Frequently asked questions
How does TimeCard calculate my federal withholding?
TimeCard uses the IRS's official Percentage Method for Automated Payroll Systems from Publication 15-T (2026 edition), plus current Social Security and Medicare (FICA) rates.
Which states does TimeCard support?
The 9 US states with no state income tax at all (Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming), plus 13 flat-rate states so far: Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Utah. More states are being added in batches.
Does TimeCard store or send my data anywhere?
No. Everything you enter stays in your browser. There is no account and no login is required.
Is TimeCard free to use?
Yes, TimeCard is completely free with no login and no limits on how many pay periods you calculate. Ads on the page help cover the cost of keeping it free, and they're entirely optional to interact with.
How payroll deductions actually work in the US
Most people find out how their paycheck gets calculated the hard way — a check comes in lower than expected, and the stub has a handful of line items with no explanation attached. Here's what each one actually is, using the real 2026 numbers.
FICA: two taxes with two very different ceilings
Social Security takes 6.2% of your wages, but only up to $184,500 for 2026 — withholding stops once your year-to-date wages cross that. Medicare is the opposite: 1.45% of every dollar with no cap, plus an Additional Medicare Tax of 0.9% once your wages pass $200,000 (single or head of household), $250,000 (married filing jointly), or $125,000 (married filing separately).
Federal withholding depends on your actual W-4
The IRS publishes two different bracket schedules — Standard for a W-4 with the Step 2 multiple-jobs box unchecked, and Checkbox, with lower thresholds at every bracket, for when it's checked. Two people with identical pay can see different withholding from that one box alone, and it's not a mistake on either paycheck.
Nine states don't touch your paycheck at all
Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming have no state income tax on wages. If your paycheck has no state tax line and you work in one of those nine, that's correct, not an error.
Flat-rate states: one number, but rarely just that number
Sixteen states now run a single flat income tax rate instead of brackets, and this calculator has thirteen built so far: Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Utah. Pennsylvania is the simplest (3.07%, nothing subtracted first); most others subtract a personal exemption or standard deduction first; Louisiana and North Carolina both withhold slightly above their actual statutory rate as a deliberate, refundable cushion; and Arizona has no fixed rate at all — the employee elects their own percentage (0.5% to 3.5%) on Form A-4, defaulting to 2% if none is filed.