North Carolina Paycheck Calculator

Yes, the calculator incorporates the projected 2026 federal tax brackets and the North Carolina state flat tax rate applicable for the 2026 tax year.

Generally, North Carolina does not tax Social Security retirement benefits. However, the North Carolina Paycheck Calculator focuses on earned income (wages), which is subject to Social Security taxes (FICA).

North Carolina utilizes a flat income tax rate. While rates have been trending downward in recent years (around 4.5% to 4.25%), the calculator uses the specific mandated rate for the tax year selected.

Yes. You can enter 401(k) contributions as either a percentage of salary or a fixed dollar amount. The calculator correctly treats these as pre-tax deductions.

Yes. You can add bonus amounts to your gross pay. Note that bonuses are often withheld at a flat federal rate (22%), so you may need to adjust inputs to reflect this aggregate taxation method.

No. Unemployment insurance tax (SUTA) is paid by the employer, not the employee. It is not deducted from your paycheck and thus is not shown in the calculator.

Select “Hourly” as the pay type. Enter your regular rate and the number of overtime hours. The calculator automatically applies the 1.5x multiplier to overtime hours.

Discrepancies usually arise from inexact inputs regarding benefit costs, specific W-4 variances (like “Extra Withholding”), or local fees/garnishments not entered into the tool.

No. North Carolina does not have city or county-level income taxes. The North Carolina Paycheck Calculator only computes state and federal taxes.

Yes. Contributions to a Health Savings Account (HSA) made via payroll deduction are generally exempt from both federal and North Carolina state income tax.

Yes, but military pay often has non-taxable allowances (BAH, BAS). You should only enter “Taxable Base Pay” into the gross salary field to get an accurate tax result, as allowances should not be taxed.

Yes. However, for accurate federal withholding, you must account for the “Multiple Jobs” section of the W-4. You may need to perform separate calculations and combine them, or use the specific multiple jobs checkbox if available.

It is recommended to use the calculator at the start of every year, whenever you get a raise, or whenever tax laws change significantly.

The calculator estimates net pay per check. To estimate a refund, you would need to project these numbers over a full year and compare them to your total expected tax liability on a tax return calculator.

Typically, online calculators run locally in your browser for privacy. Your financial data is usually not stored on a server, ensuring security.