Washington State Payroll Calculator
Estimate your net pay in Washington State, considering federal income tax, FICA taxes, and WA-specific deductions like the WA Cares Fund and Paid Family & Medical Leave. This calculator uses 2024 tax rates and is for estimation purposes only.
Understanding Your Washington State Paycheck
Navigating your paycheck can sometimes feel complex, especially with various federal and state deductions. This Washington State Payroll Calculator aims to demystify the process, providing an estimate of your net pay after common withholdings.
Key Components of Your Paycheck:
- Gross Pay: This is your total earnings before any taxes or deductions are taken out. It's calculated based on your hourly wage or annual salary and your pay frequency.
- Pre-Tax Deductions: These are amounts subtracted from your gross pay before taxes are calculated. Common examples include contributions to a 401(k) or 403(b) retirement plan, health insurance premiums, and Flexible Spending Account (FSA) contributions. Pre-tax deductions reduce your taxable income, lowering your federal income tax liability.
- Federal Income Tax: This is a progressive tax levied by the U.S. government on your taxable income. The amount withheld depends on your gross pay, filing status (Single, Married Filing Jointly), number of dependents, and any additional withholding you elect. The calculator uses simplified 2024 federal tax brackets and standard deductions for estimation.
- FICA Taxes (Social Security & Medicare):
- Social Security: Funds retirement, disability, and survivor benefits. Employees contribute 6.2% of their wages up to an annual wage base limit ($168,600 for 2024).
- Medicare: Funds hospital insurance for the elderly and disabled. Employees contribute 1.45% of all wages, with no wage cap. An additional 0.9% Medicare tax applies to wages above certain thresholds ($200,000 for single filers, $250,000 for married filing jointly).
- Washington State Deductions: Unlike many states, Washington does not have a state income tax. However, there are two significant state-mandated deductions:
- WA Cares Fund (Long-Term Care): As of July 1, 2023, most Washington workers contribute 0.58% of their gross wages to the WA Cares Fund, which provides a long-term care benefit. There is no wage cap for this deduction.
- WA Paid Family & Medical Leave (PFML): Washington employees contribute to the PFML program, which provides paid time off for family and medical reasons. The employee share for 2024 is 0.88% of gross wages, with no wage cap.
- Post-Tax Deductions: These are amounts subtracted from your pay after all taxes have been calculated and withheld. Examples include Roth 401(k) contributions, garnishments, union dues, or certain charitable contributions.
- Net Pay: This is your "take-home pay" – the amount you receive after all taxes and deductions have been subtracted from your gross pay.
How the Calculator Works:
This calculator takes your gross pay per period, pay frequency, federal withholding details, and any pre- or post-tax deductions. It then applies the relevant 2024 federal tax rates (income tax, Social Security, Medicare) and Washington State deductions (WA Cares Fund, PFML) to estimate your net pay. Remember, this is an estimate, and actual withholdings may vary based on specific circumstances, additional deductions, or changes in tax law.
Disclaimer:
This calculator provides an estimate based on the information provided and current tax laws (2024). It should not be considered financial or tax advice. For precise calculations or personalized advice, please consult a qualified tax professional or your payroll department.
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function calculatePayroll() {
// 2024 Federal Tax Brackets (Annual)
var federalTaxBracketsSingle = [
{ limit: 11600, rate: 0.10 },
{ limit: 47150, rate: 0.12 },
{ limit: 100525, rate: 0.22 },
{ limit: 191950, rate: 0.24 },
{ limit: 243725, rate: 0.32 },
{ limit: 609350, rate: 0.35 },
{ limit: Infinity, rate: 0.37 }
];
var federalTaxBracketsMarriedJointly = [
{ limit: 23200, rate: 0.10 },
{ limit: 94300, rate: 0.12 },
{ limit: 201050, rate: 0.22 },
{ limit: 383900, rate: 0.24 },
{ limit: 487450, rate: 0.32 },
{ limit: 731200, rate: 0.35 },
{ limit: Infinity, rate: 0.37 }
];
// 2024 Standard Deductions (Annual)
var standardDeductionSingle = 14600;
var standardDeductionMarriedJointly = 29200;
// 2024 FICA Limits and Rates
var socialSecurityRate = 0.062;
var socialSecurityWageBaseLimit = 168600; // Annual
var medicareRate = 0.0145;
var additionalMedicareRate = 0.009;
var additionalMedicareThresholdSingle = 200000; // Annual
var additionalMedicareThresholdMarriedJointly = 250000; // Annual
// 2024 Washington State Rates
var waCaresRate = 0.0058; // 0.58%
var waPFMLRate = 0.0088; // 0.88% (employee share)
// Pay Frequencies
var payPeriodsMap = {
"weekly": 52,
"bi-weekly": 26,
"semi-monthly": 24,
"monthly": 12
};
// Get input values
var grossPayPerPeriod = parseFloat(document.getElementById("grossPayPerPeriod").value);
var payFrequency = document.getElementById("payFrequency").value;
var federalFilingStatus = document.getElementById("federalFilingStatus").value;
var numChildren = parseInt(document.getElementById("numChildren").value);
var numOtherDependents = parseInt(document.getElementById("numOtherDependents").value);
var additionalFederalWithholding = parseFloat(document.getElementById("additionalFederalWithholding").value);
var preTaxDeductions = parseFloat(document.getElementById("preTaxDeductions").value);
var postTaxDeductions = parseFloat(document.getElementById("postTaxDeductions").value);
// Validate inputs
if (isNaN(grossPayPerPeriod) || grossPayPerPeriod < 0) {
alert("Please enter a valid Gross Pay per Pay Period.");
return;
}
if (isNaN(numChildren) || numChildren < 0) {
numChildren = 0; // Default to 0 if invalid
}
if (isNaN(numOtherDependents) || numOtherDependents < 0) {
numOtherDependents = 0; // Default to 0 if invalid
}
if (isNaN(additionalFederalWithholding) || additionalFederalWithholding < 0) {
additionalFederalWithholding = 0; // Default to 0 if invalid
}
if (isNaN(preTaxDeductions) || preTaxDeductions < 0) {
preTaxDeductions = 0; // Default to 0 if invalid
}
if (isNaN(postTaxDeductions) || postTaxDeductions < 0) {
postTaxDeductions = 0; // Default to 0 if invalid
}
var payPeriodsPerYear = payPeriodsMap[payFrequency];
// 1. Annualize Gross Pay
var annualGrossPay = grossPayPerPeriod * payPeriodsPerYear;
// 2. Annualize Pre-tax Deductions
var annualPreTaxDeductions = preTaxDeductions * payPeriodsPerYear;
// 3. Calculate Annual Taxable Gross (Federal)
var annualTaxableGrossFederal = annualGrossPay – annualPreTaxDeductions;
// 4. Determine Standard Deduction
var standardDeduction = (federalFilingStatus === "single") ? standardDeductionSingle : standardDeductionMarriedJointly;
// 5. Calculate Annual Taxable Income (Federal)
var annualTaxableIncomeFederal = Math.max(0, annualTaxableGrossFederal – standardDeduction);
// 6. Calculate Base Annual Federal Income Tax
var annualFederalIncomeTax = 0;
var taxableIncomeRemaining = annualTaxableIncomeFederal;
var brackets = (federalFilingStatus === "single") ? federalTaxBracketsSingle : federalTaxBracketsMarriedJointly;
var previousLimit = 0;
for (var i = 0; i 0) {
annualFederalIncomeTax += taxableInBracket * bracket.rate;
taxableIncomeRemaining -= taxableInBracket;
}
previousLimit = bracket.limit;
if (taxableIncomeRemaining socialSecurityWageBaseLimit) {
// If annualized gross pay is over the limit, we need to be careful.
// For a per-period calculator, we'll assume SS is withheld until the annual limit is met.
// This simplified approach will just apply the rate to the current period's gross pay,
// and the user should be aware of the annual cap.
// A more accurate per-period calculation would require tracking cumulative wages.
// For this calculator, we'll apply the rate to the gross pay, and if the annualized gross
// exceeds the cap, we'll cap the *annual* SS tax and then divide.
var annualSSTaxable = Math.min(annualGrossPay, socialSecurityWageBaseLimit);
socialSecurityTaxPerPeriod = (annualSSTaxable * socialSecurityRate) / payPeriodsPerYear;
} else {
socialSecurityTaxPerPeriod = grossPayPerPeriod * socialSecurityRate;
}
// Medicare
medicareTaxPerPeriod = grossPayPerPeriod * medicareRate;
// Additional Medicare Tax
var additionalMedicareThreshold = (federalFilingStatus === "single") ? additionalMedicareThresholdSingle : additionalMedicareThresholdMarriedJointly;
if (annualGrossPay > additionalMedicareThreshold) {
var annualTaxableForAddlMedicare = annualGrossPay – additionalMedicareThreshold;
additionalMedicareTaxPerPeriod = (annualTaxableForAddlMedicare * additionalMedicareRate) / payPeriodsPerYear;
}
medicareTaxPerPeriod += additionalMedicareTaxPerPeriod;
// Washington State Deductions (Per Period)
var waCaresPerPeriod = grossPayPerPeriod * waCaresRate;
var waPFMLPerPeriod = grossPayPerPeriod * waPFMLRate;
// Total Deductions
var totalFederalTaxes = federalIncomeTaxPerPeriod + socialSecurityTaxPerPeriod + medicareTaxPerPeriod;
var totalStateDeductions = waCaresPerPeriod + waPFMLPerPeriod;
var totalDeductions = preTaxDeductions + totalFederalTaxes + totalStateDeductions + postTaxDeductions;
// Net Pay
var netPayPerPeriod = grossPayPerPeriod – totalDeductions;
// Display Results
var resultDiv = document.getElementById("result");
resultDiv.innerHTML = `
Estimated Paycheck Breakdown
Gross Pay per Period: $${grossPayPerPeriod.toFixed(2)}
Pre-Tax Deductions: -$${preTaxDeductions.toFixed(2)}
Federal Income Tax Withheld: -$${federalIncomeTaxPerPeriod.toFixed(2)}
Social Security Tax: -$${socialSecurityTaxPerPeriod.toFixed(2)}
Medicare Tax: -$${medicareTaxPerPeriod.toFixed(2)}
WA Cares Fund: -$${waCaresPerPeriod.toFixed(2)}
WA Paid Family & Medical Leave: -$${waPFMLPerPeriod.toFixed(2)}
Post-Tax Deductions: -$${postTaxDeductions.toFixed(2)}
Estimated Net Pay per Period: $${netPayPerPeriod.toFixed(2)}
(All values are per pay period)
`;
}
// Run calculation on page load with default values
window.onload = calculatePayroll;