Money Math
Rough Guess After Taxes Estimator
Enter wages, 1099 income, and any tax-free personal injury proceeds to see an estimate of after-tax take-home pay for tax year 2026. Useful for modeling settlement allocations.
How it works
Settlement decisions get made on after-tax dollars, but tax answers usually arrive weeks later from an accountant. This estimator produces a rough guess on the spot — good enough to compare structures during a negotiation, clearly labeled as the rough guess it is.
Enter income in up to three buckets: W-2 wages (subject to income tax and FICA withholding), 1099 income (with or without self-employment tax), and tax-free personal injury proceeds excluded under IRC §104(a)(2). Pick a filing status and state, and the tool applies 2026 federal brackets and the standard deduction, Social Security and Medicare taxes including the wage base and the Additional Medicare Tax, the self-employment tax with its half-SE deduction and a simplified QBI deduction, plus state income tax brackets and state payroll programs (SDI, PFML, and similar).
The output shows take-home by income category and taxes by type, with an effective rate. Every rate and threshold is sourced — IRS, SSA, the Tax Foundation, and state agencies — and the page's disclaimer lists what the model deliberately leaves out: credits, itemized deductions, local taxes, AMT, and more. It is a rough guess by design. Real decisions deserve a tax professional.
Worked example
An employment settlement allocates $70,000 to wages and $70,000 to non-wage 1099 income for a single filer in North Carolina. The estimator shows the federal and state income tax on the full $140,000, FICA on the wage portion only — and what actually lands in the client's account. Move the same $140,000 to a 60/40 split and watch the take-home change; that's the comparison that matters at the table.
When to use it
Use it during settlement negotiations to compare allocations — wages versus non-wages, taxable versus §104 personal-injury dollars — and to keep a client's expectations anchored to net, not gross. It pairs naturally with the W-2, 1099, and Attorney Fee Calculator.
Frequently asked questions
Are settlement proceeds taxable?
Usually yes — settlements for lost wages, emotional distress (without physical injury), and most other claims are ordinary income. The main exception is damages on account of physical injury or sickness, excluded under IRC §104(a)(2). Punitive damages and interest are taxable even in injury cases.
Why does it matter whether 1099 income is self-employment income?
Self-employment income bears SE tax — both halves of Social Security and Medicare, roughly 15.3% before adjustments. Non-SE 1099 income, such as most non-wage settlement damages, bears income tax but not SE tax. The difference is thousands of dollars on a typical settlement, so the tool asks.
How accurate is the estimate?
It applies real 2026 rates, brackets, wage bases, and standard deductions, so it's in the right neighborhood for straightforward situations. It ignores credits, itemized deductions, local taxes, AMT, and other particulars — which is why it's called a rough guess. Use it to compare scenarios, not to file.
Is my financial information stored?
No. The calculation runs entirely in your browser; nothing you enter is sent to or stored on any server.