Terms of use

By using Breakeven you agree to these terms. If you do not agree, close the tab. You do not have to do anything else.

Breakeven is a calculator, not tax advice

The calculator applies the numbers from IRS Publication 15-T (2026) and Revenue Procedure 2025-32 to your paycheck entries and W-4 configuration. It does arithmetic. It is not a substitute for:

• Advice from a CPA, tax preparer, or enrolled agent.
• The IRS's own Tax Withholding Estimator at irs.gov, which handles more situations and phaseouts than this calculator does.
• Reading your W-4 instructions before filing one with your employer.

What the calculator does not model

Tax outcomes depend on facts the calculator intentionally keeps out of scope. Your real result can differ from the projection when any of the following apply:

• Local or city income taxes (state coverage is rolling out per the calculator's state picker).
• Regular Social Security and Medicare (FICA) withholding, which is statutory, not adjustable, and refunded automatically when a multi-job earner over-pays Social Security at multiple employers. The calculator does model the Additional Medicare Tax (0.9% on wages above the high-income threshold). Net Investment Income Tax is not modeled.
• Self-employment income, 1099 income, K-1 income.
• Capital gains, dividends (except as Step 4(a) other income), rental income, retirement distributions.
• Credits with income phaseouts, including the Child Tax Credit above its MAGI threshold. The W-4 Step 3 amount is treated as the credit at face value.
• Head of Household, Married Filing Separately, and Qualifying Surviving Spouse statuses. The calculator supports Single and Married Filing Jointly.
• Any tax-year other than the one listed in the calculator headline.

Your responsibility

If you follow a recommendation here and the result is a tax bill, a penalty, an under-withholding assessment, or a W-4 your employer rejects, that outcome is yours. Verify the math against a qualified professional and the IRS Estimator before acting on it.

The filled W-4 PDF

The app can stamp a recommended W-4 into the blank IRS Form W-4 template. The blank form is a public document from irs.gov and we include it unmodified. The filled PDF is your document to submit, revise, or discard.

We do not transmit the filled PDF anywhere. Name and SSN you enter for the PDF never leave your browser tab, as described in the Privacy policy.

Ads

The app may show ads from third-party networks. Those networks follow their own terms and policies. Clicking an ad takes you away from this site.

"As is"

The app is provided as is, without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, accuracy, or non-infringement.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, the authors of this app are not liable for any damages (direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, special, or exemplary) arising from use of this app, including tax liability, penalties, interest, lost time, or data loss.

Changes

If these terms change, the effective date at the top will update. Continued use after a change means you accept the new terms.

Severability

If any part of these terms is found unenforceable in your jurisdiction, the rest still applies.