 box
Not checked
Step 3
$0
Step 4(a)
$3,000
Step 4(b)
$0
Step 4(c) extra withholding per paycheck
$66
Current W-4 vs recommended
| Current | Recommended | |
|---|---|---|
| Withholding per paycheck | $216.15 | $301.77 |
| Total withheld for the year | $5,620 | $6,134 |
| Estimated tax after credits | $6,130 | $6,130 |
| At tax time | $510 owed | $4 refund |
Projected full-year wages from this job: $65,000. Tax estimate uses the 2026 brackets, the standard or itemized deduction, Schedule 1-A deductions and the child, dependent and earned income credits.
How the W-4 calculator works
Payroll systems turn your W-4 into a dollar amount with the percentage method in IRS Publication 15-T. Your pay per period is annualized, Step 4(a) is added, Step 4(b) and a built-in amount ($8,600, or $12,900 for married filing jointly, unless the Step 2 box is checked) are subtracted, and the result runs through the 2026 annual withholding table. Step 3 is then subtracted, spread across the year, and Step 4(c) is added to each paycheck.
The calculator runs that same method on your current W-4 and compares the year's total withholding with an estimate of your 2026 tax. It then builds a new W-4: your credits in Step 3, non-job income in Step 4(a), deductions beyond the standard deduction in Step 4(b), and whatever extra per paycheck in Step 4(c) closes the remaining gap with the paychecks you have left.
Worked example
A single filer is paid $2,500 every two weeks, with 20 paychecks done and 6 to go. A W-4 with nothing filled in withholds $216.15 a paycheck, which covers the tax on wages alone exactly: $65,000 less the $16,100 standard deduction is $48,900 of taxable income, and $5,620 of tax. But this year there is also $3,000 of interest and dividends, which lifts the tax to $6,130. On the current W-4 that means owing about $510 in April.
The fix: enter $3,000 in Step 4(a), which raises withholding to $235.77 a paycheck, and $66 in Step 4(c). Over the last six paychecks that collects the missing $510, and the balance at tax time comes out within a few dollars of zero.
Key 2026 rules
- Step 3: $2,200 per child under 17 and $500 per other dependent, if income is $200,000 or less ($400,000 joint), per the 2026 Form W-4.
- Step 4(b) worksheet: qualified tips up to $25,000, overtime premium up to $12,500 ($25,000 joint), car loan interest up to $10,000, $6,000 per person 65 or older, and itemized deductions above the standard deduction.
- Employers must use your W-4 as written: they cannot lower withholding for the tips or overtime deduction on their own.
- Married filing separately uses the single withholding table.
Related tools and reading
See what the new W-4 does to take-home pay with the paycheck calculator, and check the full-year picture in the tax refund calculator or the US tax calculator. If overtime or tips are a big part of your pay, size the deduction first with the overtime calculator or the no tax on tips calculator, and read how much no tax on overtime saves. Parents can confirm the Step 3 figure with the child tax credit calculator. Bonuses are withheld at a flat 22%: see the bonus tax calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How do I fill out a W-4 to get no refund and owe nothing?
Estimate your full-year tax, subtract what has already been withheld, and divide the rest by the paychecks left. This calculator does that with the IRS Publication 15-T percentage method, which is what payroll software uses, and gives you the Step 3, Step 4(a), 4(b) and 4(c) entries that land closest to a $0 balance.
What changed on the 2026 Form W-4?
The 2026 form keeps the same five steps but its Step 4(b) worksheet now includes the new deductions for qualified tips, overtime premium, car loan interest and the $6,000 senior deduction, plus up to $1,000 ($2,000 joint) of cash gifts to charity for people who take the standard deduction. Step 3 uses $2,200 per child under 17 and $500 per other dependent.
Should I check the box in Step 2?
Check it only if you have two jobs at the same time, or you are married filing jointly and both spouses work, and the two jobs pay roughly the same. It withholds as if each job gets half the standard deduction and half of each bracket. If pay is very different, the Multiple Jobs Worksheet or this calculator's "other job" fields are more accurate. Fill in Steps 3 and 4(b) on the highest paying job only.
Why does the calculator put a large number in Step 3 when I am over-withheld?
Late in the year there are few paychecks left to correct a large over-withholding. Each $1 in Step 3 lowers withholding for the whole year by $1, spread across every pay period, so to cut the remaining paychecks enough the Step 3 figure has to be bigger than your actual credits. Submit a fresh W-4 in January with your real figures so the next year starts correctly.
Does the overtime or tips deduction change my withholding automatically?
No. Employers may not reduce withholding for the overtime or tips deduction on their own. If you expect to qualify, enter the expected deduction on the Step 4(b) worksheet of a new W-4; otherwise the benefit arrives as a larger refund when you file.
How often should I update my W-4?
Whenever your situation changes: a new job, marriage or divorce, a child, a large raise, a second job, or a big change in deductions. Checking once early in the year and once around midyear keeps the gap small, because a correction spread over 20 paychecks is far gentler than one squeezed into the last five.