How we calculate your take-home pay
What's included, what's excluded, where the data comes from, and the assumptions behind every figure — so you know exactly what you're looking at.
How the calculation works
The same sequence runs for every country — local rules determine the numbers, not the order.
We start with your gross annual salary and subtract any deductible contributions and country-specific allowances to arrive at taxable income. That figure feeds a progressive income-tax schedule: each bracket is taxed at its own rate, and the results are summed to give your federal (or national) income tax liability.
Where a country distinguishes between tax credits and tax allowances, we apply them correctly. Credits reduce the tax bill directly — for example, Ireland's PAYE credit is subtracted from the computed tax. Allowances, by contrast, reduce taxable income before the brackets are applied.
Where a country has a regional or subnational income tax (e.g. Ontario provincial tax in Canada, or Zurich cantonal tax in Switzerland), it is calculated and shown as its own line — not blended into the federal figure.
Mandatory employee social contributions — pension, unemployment insurance, health, and levies — are then deducted from gross salary. These include things like CPP and EI in Canada, KiwiSaver and ACC in New Zealand, and the various cotisations salariales in France. Only the employee share is deducted; employer-side contributions are paid on top of your salary and never appear as a deduction from your take-home.
Any applicable surcharges are computed last — for example, Ontario's surtax (which applies on top of provincial tax above certain thresholds) or Germany's solidarity surcharge.
The annual net figure is then split into monthly, fortnightly, weekly, and daily amounts by dividing by 12, 26, 52, and 260 respectively. All figures are also shown in USD using live exchange rates fetched hourly from Frankfurter / ECB.
Data sources
Where the numbers come from.
Tax brackets, rates, thresholds, and social-contribution parameters are sourced from GlobalTaxCalculator.net. On top of that source we apply SalaryPilot's own country-specific corrections layer: where the upstream data is incomplete, out of date, or uses a different modelling approach, we patch the relevant parameters directly. The assumptions note beneath each country's result tells you where a correction is in effect.
Exchange rates are fetched from the Frankfurter / ECB API and cached for one hour. Mid-market rates are used; no bank-spread or conversion-fee adjustment is applied.
All figures use FY 2025-26 rates. We review rates annually and apply corrections as they are identified, but we make no guarantee that every figure reflects the most recent legislative changes.
What's included — and what's not
Every estimate covers a standard single filer with no dependents.
Included
- ✓Federal / national income tax, calculated on progressive brackets
- ✓Regional or subnational income tax where applicable
- ✓Mandatory employee social contributions (pension, unemployment, health, levies)
- ✓Applicable surcharges (e.g. solidarity surcharge, provincial surtax)
- ✓Standard personal allowances and credits for a single filer
Not included
- ✗US state/local income tax — the US figure is federal only
- ✗Investment income, capital gains, or dividend tax
- ✗Non-standard or itemised reliefs and deductions
- ✗Voluntary salary-sacrifice or pension beyond what's stated per country
- ✗Marital or dependent adjustments
- ✗Consumption taxes (VAT / GST)
- ✗Employer-side social contributions
Country-specific assumptions
A few countries require notable simplifications. The live “View assumptions” note under each result always has the latest detail.
- United StatesFederal income tax and FICA only — state and local taxes are not included.
- CanadaAn estimate using Ontario as a representative province, with simplified Basic Personal Amount and CPP/EI parameters.
- SwitzerlandAssumes Zurich canton; excludes 2nd-pillar BVG occupational pension, which varies by employer and salary.
- FranceAssumes cadre (executive) status; excludes variable mutuelle and prévoyance contributions.
- New ZealandIncludes employee KiwiSaver contribution (3%) and ACC earner levy.
- IrelandAssumes a single PAYE employee; applies the standard personal and PAYE tax credits (€4,000). PRSI and USC are included.
For any country's full, up-to-date notes, click View assumptions beneath the result on the calculator. That text is generated from the live calculation and always reflects the current parameters — this page is the overview only.
Disclaimer
SalaryPilot provides estimates, not financial or tax advice. Figures assume a single filer with standard allowances and no dependents unless stated, and exclude investment income, non-standard reliefs, and consumption taxes. Some countries use simplifying assumptions or a representative region. Exchange rates are mid-market and do not account for conversion fees. All calculations are best-effort estimates based on publicly available rate data for FY 2025-26 and may not reflect recent legislative changes. Always confirm with a qualified tax professional before making financial decisions.
Ready to run a calculation?
Calculate your take-home pay →