Privacy
Short version: your salary never leaves your device unless you ask the AI a question.
Calculations
Every calculator on PaycheckWise runs in your browser. The salary, state and benefit numbers you type are not sent to our server.
What is saved on your device
To save you retyping, your last paycheck inputs, any results you choose to “Save to history” and the offers on the job-offer comparison page are stored in this browser’s local storage under keys starting with pw:. They never leave your device and you can delete them at any time:
AI questions and the pay stub decoder
If you use “Ask about your result” or the pay stub decoder, your question, a text summary of the calculator result (or the pay stub text you pasted) is sent to our server and on to an AI model through Vercel AI Gateway to produce the answer. We don’t store it or attach it to any account (there are no accounts). Please don’t paste names, addresses or ID numbers. Your IP address is held briefly in memory to limit abuse.
Analytics
We use Ahrefs Web Analytics, a cookieless analytics tool, to count page views and see which pages are useful. It does not use cookies or track you across sites.
Not tax advice
Results are estimates based on published federal and state rules and simplifying assumptions. For decisions with real money at stake, check with a tax professional or the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator.