South Carolina payroll · SCDOR WH-1603F

South Carolina paycheck calculator.

Gross pay in, take-home pay out. South Carolina income tax follows the SCDOR 2026 withholding formula (subtraction method). Everything runs in your browser; nothing is sent or stored.

Your pay

Gross pay this period ($)

Pay frequency

SC W-4 allowancesZero allowances means no allowance and no standard deduction in the formula.

Pre-tax: lowers income tax and FICA ($ per period)For example Section 125 health premiums.

Pre-tax: lowers income tax only ($ per period)For example a traditional 401(k) deferral, which is still subject to Social Security and Medicare tax.

Local income or occupational tax (% of taxable wages, optional)A rate you supply. No local tax tables are built in.

Federal Form W-4 filing status

Federal W-4 Step 2 box is checked (two jobs)

Federal W-4 Step 3: credits, annual ($)

Federal W-4 Step 4(a): other income, annual ($)

Federal W-4 Step 4(b): deductions, annual ($)

Federal W-4 Step 4(c): extra withholding per period ($)

Wages already paid this year, before this check ($)Only matters near the $184,500 Social Security wage base or the $200,000 Additional Medicare threshold.

Estimated South Carolina paycheck (2026)

Worked example

Biweekly gross $2,500, one allowance, $100 section 125 premium and $150 traditional 401(k). Income-tax wages are $2,250. Federal income tax $186.15, Social Security $148.80 and Medicare $34.80 (the same federal figures as the U.S. Paycheck Calculator example).

South Carolina: $2,250 × 26 = $58,500; minus $5,000 for the allowance and the standard deduction of 10% × $58,500 = $5,850 (under the $7,500 maximum) = $47,650 taxable. At $18,230 and above: 6% × $47,650 − $656.10 = $2,202.90 a year, ÷ 26 = $84.73.
Take-home: $2,500 − $250 pre-tax − $186.15 − $148.80 − $34.80 − $84.73 = $1,795.52.

How it is calculated

Federal withholding is IRS Publication 15-T (2026) Worksheet 1A for a Form W-4 from 2020 or later, and Social Security (6.2% to $184,500), Medicare (1.45%) and Additional Medicare Tax (0.9% over $200,000) follow IRS Publication 15. SCDOR’s 2026 formula annualizes pay, subtracts $5,000 per allowance and, when one or more allowances are claimed, a standard deduction of 10% of gross wages up to $7,500. The subtraction method then gives 0% below $3,640, 3% minus $109.20 from $3,640 to $18,230, and 6% minus $656.10 above that, and the result is divided by the number of pay periods.

Assumption: the pre-tax amounts you enter reduce South Carolina taxable wages the same way they reduce federal income-tax wages; your employer’s payroll setup controls the exact treatment. Not covered: W-4s from 2019 or earlier, exemption status and other SC W-4 choices, supplemental pay and local taxes, and wage bracket method rounding. This is a planning estimate, not an official calculation or tax advice.

Sources and as-of dates

SCDOR WH-1603F, Formula for Computing South Carolina 2026 Withholding Tax (Rev. 11/4/25): $5,000 per allowance, 10% standard deduction up to $7,500, subtraction and addition methods and the $549.90 worked example.
IRS Publication 15-T (2026): dated Dec 3, 2025: Worksheet 1A and the annual Percentage Method tables used for federal withholding.
IRS Publication 15 (2026), Employer’s Tax Guide: dated Dec 15, 2025: 6.2% Social Security up to a $184,500 wage base, 1.45% Medicare, 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax over $200,000.
Figures retrieved October 16, 2026. States and the IRS republish these formulas, usually each January; this tool covers 2026 only. It does not look anything up from a government system.

FAQ

Why does my real paycheck differ from this estimate?

Employers may use printed South Carolina tables instead of the formula, round differently, apply your exact Form W-4 entries and withhold local, disability, benefit and retirement amounts this tool does not model. Treat the result as an estimate, not tax advice.

Why does claiming zero allowances raise my withholding so much?

In the SCDOR formula, zero allowances gets neither the $5,000 allowance nor the 10% standard deduction, so the whole wage is taxed.

What is the SC W-4?

South Carolina’s Employee’s Withholding Certificate (SC W-4), which sets the allowances the formula uses.

Which method does this use, subtraction or addition?

The subtraction method. The SCDOR sheet shows both methods give the same result ($549.90 in its example).

Does a 401(k) deferral lower Social Security and Medicare tax?

No. Per IRS Publication 15, elective 401(k) deferrals are exempt from income tax withholding but remain subject to Social Security and Medicare tax. Section 125 cafeteria-plan benefits such as health premiums generally are not.