South Carolina paycheck calculator
Enter pay, the federal Form W-4 and the SC W-4 allowances to see federal income tax, social security, Medicare and South Carolina income tax for a 2026 paycheck, and what's left to take home.
| Item | Per paycheck | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $2,307.69 | $59,999.94 |
| Federal income tax | −$193.08 | −$5,020.08 |
| Social security | −$143.08 | −$3,720.08 |
| Medicare | −$33.46 | −$869.96 |
| South Carolina income tax | −$87.84 | −$2,283.84 |
| Take-home pay | $1,850.23 | $48,105.98 |
The official method, step by step
- Pay is annualized, then reduced by the Form W-4 amount for your filing status ($8,600, or $12,900 if married filing jointly) unless the Step 2 box is checked.
- Federal income tax comes from the IRS 2026 Annual Percentage Method table for that status, divided back to one paycheck.
- Social security is 6.2% of wages until the year's wages reach $184,500.
- Medicare is 1.45% of all wages, plus 0.9% on wages over $200,000 in the year.
- A pre-tax 401(k) lowers federal income tax wages, not social security or Medicare wages.
- South Carolina income tax follows WH-1603F for 2026: annual pay less $5,000 per SC W-4 allowance and, with one or more allowances, a standard deduction of 10% of pay up to $7,500. The first $3,640 is taxed at 0%, up to $18,230 at 3%, and above that at 6%, then the tax is divided over the pay periods.
What this leaves out
- SC W-4 line 6 additional withholding (the pay stub generator handles it)
- Benefits, garnishments and other after-tax deductions
- W-4 Step 3 credits and Step 4 entries (the pay stub generator handles them)
Sources: South Carolina Department of Revenue, WH-1603F (Rev. 11/4/25), Formula for Computing South Carolina 2026 Withholding Tax ($5,000 per allowance; 10% standard deduction up to $7,500; 0%, 3% and 6%); South Carolina Department of Revenue, SC W-4 (2026): line 5 allowances, line 6 additional amount; IRS Publication 15-T (2026), Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods: Worksheet 1A and the Annual Percentage Method Tables; IRS Publication 15 (2026), (Circular E) Employer's Tax Guide: social security and Medicare tax, Additional Medicare Tax.
South Carolina paycheck calculator: common questions
What is the South Carolina income tax rate for 2026?
Withholding uses 0% on the first $3,640 of taxable income, 3% up to $18,230, and 6% above that.
How is South Carolina tax withheld from a paycheck?
The South Carolina Department of Revenue's own example: $750 a week with three allowances is $39,000 a year, less $15,000 for allowances and $3,900 standard deduction, leaving $20,100. At 6% minus $656.10 that's $549.90 a year, or $10.58 a week.
Why does claiming zero allowances raise withholding?
With zero allowances there's no personal allowance and no standard deduction, so all of the pay is taxed.
Can I make a pay stub from this?
Yes. Turn this into a pay stub opens the pay stub generator with the paycheck filled in; with South Carolina as the work state, it can calculate the same South Carolina line.
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