Estimate Tax Liability projects your year-end federal tax from your actual pay stub data, shows the gap between what's been withheld and what you'll owe, and tells you exactly how to close it.
Withholding Gap
-$28,293
W-4 adjustments needed for 3 employers
Walk through each part of the Estimate Tax Liability tool — what it shows, where the data comes from, and what the colors mean.
Filing status, dependents, and deduction type come from your Tax Profile on the dashboard. Changes immediately recalculate all projections — no manual re-runs needed.
2026 Tax Profile
Q1
$0
Q2
$0
Q3
$0
Q4
$0
You're on track to owe $28,293 at filing
Adjust W-4s or make quarterly payments
You're on track for a $2,100 refund
Consider reducing withholding to keep more per paycheck
You're roughly on track
No immediate action needed
The first thing you see — a single clear status with a recommended action. Gap greater than $1,000 means underpaid (red). Gap less than -$1,000 means overpaid (green). Anything in between is on track (blue).
Each projection is calculated from your actual pay stub data — gross pay, federal withholding, Social Security, and Medicare — extrapolated to year-end using your pay frequency and remaining pay periods.
Free users see these as ±15% ranges. Pro shows exact numbers.
Projected federal tax
$68,352
Your estimated total federal tax for the year
Withholding gap
$28,293 owed
Red means you’ll owe at filing. Green means refund.
SS overpayment
$4,837
Refundable credit when combined income exceeds $184,500
Medicare gap
$882 owed
Additional Medicare Tax (0.9%) above $200K/$250K
Quarterly payment
$7,073
Sized to meet safe harbor
W-4 extra
$543/paycheck
Extra withholding for your highest-paying job
Safe Harbor Status
ProSafe harbor protects you from underpayment penalties. If total payments (withholding + quarterly) meet 100% of last year's tax — or 110% if your AGI exceeds $150K — you're penalty-safe regardless of what you actually owe.
This requires prior-year W2 data and is available to Pro users.
Each job gets its own card showing the latest YTD data you entered — gross pay, federal withholding, Social Security, and Medicare. Enter new numbers every pay period to keep projections accurate.
Cards turn amber when data is older than your pay frequency: 17 days for biweekly, 35 for monthly. That nudge keeps your projections honest.
Tech Corp
Updated 3d agoYTD Gross
$48,200
Federal
$8,276
SS
$2,988
Medicare
$699
Consulting LLC
23d agoYTD Gross
$32,100
Federal
$5,157
SS
$1,990
Medicare
$465
Data Sources
Tax Profile
MFJ · 2 dependents · Standard deduction
See exactly what data drives your projections — every job, the latest snapshot date, gross amount, and your tax profile settings. No black boxes. If a number looks wrong, you can trace it back to the source.
Free gives you the big picture. Pro gives you every dollar and cent.
| Feature | Free | Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Year-end projection | ±15% range | Exact to the dollar |
| W-4 adjustments | Combined estimate | Per-employer amount |
| Quarterly payments | — | Safe harbor-sized |
| Prior-year W2 analysis | — | Safe harbor check |
| Medicare Additional Tax | ±15% range | Exact amount |
| SS overpayment detail | ±15% range | Per-employer breakdown |
“I check it every two weeks when my pay stub lands. Takes 2 minutes. I know exactly where I stand.”
“Last year I over-withheld by $4,200. That's $4,200 earning 0% at the IRS for 14 months. Never again.”
Free users get year-end projections as ranges. Pro users get exact numbers, per-employer W-4 adjustments, safe harbor analysis, and quarterly payment sizing.