Paycheck Guides

Short guides that explain the numbers on your paycheck in plain words — no tax degree needed. Each one ends with a worked example you can check against the calculators.

How to Read Your Paycheck — gross pay, deductions and take-home pay, line by line.
How Federal Withholding Works in 2026 — IRS Publication 15-T, the standard deduction and your W-4.
Salary to Hourly: A Simple Guide — the 2,080-hour year and worked examples.

Try the tools: Paycheck Calculator, Salary to Hourly Calculator.

Sources and 2026 figures. IRS Publication 15-T; IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32. Standard deduction 2026: $16,100 single / $32,200 married filing jointly. Social Security wage base 2026: $184,500. Social Security 6.2%, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% over $200,000). Results are estimates, not tax advice.

Estimate, not tax advice. This site uses simplified 2026 tables for illustration. Verify your withholding with IRS Publication 15-T and a tax professional.