Wisconsin payroll · DOR Publication W-166

Wisconsin paycheck calculator.

Gross pay in, take-home pay out. Wisconsin income tax follows the alternate withholding method in the Department of Revenue’s January 2026 guide. Everything runs in your browser; nothing is sent or stored.

Your pay

Gross pay this period ($)

Pay frequency

Form WT-4 marital status

Form WT-4 withholding exemptionsEach exemption is worth $400 a year in the alternate method.

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 Wisconsin paycheck (2026)

Worked example

Biweekly gross $2,500, single, one exemption, $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).

Wisconsin: $2,250 × 26 = $58,500 annual gross. Deduction for a single person: $6,702 − 12% × ($58,500 − $17,780) = $1,815.60. Minus 1 × $400 leaves an annual net wage of $56,284.40. Tax: $1,045.04 + 5.30% × ($56,284.40 − $25,520) = $2,675.53, ÷ 26 = $102.91.
Take-home: $2,500 − $250 pre-tax − $186.15 − $148.80 − $34.80 − $102.91 = $1,777.34.

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. Publication W-166 gives employers an alternate method that needs no further approval: annualize the wage, subtract a deduction (single: $6,702 below $17,780 of annual earnings, falling by 12% of earnings above that to nothing at $73,630; married: $9,461 below $25,727, falling by 20% of earnings above that to nothing at $73,032), subtract $400 per exemption, and apply the rate schedule (3.54% to $12,760, 4.65% to $25,520, 5.30% to $280,950, 7.65% above, with the guide’s fixed amounts) before dividing by the pay periods.

Assumption: the pre-tax amounts you enter reduce Wisconsin 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, the Department’s printed wage bracket tables (which round differently), supplemental wages paid between regular payrolls and the optional Form WT-4A reduced withholding, and wage bracket method rounding. This is a planning estimate, not an official calculation or tax advice.

Sources and as-of dates

Wisconsin Withholding Tax Guide, Publication W-166 (1/26): Alternate Method of Withholding Wisconsin Income Tax, with its worked examples; flat supplemental percentages 3.54%, 4.65%, 5.30%, 7.65%.
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 Wisconsin 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 this use the alternate method instead of the wage bracket tables?

The guide authorizes the alternate method without further approval and publishes a formula, so it can be checked line by line. Employers who use the printed wage bracket tables can differ by a few cents or a dollar.

What is Form WT-4?

Wisconsin’s Employee’s Withholding Exemption Certificate. It sets your marital status and exemptions; Form WT-4A can be used to withhold less than the tables provide.

How are bonuses withheld in Wisconsin?

If paid with regular wages they are added to that pay. If paid between payrolls the employer may instead apply flat percentages by estimated annual salary: 3.54%, 4.65%, 5.30% or 7.65%.

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.