How do I work out what salary I need for a specific take-home amount?

This calculator does that in reverse — enter your target net income and it solves for the gross salary that would produce it after 2026 federal and Ontario tax, CPP and CPP2, rather than you having to guess and check with a forward calculator.

Does the gross-up calculation change if I'm considering a move to another province?

Yes — select a different province and the calculator applies that province's own tax brackets, since the gross salary needed to net the same take-home amount varies by province.

Why isn't this just my target income divided by one minus my tax rate?

Because Canada's tax system is progressive with multiple brackets, CPP has its own ceiling and CPP2 tier, and the basic personal amount phases out at higher incomes — a single flat-rate estimate misses all of that, which is why a proper reverse calculation through the real bracket structure gives a more accurate answer.

Target Income Calculator (Permanent Salary)

Reverse-calculate the gross salary needed to take home a target net amount in 2026, by province, with CPP2 factored in.

Target annual take-home (net)

Gross salary needed

$65,029

Net annual income$50,000

Income tax$10,308

CPP (Canada Pension Plan — employee)$3,661

CPP (employer)$3,661

EI (Employment Insurance — employee)$1,060

EI (employer, 1.4x employee rate)$1,484

Total deductions$15,029

Effective tax rate23.1%

Working backwards from take-home pay to the salary you need

If you know the take-home pay you need, this calculator reverses the usual salary calculation to tell you the gross salary required to net that amount in Ontario for 2026, factoring in the real combined federal and provincial tax brackets plus CPP and CPP2.

How the reverse calculation works

Enter the net, after-tax, annual income you want to end up with.
The calculator grosses that figure up through the 2026 federal and Ontario tax brackets and CPP/CPP2 to find the required salary.
Adjust for a different province if you're comparing a move, since provincial brackets change the gross salary needed for the same net result.