Double time calculator

Eight hours at $20 paid at double time is $320.00. The half-time slice is $80.00. The rest of the check is not the federal overtime deduction.

Double-time pay

$320.00

Double-time pay is $320.00. The half-time piece is $80.00.

Half-time slice 25%
Rest of the check 75%

Double time is 2×. The federal deduction is still only a half-time premium, and only when FLSA required the hours.

Breakdown

Breakdown
Double-time pay	$320.00
Half-time slice	$80.00
Rest of the check	$240.00

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Pay = hours × rate × 2. Half-time slice = hours × rate × 0.5.

Why double time is not all deductible

Double time means the hour pays two times the rate. Qualified overtime compensation is the premium the Fair Labor Standards Act requires, which for a weekly overtime hour is half the rate, not the full extra rate.

A state or a contract can require the second full multiple. That extra multiple is still wages. It is not automatically qualified overtime. This page shows the half-time slice so it is not confused with the cash total. It does not decide whether your state required the double time.

Worked examples

8 hours at $20, paid at 2×
Double-time pay	$320.00
Half-time slice	$80.00

Common questions

Is double time tax-free?

The cash is not tax-free. At most, a half-time premium on FLSA-required overtime hours can be deducted, subject to the cap and the phase-out. The second full multiple is ordinary wages.

Does California double time qualify?

This page does not apply California's daily rules. Federal qualified overtime follows the FLSA premium. A daily or double-time premium a state requires on top of that is not automatically the same deduction.

How do I get the tax savings?

Take the half-time slice, not the double-time total, to the no-tax-on-overtime calculator. That page applies the $12,500 cap, the joint cap, and the phase-out.