Tax Articles
Tax articles on federal and state withholding, filing status and how taxes affect your take-home pay.
Understanding Payroll Taxes
Federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and any state or local tax are all withheld before a paycheck is issued. How much comes out depends on earnings, pay frequency, filing status and the elections made on Form W-4, which is why two people with the same salary can take home noticeably different amounts.
Withholding questions usually surface in one of two places: on the stub itself, or at filing time. If the amount withheld looks wrong, why no federal income tax was withheld walks through the legitimate reasons and the payroll errors. If the year-end numbers look wrong, the W-2 box-by-box guide explains why Box 1 is normally lower than the final year-to-date gross on your last stub.
Some payroll taxes never touch the employee's check at all. The federal unemployment tax is paid entirely by the employer. The guide to what FUTA is and how the $7,000 wage base works covers the rate, Form 940 and the rare cases where it is printed on a stub.
For the tax lines as they appear on a stub see Paystubs and Paycheck. For contractor income that has no withholding at all, see 1099 Forms.
Arizona State Income Tax: 2.5% Flat Rate, A-4 Withholding and 2026 Changes
Arizona's income tax is a flat 2.5%. How Form A-4 sets your withholding, the 2025 and 2026 deductions, the new tips and overtime subtractions and who has to file.
Georgia State Income Taxes: 4.99% Rate, Deductions and Withholding
Georgia taxes income at a flat 4.99% for 2026 after a $15,000 standard deduction. How Form G-4 withholding works, a paycheck example, who files and what HB 463 changed.
Florida State Income Tax: 0% Rate and What Your Paycheck Still Pays
Florida does not tax personal income, so a Florida pay stub has no state line. What still comes out of a paycheck in 2026, the taxes Florida does charge and the rules when you move.
California State Income Tax: 2026 Brackets and Withholding
California taxes income at nine rates from 1% to 12.3%, plus 1% above $1 million. The new 2026 brackets, the $5,900 standard deduction, DE 4 withholding, 1.3% SDI and estimated tax dates.
How Much Is the Child Tax Credit? 2026 Amounts and Rules
The Child Tax Credit is $2,200 per child for 2025 and 2026 returns, up to $1,700 of it refundable. Income limits, the SSN rules, Schedule 8812 and the W-4 Step 3 paycheck effect.