Editorial and update policy

A paycheck calculator is only as good as its rates. These are the rules we follow for every number on the site.

1. Official sources only

Every tax rate, bracket, wage base and program rate comes from the agency that sets it: the IRS, the Social Security Administration, state revenue and labor departments, and city tax offices. We do not copy numbers from other calculators, payroll companies or tax-data websites, even to cross-check. Each rate on the site links to its source, and the sources page lists all of them by jurisdiction.

2. A rule goes live only when it passes the agency's own examples

When an agency prints worked examples in its withholding guide, our calculation must reproduce them before the rule is published. Those examples become permanent automated tests (166 at the last release), and every release must pass all of them. Where an agency's example contains a misprint, we follow the method as written and note the discrepancy.

3. Every rule has dates

Each version of a rule records the date it takes effect, the source it comes from and the date we checked it. The pay date you enter picks the version in force on that day, so a January change or a mid-year change (for example Georgia in May 2026 or Ohio in August 2026) applies on the right paychecks. If an agency announces a change we have not finished checking, the page says so instead of quietly using old or guessed numbers.

4. When something is missing, we say so

If an agency has not published a current method, we leave that tax out and tell you, rather than estimate it. For example, the District of Columbia has not published current withholding instructions, so its page shows federal taxes only and explains why.

5. Update schedule

• New tax year: federal tables (IRS Publication 15-T), the Social Security wage base, Form W-4 and each state's tables are checked as agencies publish them, usually from November to January.
• During the year: we watch for mid-year rate changes, new laws and corrected publications, and recheck each state's sources during the year.
• Every change is listed with its date on the changelog and in the changelog section of each state page.

6. Corrections

If you think a number is wrong, email contactus@paycheckcalchq.com with a share link to your result (it carries your inputs, not your identity). We check it against the official source. If we were wrong, we fix it, add a test so it cannot happen again, and record the fix on the changelog.

7. Independence

PaycheckCalcHQ is built and maintained by Sri Murugan Systems. The site is paid for by ads. Advertisers have no say over content, and ads never sit between the form and your result. We are not a payroll provider or tax adviser; results are estimates, as our disclaimer explains.