Editorial Policy

We're on a mission to help people understand their real take-home pay—the actual amount that lands in their bank account after taxes and deductions. Our commitment to transparency and accuracy means explaining exactly how we create our content and calculators.

This page explains how we research tax data, validate calculations, update content, and maintain accuracy across all our calculators and state tax guides.

Every piece of content starts with official government sources. We research directly from authoritative primary documentation and apply editorial review to ensure accuracy, clarity, and consistency across all published material.

Our sources include:

• Federal taxes: IRS Publication 15-T (Employer's Tax Guide), current-year tax brackets, and Social Security Administration wage base limits
• State taxes: Official state revenue department publications and published tax brackets for all 50 states plus DC
• Local taxes: City and county tax authority websites where applicable
• Payroll taxes: Social Security and Medicare rates from official government sources

Our state tax guides are written to be practical and actionable, with specific dollar amounts, tax rates, and examples that help you make real decisions. Each state guide includes unique information that can't apply to other states—we research local tax rules, exemptions, and special circumstances for each jurisdiction.

Our take-home pay calculators use the same tax data that powers our content, but they calculate estimates in real time based on your inputs. Here's what happens behind the scenes:

• Tax bracket lookup: Your income is matched against current federal and state tax brackets for your filing status
• Progressive tax calculation: Taxes are calculated using the progressive bracket system—each portion of income is taxed at the appropriate rate
• State-specific rules: Each state's unique rules are applied (flat rates, progressive brackets, local taxes, exemptions)
• Standard withholding methods: We use typical employer withholding practices based on IRS Publication 15-T
• FICA taxes: Social Security and Medicare are calculated using current rates and wage base limits

All calculations happen in your browser—we don't store your financial information. The calculators are designed to match real-world payroll calculations, but actual employer withholding may vary based on your W-4 elections and employer policies.

Every piece of content undergoes human review before publication. Our process:

• Source verification: Every tax rate, bracket, and rule is cross-referenced with official government sources
• State-specific accuracy: State guides are reviewed to ensure they reflect the actual tax rules for that specific state—no generic content that could apply to any state
• Calculation validation: Calculator outputs are spot-checked against manual calculations and official withholding tables
• Practical review: Content is written to support real decisions, not provide generic tax education
• Update verification: When tax data changes, all affected content and calculators are reviewed and updated together

We correct errors immediately upon verification. If you find an error, please email us at support@realtakehomepay.com with the specific page, incorrect information, and a link to the official source showing the correct information.

We update our content on the following schedule:

• Annual tax year updates: Major updates occur in January when new tax year data becomes available from the IRS and state authorities
• Mid-year tax changes: We update content immediately when states announce rate changes or bracket adjustments during the year
• Quarterly content review: State-specific pages are reviewed every three months for accuracy and completeness
• Immediate error corrections: Identified errors are corrected as soon as we verify them with official sources

Tax laws change frequently, and there can be a delay between when tax authorities publish new information and when we update our calculators. For critical decisions, always verify current rates with official sources.

We believe in being upfront about what our calculators do and don't do. As we note in our About page, we're committed to:

• Transparency: We explain our methodology, cite our sources, and clearly state when results are estimates
• Privacy: We don't require sign-ups, and we don't store your personal financial information—all calculations happen in your browser
• Accuracy: We continuously work to improve accuracy by staying current with tax law changes and refining our methodology based on user feedback
• Accessibility: We design our tools to be intuitive and accessible—no financial background required

• About Us — Learn more about our mission and approach to accuracy
• State Tax Guides — Detailed guides for each state's tax structure and rules
• Take-Home Pay Calculator — Calculate your net pay after taxes
• Financial Disclaimer — Detailed information about calculation limitations