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Employer payroll tax calculator

Estimate your federal employer payroll taxes

Enter a group of employees with the same wages and payroll state. Use the estimate to plan cash flow and discuss your payroll numbers with your provider.

Calculate employer payroll taxes

Independent employer guidance from Genius, LLC.

Better-informed benefits decisions for your team

Discuss potential savings with Ignite

Team size

How many W‑2 employees do you have?

2026 federal estimate

Estimate your employer payroll taxes

Estimate a group of employees with the same annual taxable wages and payroll state. This tool covers federal employer taxes; it is separate from the potential savings illustration below.

2026 estimate

Your payroll details

Where you pay unemployment tax for these employees.

Illustrative estimate

$106,237.50

Estimated annual federal employer payroll taxes. This calculator estimates baseline taxes separately from any benefits plan.

Employer Social Security
$85,250.00
Employer Medicare
$19,937.50
Federal unemployment (0.6%)
$1,050.00

25 W-2 employees in Texas at $55,000.00 in annual taxable wages each.

Standard federal unemployment tax estimates assume the full state unemployment tax credit. State-specific figures marked projected may change. This estimate covers federal employer taxes only. See rates and detailed assumptions.

Explore potential savings from supplemental benefits
Expected participation

Assumes this share of your team qualifies and enrolls.

Illustrative annual payroll tax savings

Choose your team size to see an estimate.

Actual savings depend on who enrolls and how your payroll is handled. Ignite can confirm your eligibility, estimated savings, and program costs.

Employer guide · Reviewed November 9, 2026

Calculate separate groups

Run the calculator for each group that shares the same annual taxable wages and payroll state, then add the estimates. This helps account for wage caps that apply to each employee.

Know what the estimate covers

It estimates the employer share of Social Security and Medicare plus federal unemployment tax under the displayed assumptions. Compare state unemployment and other local obligations separately.

Estimate a benefit change separately

Your baseline tax bill and potential savings from a qualifying benefit answer different questions. To assess a benefit proposal, ask how many employees can participate and which payroll taxes their deductions affect.

Questions employers ask

Will this tell employees their take-home pay?

Use this estimate for the employer’s federal payroll tax costs. Take-home pay also depends on the employee’s withholding, elections, and deductions.

What if an employee works in two states?

Ask your payroll provider how it assigns wages and applies unemployment wage limits. Running the same wages twice could overstate the estimate.

Discuss potential savings with Ignite

Tell us your team size to take the next step. Smaller teams can leave their details for future follow-up.

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