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Free calculatorEmployer payroll burden typically 12-20% above gross wages for office work. Construction much higher due to workers comp.
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Payroll tax calculator · free to use · no signup

Payroll tax. Employer-side.

Calculate your employer-side payroll burden: FICA match (7.65% up to wage base), FUTA (0.6% on first $7k), SUTA (state-specific), workers comp (industry-specific). Plus benefits typically 15-30% more.

How this tool actually works

Three things that make Payroll tax calculator useful in the real world.

Not a calculator that ships you to a paywall after the result.

01

Real federal + state stack

Federal income tax, FICA (7.65% each side), FUTA, plus state withholding and SUI tracked by state.

02

See net pay, not just gross

Output is take-home pay, employer cost, and the tax line by line · not just a percentage.

03

Hand-off to payroll partner

Once you hire a second person, push the data into Gusto, Justworks, or Rippling.

Payroll tax calculator

Employer-side payroll taxes. Enter your employee's gross annual wages. We'll calculate FICA match, FUTA, SUTA, and workers comp.

How payroll taxes work

Employer-side breakdown.

01

FICA (Federal)

Employer match: 7.65% on wages up to $168,600 (2024 Social Security wage base) for the 6.2% Social Security portion. Medicare 1.45% has no cap. Plus 0.9% Additional Medicare on wages over $200k single ($250k joint), employer pays half via withholding.

02

FUTA (Federal Unemployment)

Federal Unemployment Tax Act: 6.0% on first $7,000 of wages per employee. Most employers receive 5.4% state UI credit, reducing effective FUTA to 0.6% ($42/year per employee).

03

SUTA (State Unemployment)

State unemployment tax rate varies by state (0.5%-6%+) and by employer experience rating. New employers pay the "new employer rate" (typically 2.5-3.4%). On the first $7,000-$15,000+ of wages per employee depending on state.

04

Workers Compensation

State-mandated insurance covering employee injuries. Rate varies by state, industry, and claims history. Construction: 5-15%. Office work: 0.2-0.8%. Service work: 1.5-3%. Required in 49 states (Texas optional).

05

Plus benefits

Health insurance, retirement contributions, paid time off. Not technically payroll taxes but real employee costs. Typically 15-30% of gross wages.

How it works

How we deliver, end-to-end.

Four-step path from request to confirmation. State and IRS turnaround varies; our steps run in parallel where possible to compress the timeline.

1

Intake + scope

You tell us what you need through a short intake form (or a call for complex matters). We confirm scope, surface any gating issues (deadlines, missing documents, entity status), and quote any state fees that pass through at cost.

2

Prepare + verify

Our specialists draft the filing, verify entity details against state databases, run internal QA, and route any items needing your sign-off. You see drafts before anything gets submitted.

3

File with the authority

We submit directly to the state Secretary of State, FinCEN, IRS, USPTO, or whichever authority your filing requires. We pay state fees at cost and track the submission identifier in your account.

4

Confirmation + vault

Stamped certificate, IRS notice, or filing receipt arrives in your SOC 2 encrypted document vault the moment we receive it. Next filing deadline auto-added to your compliance calendar where applicable.

Why File.Business

Built on the same infrastructure used by 220,000+ businesses.

SOC 2 Type II audited

Independent annual security audit covering access control, change management, incident response, and data handling. Current report on request.

All 51 US jurisdictions

Every state plus DC plus Puerto Rico - direct filings, not third-party reseller. We hold registered-agent qualifications in every state we operate.

Deadline guarantee

If we miss a filing deadline on a service you pay us to manage, we pay the state penalty. Specific to each plan and the filings it includes.

4.9 from 8,200+ verified reviews

Independently verified by Trustpilot + Google + our own NPS infrastructure. Customer success team within reach by email, chat, or phone.

60-day money-back promise

Change your mind in the first 60 days and we refund our service fee in full. State filing fees pass through at cost and are non-refundable once paid to the state.

E&O insured

Errors and omissions coverage protects you from service errors. Carrier and certificate available on request for enterprise clients.

SOC 2 Type II audited
220,000+ businesses. 60-day money-back. State fees passed through at cost.
Your operating system, not a transaction
Every deadline auto-tracked across your entities. Compliance Score visible year-round.
Transparent pricing
No hidden fees. No upsells at checkout. State fees disclosed upfront.

Start your business in the next 5 minutes.

No state-fee markup. Pay only the state fee. 60-day money-back guarantee.

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