Nanny tax & paycheck calculator
Pick your state and how you pay. See their take-home pay, what you withhold, and your employer taxes, with the forms you'll have to file. Uses 2026 federal and state rules.
Weekly gross
$1,000
$52,000/yr
Their take-home
$877
$45,593/yr
Your employer taxes
$116
$6,032/yr
Total cost to you
$1,116
$58,032/yr
Each paycheck
| Hours worked 40 h × $25.00. | $1,000.00 |
| Social Security 6.2% of gross wages. | −$62.00 |
| Medicare 1.45% of gross wages; no wage cap. | −$14.50 |
| Illinois income tax Illinois IL-W-4 percentage method: annualized wages $52,000.00, less 1 allowance(s) $2,925.00, → $49,075.00 taxable at flat 4.95% = $2,429.21/yr ÷ 52 periods. | −$46.72 |
| Take-home pay | $876.78 |
What you pay on top
| Social Security (employer) Employer match, same base as the employee share. | $62.00 |
| Medicare (employer) Employer match. | $14.50 |
| Federal unemployment (FUTA) 6.0% less a 5.4% credit for paying state unemployment tax on time, on the first $7,000.00 of wages each year. | $6.00 |
| Illinois unemployment tax 3.35% on the first $14,250.00 of wages each year (UI-HA Report for Household Employers (annual) — or UI-3/40 quarterly, annual). Using the new-employer rate; replace with your rate notice. | $33.50 |
What you'll have to file in Illinois
- Register with Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) once you pay $1,000 or more in cash wages to household workers in any calendar quarter of the current or preceding calendar year; file UI-HA Report for Household Employers (annual) — or UI-3/40 quarterly annual.
- Illinois income tax: withholding is voluntary for household employers.
- W-2 to your nanny and W-3 to the SSA by Jan 31; Schedule H with your Form 1040.
- Minimum wage $15.00/h; paid sick leave is required. Workers' comp: Required for any household employing domestic workers for a total of 40 or more hours per week for 13 or more weeks during a calendar year (820 ILCS 305/3(18)); optional below that.
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Estimates for planning only, from the published 2026 rules for your state. Not tax advice. CareTab does not file or pay anything for you.