BestPaycheck.com exists for one simple reason: figuring out what you actually take home from a paycheck shouldn't require a finance degree, an account sign-up, or a spreadsheet. We build free, fast, accurate calculators that answer the paycheck and salary questions people search for most — no login, no email required, no fine print.
BestPaycheck.com was created by Maurice Gauthier, a payroll professional who has worked in payroll for more than 50 years, starting at age 15. Over that time he has served as payroll manager for several organizations, including the City of Bozeman, Montana, and two staffing companies where he processed payrolls of more than 5,000 employees a week. He helped one of those staffing companies grow into a firm named to Forbes' list of the fastest-growing companies in America. Most recently he was Payroll and Bookkeeping Manager at a major accounting firm.
Years of explaining pay stubs, withholding and year-end surprises to employees and employers are what shaped these calculators and guides: plain answers to the questions people actually ask on payday.
Our calculators are built on the current tax year's federal income tax brackets, FICA rates, standard deductions, and state-by-state income tax and disability/paid-leave rules, including state programs like California SDI, Washington PFML, and New York PFL. As tax law changes each year, we update the underlying figures rather than leaving stale numbers in place.
Figures come from primary sources: IRS publications (including Publication 15-T and Form W-4), the Social Security Administration for the wage base and FICA rules, the U.S. Department of Labor for overtime rules, and each state's own tax agency, cross-checked against the Tax Foundation's annual state tax tables. Every guide lists its sources at the bottom, and we review the figures each January.
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