You want to estimate how much payroll will cost?
Use the calculator below to find out!
If have questions on payroll costs, how Topsheet works, or anything else feel free to connect with one a real personon our tean to assist.
Budget Your Payroll Cost With Taxes
Topsheet does not charge anything for setup, unions, or payment. To help productions of all sizes, we charge a flat 2% with a $50 minimum payroll handling fee per payroll batch to cover costs. We do NOT upcharge for setup fees, check fees, or any extra for union payroll handling.
* This estimation does not include Union Pension, IAP, etc.
* Taxes can change at any time by State or Federal Request
* Workers Comp is estimated based on basic film cast & crew, rate can vary if there are stunts, other production types, etc.
Tax Breakdown
Information on Payroll, Taxes, and Topsheet
Offering entertainment payroll that meets the unique demands of film productions, series (on YouTube, Television, or Streaming Platform), commercials, and music videos means giving you total clarity on every dollar. Here’s what happens behind the scenes when you run payroll through Topsheet’s pricing calculator:
1. Employee-Side Taxes (Withheld from Gross Pay)
Federal Income Tax – calculated from each crew member’s W-4, putting them into a generally progressive tax bracket or flat tax percentage.
State & Local Income Taxes – applied automatically based on the work location and each worker’s resident state.
FICA Social Security & Medicare – employee share (7.65 % combined).
Any applicable city or local surtaxes for select jurisdictions (e.g., NYC, Portland).
2. Employer-Side Taxes (Paid by the Production Company via Topsheet)
FICA Employer Match – 7.65 % of taxable wages.
Federal Unemployment (FUTA) – 0.6 % on the first $7,000 in wages (subject to credit reductions).
State Unemployment (SUI) – rate varies by state; our system auto-applies the current percentage.
Employment Training or Workforce Development Fund surcharges where required.
Workers’ Compensation Insurance – already baked into payroll as Topsheet is the Employer of Record.
Tip for producers: Because Topsheet is the Employer of Record, all statutory filings, tax deposits, and year-end W-2 or 1099 delivery are handled for you. That’s one less compliance worry for your production accountant.
3. Topsheet Payroll Handling Fee
2% of gross payroll for every batch we process.
$50 minimum batch fee — if 2% comes to less than $50, we simply round up to $50. For typical payroll, there are never hidden add-ons later.
No “per-check,” “per-envelope,” or “additional union” surcharges—just transparent, flat pricing that scales with your budget.
4. Union Fringe & Benefit Contributions
Union fringe rates change frequently and differ by contract type (SAG-AFTRA, IATSE, DGA, Teamsters, and more). To keep your budgeting accurate:
Our calculator shows a placeholder estimate based on the most recent publicly available scale.
For the latest exact pension, health, and welfare percentages (PH&W) plus any vacation or holiday pay requirements, visit our union-specific explainer blogs:
SAG-AFTRA Rates & Fringe Guide
IATSE Rates & Fringe Guide
DGA Rates & Fringe Guide
Teamsters Rates & Fringes Guide
Topsheet updates these union rates the moment a new memorandum of agreement (MOA) takes effect, so your final payroll always matches the guild rule book.
5. How the Calculator Brings It All Together
Input gross wages for cast & crew payroll, select your state you are working in, if you are filming in multiple states, break it up by gross wages in that state.
You instantly see a great estimated employer cost—perfect for line producers building budgets, or commercial producers quoting bids, or for checking updated numbers against taxes.