Is a paycheck estimate the same as my tax return?
No. Withholding and annual tax liability can differ. Credits, itemized deductions, other income, local taxes and employer payroll settings can materially change actual results.
Paycheck & tax tools
Paycheck and tax calculators for take-home pay, bonuses and state comparisons.
Gross salary is not spendable cash. These tools model federal income tax, payroll taxes, state taxes and entered pre-tax deductions so you can compare compensation and location decisions on a more consistent after-tax basis.
Run the numbers
Take-Home Pay Calculator
Estimate take-home pay after modeled federal and state income taxes, Social Security, Medicare, and entered pre-tax deductions.
Run calculatorState Paycheck Comparison Calculator
Compare estimated take-home pay in two states side by side using the same income and household assumptions.
Run calculatorBonus Paycheck Calculator
Estimate bonus cash after modeled federal, state, Social Security, and Medicare withholding assumptions.
Run calculator401(k) Tax Savings Calculator
Estimate how a Traditional 401(k) contribution could reduce current taxable income and modeled federal and state income taxes.
Run calculator Questions these tools answer
What could gross salary translate to in modeled take-home pay?
How does the same income compare between two states under MFA's current tax dataset?
What might a bonus look like after modeled withholding and payroll taxes?
How could a Traditional 401(k) contribution change current taxable income?
A better sequence
Use the tools as one decision, not six isolated calculators.
- 1
Use the same filing status, salary and pre-tax assumptions across comparisons.
- 2
Separate tax liability estimates from paycheck withholding; they are related but not identical concepts.
- 3
When comparing jobs or states, add housing and cost-of-living context rather than treating the tax difference as the whole decision.
FAQ
What to know before relying on the output.
Are all local taxes included?
Not automatically. State and local rules vary. MFA labels model scope and gives explicit inputs where local-tax assumptions are supported.
Can I use the state comparison as a cost-of-living comparison?
Use it for modeled tax and take-home differences, then pair it with Where to Live for purchasing-power and location context.
Keep going
MFA tools are educational estimates, not financial, investment, tax, legal, insurance, lending or underwriting advice. Inputs, rules, rates and personal circumstances can change the result. Review the source and methodology notes on the relevant tool.