Free Wisconsin payroll tax
calculator (and WI tax rates)

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    Pay Details

  • 2

    Exemptions

  • 3

    Federal Information

  • 4

    State Information

  • 5

    Locale Information

  • 6

    Voluntary Deductions

  • 7

    Calculate Paycheck

Welcome to our payroll calculator!

Before we jump in, who are you using this calculator for?

Thanks!

Our calculators are designed for employers, and they’ll ask for information you may not have. For a better experience, please check out this employee-focused paycheck calculator.

How much did your employee earn?

Gross Pay: This is the total amount of wages your employee earned before taxes and deductions are withheld.


For salaried employees, gross pay equals their annual salary divided by the number of pay periods per year. For hourly employees, gross pay equals the number of hours worked multiplied by their hourly wage.


(Don’t forget to add on any tips, commissions, or bonuses!)

Gross Pay Method: Is the gross pay amount based on your employee’s annual compensation, or by how many hours they worked in the last pay period?

Gross Pay YTD: Enter the total gross pay your employee has earned this year, prior to this paycheck. Normally, this can be found on the last pay stub.

Pay Frequency: How often do you normally issue paychecks?

Check Date: Enter the check date that should appear on your paycheck.

Is your employee exempt from any taxes?

Federal: In some cases, public and governmental employees are exempt from federal taxes. Check “yes” if your employee is exempt and Federal taxes should not be deducted.

FICA: In some cases, public and governmental employees are exempt from FICA. Check “yes” if your employee is exempt and FICA taxes should not be deducted.

Medicare: In some cases, public and governmental employees are exempt from Medicare taxes. Check “yes” if your employee is exempt and Medicare taxes should not be deducted.

Please enter your employee’s withholding information.

2020 W4: Would you like to use the 2020 withholding tables? Here’s an article that covers the 2020 W-4 updates if you aren’t sure.

Federal Filing Status: Select your employee’s filing status for federal withholding. This helps determine how much federal tax will be withheld.

Two Jobs: If the employee indicated that they have more than one job or are married and filing jointly with a working spouse, select Yes here.

Dependents Amount: Enter the amount your employee listed on Line 3 of their W-4, if any. This is where they claim dependents.

Other Income: If your employee listed another other income on line 4(a) of their W-4, enter the amount here.

Deductions: Enter any deductions that your employee listed on line 4(b) of their W-4, if applicable.

Additional Federal Withholding: If your employee has asked to have additional funds withheld from each paycheck, enter the amount here. If they have not, enter “0”.

Round Federal Withholding: Would you like us to round your employee’s withholding totals to the nearest dollar? (It’s not required, but it is permitted)

Now, add information for their state.

State: Select the state where withholding should be calculated. It should be the same state where the work was performed.

Now, add locale information if applicable.

Does your employee have any voluntary deductions?

Please add any additional deductions for items like health insurance, 401(k), HSAs/FSAs, or any other benefits.


Select type of deduction needed:

401(k)

Add deduction

HSA

Add deduction

Custom

Add deduction

Let’s finish crunching the numbers!

Click the button below to see your paycheck calculated.

Here’s your paycheck information:

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Updated: May 6, 2024

Our payroll tax calculator is built for Wisconsin employers and can help you with all of your payroll needs. Simply enter wage and W-4 information for each of your employees into the calculator. Before you know it, you’ll have all Wisconsin state and federal payroll taxes calculated for your employees.

Federal payroll taxes for Wisconsin employers

First, we have to pay Uncle Sam his due. Let’s calculate all your employees’ federal withholdings, as well as the additional taxes your business is responsible for paying.

 

Here’s a quick rundown of the components that go into federal tax withholdings. If you would like to see a more detailed explanation on all of the steps below, we invite you to head on over to our comprehensive step-by-step guide.

  • Gross wages, which is simply the amount of money an employee has earned during the last pay period.
    • For hourly employees, multiply the number of hours worked by their pay rate — and make sure you don’t forget to take overtime into consideration.
    • For salaried employees, divide each employee’s annual salary by the number of pay periods you have over the course of a year.
    • Bonuses, commissions, and tips are all part of gross wages as well.
  • Calculate any pre-tax withholdings. If your employees have 401(k) accounts, flexible spending accounts (FSA), health savings accounts (HSA), or any other pre-tax withholdings, subtract them from gross wages prior to applying payroll taxes.
  • Deduct federal income taxes, which can range from 0% to 37%. We won’t get into the nitty-gritty details here, but you can find all the withholding information you need from the IRS Publication 15-T.
  • Deduct and match any FICA taxes to cover Medicare and Social Security taxes:
    • For the Social Security tax, withhold 6.2% of each employee’s taxable wages until they hit their wage base for the year. The 2024 wage base is $168,600. Employers must match this tax dollar-for-dollar.
    • For Medicare tax, withhold 1.45% of each employee’s taxable wages until they have earned $200,000 in a given calendar year. Employers also must match this tax. However, employees who earn more than $200,000 per year will need to pay what’s called an Additional Medicare Tax (very original name, by the way) of 0.9%, which brings the total employee Medicare withholding above $200,000 to 2.35%. As an employer, you are not responsible for paying the Additional Medicare Tax.
  • Pay FUTA unemployment taxes, which is 6% of the first $7,000 of each employee’s taxable income each year. FUTA taxes come with a huge caveat that you will want to know about. You can claim a tax credit of up to 5.4% for state unemployment tax you pay, as long as you pay in full and on time. It’s an easy way to save a whopping 90%, so make sure you take advantage! Only you as the employer are responsible for paying FUTA taxes, so you don’t need to withhold FUTA from your employees’ paychecks.
  • Subtract any post-tax deductions. Most of your employees won’t have any post-tax deductions, but you might need to withhold things like court-ordered wage garnishments, child support, etc. Make sure you take these into consideration as well.
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Wisconsin state payroll taxes

Now that we’re done with federal taxes, let’s look at Wisconsin state income taxes. It’s a progressive income tax, meaning the more money your employees make, the higher the income tax. The state income tax rates range from 3.54% to a high of 7.65%.

Keeping compliant

Wisconsin is one of states where having a workers’ comp coverage is a requirement for most employers. Learn how policies work, how this type of coverage protects employees from workplace injuries and illnesses, and what employers should know in our guide to Wisconsin workers’ compensation insurance.

Wisconsin state unemployment insurance (SUI)

As an employer in Wisconsin, you have to pay unemployment insurance to the state. In 2024, the rate ranges from 0% all the way up to 12% on the first $14,000 in wages paid to each employee in a calendar year.

  • If you’re a new employer, you will pay 3.05% if your payroll is less than $500,000 and 3.25% if your payroll is above $500,000.
  • If you’re a new employer in the construction industry, you’ll pay 2.90% if your payroll is less than $500,000, and 3.10% if your payroll is above $500,000.

 

Be sure to pay your SUI in full and on time so you can be eligible for the FUTA tax credit!

Cut those paychecks

Say cheese! You’ve checked “payroll taxes” off your to-do list so you can focus on growing your business. Once each employee’s net pay is calculated (taking deductions and withholdings into consideration), you’re in the clear. All you have to worry about is getting your employees paid on time as well as setting aside whatever you owe in FICA and UI taxes. The numbers can add up quickly if you don’t pay close attention to them! You will need to use Form 941 to file federal taxes quarterly, and Form 940 to report your annual FUTA tax. You can pay taxes online using the EFTPS payment system. More details about employment tax due dates can be found here.

Additional Wisconsin payroll tax resources

If all that wasn’t enough, below are a couple of more links that can help you become the payroll whiz your small business needs you to be!

 

State of Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (414) 435-7069 | Unemployment Insurance Online Services | New Employer Registration

 

These rates are based on local legislation and can change at any time. Always consult a tax professional if you are unsure about your obligations.

More payroll calculators for Wisconsin employers

Wisconsin employers can quickly calculate their employees’ gross pay, net pay, and deductions using the payroll calculator at the top of this page. But sometimes, businesses have to do a little more math to make sure their employees get paid correctly. For example, do your customers ever leave tips for your employees? Keep in mind that you are responsible for withholding taxes from your workers’ paychecks based on the tips they receive. Furthermore, if an employee leaves for another company, you’ll need to calculate their final pay. So, if you need a little more help with the number-crunching, check out some of the calculators below.

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