Paycheck Watch Primary sources · paycheck context

What changed, and what it does to a check.

We watch the official US sources our own calculators depend on — IRS, SSA, BLS, BEA — verify each document by hand, and publish the paycheck consequence. 5 of 9 updates carry a figure computed live by the tax engine (2026.2.1), not written by an editor.

What changed in September 2026 · 8 updates

Latest official-source analysis · 9 updates

Showing all 9 updates.

Showing all 9 updates from 4 agencies.

  1. Texas$2,910California$2,727+$183 a check Two engine runs on one scale: Texas against California, take-home per check. Latest update Prices & income U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities: The 2024 Vintage Behind Our Price-Adjusted Pay The BEA Regional Price Parities file for 2024 turns a nominal salary into a price-adjusted comparison — a different question from what state income tax does. Paycheck impact For $95,000 in Texas, single filer, paid every two weeks, the estimate moves +$183 a check (+$4,758 a year) against the same salary in California. bea.gov 1 min read
  2. Primary source: bls.gov. Labor market U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Our Wage Bands Now Read From the BLS OEWS May 2025 State File Paycheck impact Wage percentiles change how you judge an offer or a raise request, but they do not change a single line of withholding on your check. bls.gov
  3. $68,628Net pay$68,628Federal$9,870FICA$6,503 Where one year of this salary goes, by the engine’s own components. Tax & withholding Internal Revenue Service IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32 Sets the 2026 Brackets PaycheckForge Now Uses Paycheck impact Estimated take-home for $85,000 in Texas, single filer, paid every two weeks: $2,640 a check ($68,628 a year). irs.gov
  4. $58,323Net pay$58,323Federal$7,670FICA$5,738State$3,270 Where one year of this salary goes, by the engine’s own components. Tax & withholding Internal Revenue Service Publication 15-T Explains Why Withholding and Annual Tax Are Different Numbers Paycheck impact Estimated take-home for $75,000 in Georgia, single filer, paid every two weeks: $2,243 a check ($58,323 a year). irs.gov
  5. This scenario$2,307Same job without the overtime$1,964+$342 a check Two engine runs on one scale: this scenario against same job without the overtime, take-home per check. Tax & withholding Internal Revenue Service Qualified Overtime Deduction: What It Changes on the Return, Not on the Check Paycheck impact For $62,000 base pay plus $12,500 of overtime in Ohio, single filer, paid every two weeks, the estimate moves +$342 a check (+$8,900 a year) against the same job without the overtime. irs.gov
  6. $184,500 taxable maximum$200,000 this salary6.2% appliesstops above the line This salary against the Social Security taxable maximum the engine applies. Tax & withholding Social Security Administration The 2026 Social Security Wage Base Decides When That Deduction Stops Paycheck impact Estimated take-home for $200,000 in Washington, single filer, paid twice a month: $6,205 a check ($148,927 a year). ssa.gov
  7. Primary source: bea.gov. Prices & income U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis BEA’s Next State Income and Regional Price Updates: What We Will Refresh Paycheck impact The releases can change purchasing-power comparisons between states, but they do not directly change the dollars withheld from a paycheck. bea.gov
  8. Primary source: irs.gov. Tax & withholding Internal Revenue Service IRS Updates Its Withholding Estimator for 2026 Tax-Law Changes Paycheck impact Workers with qualifying tips, overtime or other affected circumstances may need a more individualized withholding review than a general paycheck estimate can provide. irs.gov
  9. Primary source: bls.gov. Labor market U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics September 2026 Paycheck Data Watch: Four Labor Releases to Follow Paycheck impact These releases can change how you judge a raise or job offer, but they do not automatically change federal or state withholding rules. bls.gov

How this desk works

Freshness without feed spam

  1. 1DetectPrivate monitoring finds a release or calendar change from an allowlisted government source.
  2. 2VerifyA human checks the source, date, status and whether it changes a PaycheckForge dataset or only its context.
  3. 3ExplainWe publish original paycheck context, and any figure on the card is computed by the versioned tax engine — never written by hand.