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Honest Toolkit

Your pay and taxes in the US, step by step

From the first paycheck to the federal return: what is taken and why.

For anyone who works in the US and wants to understand their paycheck, their W-4 and their federal income tax, with the 2026 figures from the IRS.

Start with the new job checklist and the W-4, then see what a paycheck looks like, and finish with the tax return.

The steps, in order

  1. ChecklistStarting a new job in the US
  2. GuideW-4 and withholding
  3. CalculatorPaycheck
  4. CalculatorHourly to salary
  5. CalculatorOvertime pay
  6. CalculatorFederal income tax
  7. CalculatorSelf-employment tax
  8. CalculatorCapital gains tax
  9. ChecklistFiling your federal return