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Money & Taxes

Calculate take-home pay, taxes, and financial obligations. Comprehensive calculators for salary, self-employment tax, capital gains, sales tax, and VAT.

The gap between what your employer pays you and what hits your bank account on payday is wider than most people realize. For a $90,000 salary in California, roughly $26,000 a year is gone before you ever see it — federal income tax, state income tax, FICA, sometimes local tax stacked on top. Our Salary / Take-Home Calculator is the tool most people open first, because nobody actually memorizes seven tax brackets.

From there, the rest of this category splits into a few clusters.

If you're a W-2 employee, you're usually looking at the Paycheck Tax Withholding tool to adjust your W-4 (the current form is not intuitive, and most people get it wrong the first time), the Tax Bracket Finder to understand where your next dollar actually lands and what "being in the 32% bracket" really means (it doesn't mean 32% of everything, and the same tool plots your marginal rate against your effective rate), and the Tax Refund / Balance Due Estimator before filing season.

If you're self-employed or freelance, the situation is different. Quarterly estimates, the 15.3% self-employment tax that W-2 workers forget exists, and which expenses you can actually deduct. The Self-Employed Quarterly Tax Planner and Freelancer Expense Deduction Estimator handle most of that day-to-day work, and the Self-Employed / 1099 Tax calculator gives you the annual view.

For investors, we cover Capital Gains Tax (which respects the 0/15/20% long-term brackets), a Capital Loss Harvesting Helper for year-end tax moves, and the Tax-Equivalent Yield Calculator for comparing municipal bonds to taxable bonds on the same footing.

Life events have their own tools. Got married last year? Tax Filing Status Comparison will show whether MFJ or MFS makes sense. Thinking about moving from California to Texas? State Tax Move Impact runs the actual numbers. Kids at home or in college? Child & Dependent Tax Credit Estimator. Lower-income households should run the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Checker — the EITC is one of the most under-claimed credits in the country.

Retirement account decisions also show up here. Traditional vs Roth 401(k) / IRA Impact runs the tax math across decades. HSA vs FSA Tax Savings is worth checking during open enrollment — HSAs are usually the better deal if you qualify, but it depends on your plan structure. Social Security Payroll Tax Breakdown shows the employer-side cost that never appears on your paystub.

One caveat worth stating clearly: these are estimates built on current federal brackets and standard state rules. They don't know about your specific itemized deductions, your employer's match structure, or whether you had a weird K-1 this year. Use them to ballpark, then verify with a tax professional before you file anything real.

Money & Taxes Guide

Reviewed by EverydayBudd Editorial · July 17, 2026

What you can do in Money & Taxes

  • •Convert your gross salary to actual take-home pay after federal, state, and local taxes
  • •Estimate quarterly tax payments when you're self-employed or have 1099 income
  • •Calculate capital gains taxes on stock sales, crypto, or real estate—short-term vs. long-term
  • •Figure out sales tax or VAT amounts for purchases in different states or countries
  • •Compare how filing status (single, married, head of household) affects your tax bill
  • •See how HSA or FSA contributions reduce your taxable income
  • •Estimate property tax based on assessed home value and local mill rates
  • •Understand the difference between your marginal and effective tax rates

Accuracy, assumptions, and sources

  • •Tax rates are based on current IRS brackets and state tax tables—results are estimates, not exact amounts.
  • •Calculators assume standard deductions unless you enter itemized amounts.
  • •Self-employment calculations include the 15.3% SE tax (Social Security + Medicare).
  • •Capital gains rates depend on holding period and total income—we show both scenarios.
  • •State tax calculations use published rates; local taxes may vary by city or county.
  • •All results should be verified with a tax professional before filing.

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Common mistakes to avoid

  • •Confusing tax withholding (what's taken from your paycheck) with actual tax owed at year-end.
  • •Forgetting to include self-employment tax when estimating 1099 income taxes.
  • •Mixing up short-term gains (taxed as ordinary income) with long-term gains (lower rates).
  • •Ignoring state and local taxes when calculating take-home pay.
  • •Assuming your entire income is taxed at your highest bracket (only the portion above each threshold is).
  • •Overlooking above-the-line deductions like HSA contributions or student loan interest.
  • •Using last year's tax brackets—rates and thresholds change annually.
  • •Forgetting that sales tax rates differ by state, county, and sometimes city.

Editorial policy

  • ✓All calculators provide educational estimates, not professional financial, tax, or legal advice.
  • ✓Results depend on the assumptions you enter—double-check your inputs.
  • ✓Most tools work without sign-in. See our Privacy Policy for analytics, advertising, and cookie disclosures.
  • ✓Formulas and key assumptions are disclosed in each tool.
  • ✓Found an error? Email us at contact@everydaybudd.com and we'll fix it.
  • ✓Tools are updated when tax laws, rates, or formulas change.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How accurate are the salary and tax calculators?

Each calculator on this category notes the tax year, the bracket source, and the assumptions used on that specific page. The figures are educational estimates. For filing or complex situations with multiple deductions or credits, work with a qualified tax professional.

Which states are included in the salary calculator?

All 50 US states are included with their income tax brackets or flat rates. The tool also supports local income taxes for cities that have them, including NYC, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and several Ohio cities.

What is the difference between W-2 and 1099 tax calculations?

W-2 employees have taxes withheld by employers and pay FICA at 7.65%. 1099 contractors pay self-employment tax at 15.3% (both employee and employer portions of FICA) and can deduct ordinary and necessary business expenses against self-employment income.

How do I calculate capital gains tax on investments?

Use the Capital Gains Tax Calculator. Short-term gains (held one year or less) are taxed as ordinary income. Long-term gains (held more than a year) fall into a 0%, 15%, or 20% bracket depending on taxable income, plus the 3.8% Net Investment Income Tax for higher-income filers.

What deductions can reduce my taxable income?

Common pre-tax deductions include traditional 401(k) contributions, HSA contributions, FSA contributions, traditional IRA contributions (subject to income limits), student loan interest, and self-employed health insurance premiums. Each calculator lists the specific limits and tax year it uses.

How is property tax calculated on a home?

Property tax is your home's assessed value (often a fraction of market value) times the local rate, usually quoted in mills. One mill is $1 of tax per $1,000 of taxable value, so a $300,000 taxable value at 20 mills is $6,000 a year. Rates are set by counties, cities, and school districts, not the federal government, and a homestead or senior exemption can knock a chunk off the taxable value first. The Property Tax Estimator does the mill-rate math and factors in exemptions.

Who qualifies for the Earned Income Tax Credit?

The EITC is a refundable credit for low-to-moderate-income workers, so it can pay out even if you owe no tax. Eligibility turns on your earned income, filing status, and number of qualifying children, and you can qualify with no children if your income is low enough. It's one of the most under-claimed credits in the country. The EITC Eligibility Checker uses the current year's income limits and credit amounts to tell you where you land.

Should I use an HSA or an FSA?

Both cut your taxable income, but they aren't the same. An HSA requires a high-deductible health plan, the money rolls over year to year, and it's yours to keep even if you change jobs. A health FSA doesn't need an HDHP but is mostly use-it-or-lose-it (plans may allow a small carryover or grace period). If you qualify for an HSA, it's usually the better deal, though it depends on your plan. The HSA / FSA Tax Savings Estimator shows the tax saved on a given contribution.

Are municipal bonds worth it for my tax bracket?

Municipal bond interest is exempt from federal income tax, and often from state tax if you buy bonds from your own state. To compare a muni fairly against a taxable bond, convert it to a tax-equivalent yield: muni yield divided by (1 minus your marginal rate). A 3.5% muni is worth about 4.86% taxable to someone in the 28% combined bracket. The higher your bracket, the more munis favor you. The Tax-Equivalent Yield Calculator runs the comparison at your rate.

Will I really save money moving to a no-income-tax state?

Not automatically. States with no income tax (Florida, Texas, Washington, and a handful of others) still raise revenue, usually through higher property tax, sales tax, or fees, so the total bill can be closer than the headline suggests. Housing costs swing the answer more than the tax code does in many cases. The State Tax Move Impact Calculator compares your current state against the new one on the actual numbers.

Why is my tax refund so big, or why do I owe?

A large refund means you over-withheld during the year, an interest-free loan to the government that you could have kept in your own account. Owing at filing means the opposite. Either way, the fix is your W-4, not the calculator. The Paycheck Tax Withholding tool shows how W-4 entries change each check, and the Tax Refund / Balance Due Estimator projects where you'll land before filing season.

Is it better to file jointly or separately when married?

Married filing jointly wins for most couples because of wider brackets and eligibility for credits that filing separately disqualifies you from. Filing separately can still help in specific cases, such as income-driven student loan repayment tied to one spouse's income, or large medical or miscellaneous deductions measured against a single lower AGI. Run both. The Tax Filing Status Comparison shows the liability side by side.