How the numbers are made
Every figure on PaystubLine comes from published 2026 rules and one formula, used by the calculators, the stub generator and the research alike. Here is exactly what it does and what it leaves out.
Updated 2026-10-02 · 2026 tax year
Federal income tax
We annualize each period's taxable wages, subtract the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100 single, $32,200 married filing jointly, $24,150 head of household), apply the 2026 brackets and divide by the number of pay periods. This follows the percentage method in IRS Publication 15-T for a W-4 with no adjustments. Dependents, other income and extra withholding are not modeled.
Social Security and Medicare
Social Security is 6.2% of wages up to the 2026 wage base of $184,500 published by the Social Security Administration. Medicare is 1.45% with no cap, plus the 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax on wages above $200,000. Section 125 health premiums are excluded from both; 401(k) deferrals are not.
State income tax
Flat-tax states use their statutory 2026 rate. Graduated-tax states use an estimated effective rate for a middle-income single filer, shown on every page and editable in every tool. Local income taxes are not included. Rates are reviewed each January against each state's revenue department.
Year-to-date
The generator replays every pay date from January 1 to the stub's date at the chosen frequency, so YTD and the Social Security cap fall on the right paycheck.
Verification
Each paid stub gets a random 10-character code stored with the company name, employee initials, pay date and net pay. A verification check shows those four facts. It confirms the stub came from PaystubLine unchanged; it does not confirm employment.
Corrections
Found an error? Email [email protected]. Confirmed errors are fixed on the site within one business day and logged here with the date.