A gross-up answers the inverse of take-home: what gross produces this net after federal withholding and FICA. Employers use it for relocation, taxable reimbursements, and offers quoted as a net number.
Single, biweekly (26), Step 2 off, no 401(k), target net $3,000:
- Required gross $3,885.07
- FIT $587.87
- FICA $297.20
- Net $3,000.00
The $1,500 leftover on the same knobs is $1,811.88. $3,000 is the leftover that has already crossed the single 22% Pub 15-T band (that slice starts at $57,900).
Run the gross-up calculator → · Paycheck take-home →
Hub: United States calculators.
This engine does not invent California, New York, or city tax. If the state withholds, the true gross that lands $3,000 is higher. Estimate, not tax advice.
Direct answer: $3,000 net → $3,885.07 gross
- Target net = $3,000 (26 periods)
- Search for the gross whose take-home equals $3,000
- That gross = $3,885.07
- Annualized wage ≈ $101,011.82
- This check FIT = $587.87
- FICA = $297.20
- $3,885.07 − $587.87 − $297.20 = $3,000.00
find G such that take-home(G) = target net
take-home(G) = G − 401(k) − other pre-tax − federal withholding(G) − FICA(G)
Same knobs, three target nets
| Target net (single, 26×) | Required gross | FIT | FICA |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1,500.00 | $1,811.88 | $173.27 | $138.61 |
| $3,000.00 | $3,885.07 | $587.87 | $297.20 |
| $1,651.15 | $2,000.00 | $195.85 | $153.00 |
The last row is the take-home default run backwards. Gross-up($1,651.15) recovers $2,000.00.
What this is not
- A 22% bonus withholding page. Supplemental wages identified separately can use the Pub 15 flat 22% method. This is ordinary wages inverted through Pub 15-T. Bonus tax 22%.
- A 1040 effective-tax page. $587.87 is this stub. Effective FIT on $160,000.
- A monthly $8,000 deposit. That is a different salary: $8,000 monthly leaves $6,206.17.
It is the federal-plus-FICA gross that produces a $3,000 biweekly deposit, single, clean W-4. State tax, 401(k), and benefits raise the gross.
Because Pub 15-T is a bracket table, not one flat rate. The engine searches until take-home hits $3,000 to the cent.
Yes. A traditional deferral lowers FIT but not FICA. Enter the percent on the gross-up calculator. Roth stays after-tax and does not cut FIT.