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
$891
$46,320/yr
Your employer taxes
$110
$5,694/yr
Total cost to you
$1,110
$57,694/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 |
| Kentucky income tax Kentucky K-4 percentage method: annualized wages $52,000.00, less standard deduction $3,360.00, → $48,640.00 taxable at flat 3.50% = $1,702.40/yr ÷ 52 periods. | −$32.74 |
| Take-home pay | $890.76 |
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 |
| Kentucky unemployment tax 2.70% on the first $12,000.00 of wages each year (Quarterly Wage and Tax Report (filed via the Kentucky Unemployment Insurance Portal, KUIP), quarterly). Using the new-employer rate; replace with your rate notice. | $27.00 |
What you'll have to file in Kentucky
- Register with Kentucky Office of Unemployment Insurance once you pay $1,000 or more in gross wages for domestic work in a private home in a single calendar quarter; file Quarterly Wage and Tax Report (filed via the Kentucky Unemployment Insurance Portal, KUIP) quarterly.
- Kentucky 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 $7.25/h; no state sick-leave mandate. Workers' comp: KRS 342.650 exempts domestic servants in a private home where fewer than two employees are regularly employed 40 or more hours per week — not verified against the statute text in this pass; confirm with the Department of Workers' Claims. Voluntary coverage available.
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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.