About this site

Why I built this

The gap between "the salary on the offer letter" and "what hits your bank account" is bigger in California than almost anywhere else, and most existing paycheck calculators either gate the answer behind sign-up forms or skip over the state-specific stuff that actually matters — SDI, the nine progressive brackets, the Mental Health Services Act surcharge, the federal-vs-state conformity differences on HSA and QBI, supplemental wage withholding on bonuses.

The first version of this site was a one-page calculator I wrote to help someone close to me think through a California job offer. Once enough other people asked for the link, I rebuilt it as a real site — properly modeled, properly documented, no sign-ups, no ads on the calculator pages themselves.

I'm not in California. I built this as someone who cares about the math being honest, not about getting the local color right. The methodology page lists every source, the engine is deterministic, and corrections get logged publicly. If you live in California and a number on this site is wrong, I want to know.

How the math works

Every calculator on this site uses the same calculation engine — projected 2026 federal brackets (using IRS Rev. Proc. inflation methodology), California FTB-style inflation-adjusted brackets, federal FICA including Additional Medicare for high earners, and California State Disability Insurance at the current uncapped rate. The full rate table and assumptions live on the methodology page — you can audit every number.

The engine is deterministic: same inputs, same outputs, every time. When the IRS publishes 2026 figures officially (Rev. Proc. 2025-XX, expected late 2025) and the FTB releases its 2026 schedule, I update the constants in one place and every page on the site recomputes. No manual page edits.

What this site doesn't do

It's not tax advice. It doesn't handle every edge case (ISO AMT, multi-state apportionment, the EITC, dependent credits, RSU sell-to-cover specifics). It rounds at the dollar level, so your real W-2 may differ by a few dollars per pay period.

For actual filings, a CPA or enrolled agent who can see your full picture is worth their fee. The calculators on this site are for planning and comparison — they make it easier to understand offers, model 401(k) contributions, and decide between cities — not for submitting to the IRS.

How this site makes money

Display advertising covers hosting and the time I spend updating brackets each year. That's it. I don't accept paid placements in calculator results, I don't let advertisers influence which deductions are included, and I don't sell or collect your data — the calculators run entirely in your browser. If anything on this site stops being true, this paragraph will say so first.

Errors and corrections

If the math on a page is wrong, I want to know. I keep a running update log on the methodology page so corrections are visible — not buried. Reach out via the contact form (coming soon) or whatever public address you can find for this site at the time you're reading this.

What's next

Things I'm working on or thinking about, in rough priority order:

• An RSU-aware mode that handles vesting cadence and supplemental withholding.
• City-by-city cost-of-living overlays so you can see take-home in real local context.
• News pages explaining policy changes (Hochul budget, FTB rate notices, federal updates) in plain English with worked examples.
• A "moving from CA to TX" / "moving from CA to FL" comparison tool that shows your annual savings.

If there's something specific you want, tell me. I'm the only person reading the inbox.