Every 2026 number that touches your paycheck on one page — federal brackets, standard deduction, FICA, 401(k)/IRA/HSA limits, no-tax states, and the new OBBBA rules. Bracket-exact, source-cited, free.
Get the 2026 Cheat Sheet as a printable PDF
Drop your email and we'll send the one-page PDF — plus the occasional 2026 tax update (bracket changes, deadlines). No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer no email? The full cheat sheet is right below — use “Print / Save as PDF.”
TruePayCalc
2026 Paycheck & Tax Cheat Sheet
truepaycalc.com
Federal Income Tax Brackets — 2026
Single
10%
$0 – $12,400
12%
– $50,400
22%
– $105,700
24%
– $201,775
32%
– $256,225
35%
– $640,600
37%
$640,600+
Head of Household
10%
$0 – $17,700
12%
– $67,450
22%
– $105,700
24%
– $201,775
32%
– $256,200
35%
– $640,600
37%
$640,600+
Married Filing Jointly
10%
$0 – $24,800
12%
– $100,800
22%
– $211,400
24%
– $403,550
32%
– $512,450
35%
– $768,700
37%
$768,700+
Standard Deduction 2026
Single / MFS
$16,100
Married filing jointly
$32,200
Head of household
$24,150
Extra, 65+ or blind (S/HoH)
+$2,050 ea.
Extra, 65+ or blind (married)
+$1,650 ea.
You pay each rate only on income within that bracket (after your deduction). Source: IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32.
FICA — Social Security & Medicare (2026)
Social Security
6.2% of wages up to $184,500 (max $11,439)
Medicare
1.45% of all wages (no cap)
Additional Medicare
+0.9% on wages over $200,000 (single/HoH) · $250,000 (MFJ) · $125,000 (MFS)
Combined employee FICA
7.65% up to the wage base
2026 Contribution Limits
Account
Limit
401(k)/403(b)/457
$24,500
+ catch-up (50+)
+$8,000
+ catch-up (60–63)
+$11,250
IRA (Roth/traditional)
$7,500
+ catch-up (50+)
+$1,100
Account
Limit
HSA — self-only
$4,400
HSA — family
$8,750
+ catch-up (55+)
+$1,000
Healthcare FSA
$3,400
401(k) & HSA reduce taxable pay; a traditional 401(k) still owes FICA, while Section 125 health/HSA are FICA-exempt. Source: IRS Notice 2025-67.
State Income Tax — Quick Reference (2026)
No tax on wages (9 states): Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wyoming.
Flat-rate states
2026 rate
Arizona
2.5%
Ohio (over ~$26,050)
2.75%
Indiana
2.95%
Louisiana
3.0%
Pennsylvania
3.07%
Kentucky
3.5%
North Carolina
3.99%
Mississippi (over $10k)
4.0%
Michigan
4.25%
Colorado
4.4%
Utah
4.5%
Illinois
4.95%
Massachusetts (+4% over ~$1.1M)
5.0%
Georgia
5.19%
Idaho
5.3%
Highest top rate: California 13.3%. Graduated-rate states (NY, NJ, CA, etc.) not listed — see the by-state calculator. Source: Tax Foundation 2026 + state DORs.
New for 2026 — One Big Beautiful Bill Act (2025–2028)
No tax on tips
Deduct up to $25,000 of qualified tips
Overtime premium
Deduct up to $12,500 (single) / $25,000 (MFJ) of the OT "half" premium
Senior deduction
+$6,000 per person age 65+
Important: these are filing-time federal deductions, not paycheck changes. Tips & overtime are still fully subject to FICA and to withholding — you see the benefit as a lower tax bill or bigger refund, not bigger take-home per check. Phaseouts begin at $150k/$300k MAGI ($75k/$150k for the senior deduction). All three expire after 2028.
Pay Frequency & Salary ↔ Hourly
Frequency
Checks/yr
Weekly
52
Bi-weekly
26 (two 3-check months)
Semi-monthly
24
Monthly
12
Hourly → yearly
× 2,080 (40 hr × 52)
Yearly → hourly
÷ 2,080
Yearly → bi-weekly
÷ 26
Yearly → monthly
÷ 12
2026 tax year · educational estimates, not tax advice. Verify with a professional for your situation.
truepaycalc.com
More free 2026 tools & guides — Paycheck Calculator · Take-Home by State · State-vs-State Comparison · Bonus & Overtime · Hourly ↔ Salary
These are the 2026 figures the TruePayCalc paycheck calculator runs on. Print it for your desk, or run your exact numbers — the calculator applies the correct bracket, filing status, and state schedule automatically and shows every line of the math.