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
$880
$45,734/yr
Your employer taxes
$108
$5,611/yr
Total cost to you
$1,108
$57,611/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 |
| Maine Paid Family and Medical Leave 0.50% employee premium on the first $184,500.00. | −$5.00 |
| Maine income tax Maine W-4ME percentage method: annualized wages $52,000.00, less standard deduction $12,850.00, less 1 allowance(s) $5,300.00, → $33,850.00 taxable at 6.75% bracket = $2,024.38/yr ÷ 52 periods. | −$39.00 |
| Take-home pay | $879.50 |
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 |
| Maine unemployment tax 2.54% on the first $12,000.00 of wages each year (Quarterly unemployment contributions report (ReEmployME), quarterly). Using the new-employer rate; replace with your rate notice. | $25.40 |
What you'll have to file in Maine
- Register with Maine Department of Labor, Bureau of Unemployment Compensation once you pay household employers paying $1,000 or more in cash wages in a calendar quarter (standard rule; confirm with maine dol); file Quarterly unemployment contributions report (ReEmployME) quarterly.
- Maine income tax: withhold using W-4ME.
- Maine Paid Family and Medical Leave: employee premium withheld each payday.
- W-2 to your nanny and W-3 to the SSA by Jan 31; Schedule H with your Form 1040.
- Minimum wage $13.80/h; no state sick-leave mandate. Workers' comp: Maine workers compensation law excludes most domestic servants employed in a private home; verify with the Maine Workers Compensation Board. Not verified this session.
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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.