Why your paycheck is slightly bigger

If you’re starting 2025 with wages similar to your 2024 wages, your take-home pay — or compensation after taxes and benefit deductions — could be a little higher, depending on your withholdings, according to Long.

“When all the tax brackets go up, but your salary stays the same, relatively, that puts you on a lower rung of the ladder,” he said.

The federal income tax brackets show how much you owe on each part of your “taxable income,” which you calculate by subtracting the greater of the standard or itemized deductions from your adjusted gross income.

“Even if you make a little more than last year, you could actually pay less in tax in 2025 compared to 2024,” because the standard deduction also increased, Long said. 

For 2025, the standard deduction increases to $30,000 for married couples filing jointly, up from $29,200 in 2024. The tax break is also larger for single filers, who can claim $15,000 in 2025, a bump from $14,600.  

Despite tax bracket changes, many Americans won’t feel the pay increase amid elevated prices for certain expenses, said Sheneya Wilson, a CPA and founder of Fola Financial in New York.

“It ends up nearly balancing out,” she said.

While inflation is no longer accelerating, there was an uptick in the cost of groceries, gasoline and new cars in November, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Whether take-home pay is higher or lower than expected, it’s important to monitor your state and federal income tax withholdings throughout the year, especially during major income or life changes, Wilson said.

Typically, if you withhold too much from your paycheck, you can expect a refund, whereas not withholding enough often results in taxes owed.