Tax Withheld
$2,564.10
Net Distribution Calculator
Gross-up a desired net amount to find the required gross distribution.
Required Gross Distribution
$12,820.51
Fees
$256.41
Net Received
$10,000.00
How to use the Net Distribution Calculator
The Net Distribution Calculator is free and runs entirely in your browser — no sign-up, and nothing you enter leaves your device. It opens pre-filled with a realistic example, so you can see how it works before replacing any figure with your own; the results update as you type. Press Calculate to refresh the result panel, or Reset to return to the example.
The inputs it asks for:
- Desired Net Amount — a dollar amount.
- Tax Rate — a percentage (enter 6 for 6%).
- Fees % — a percentage (enter 6 for 6%).
The formula
To end up with a target amount after tax and fees are taken out, you have to withdraw more than that — this "grosses up" the figure by dividing your desired net by the fraction you get to keep:
Required gross = Desired net ÷ (1 − tax% − fees%)- tax% + fees%
- the combined share taken off the top
- 1 − tax% − fees%
- the fraction that actually reaches you
Grossing up divides rather than adds back, which is why the required gross rises steeply as the deductions approach 100%. Taking 40% off means you must withdraw about 1.67× your target, not 1.4×.
Worked example
Using the example values — Desired Net Amount $10,000.00, Tax Rate 20%, Fees % 2% — the Net Distribution Calculator returns a Required Gross Distribution of $12,820.51. It also reports Tax Withheld ($2,564.10), Fees ($256.41), Net Received ($10,000.00).
Prefer your own numbers? Change any field above and this recomputes instantly.
Key terms
- Gross-up
- Solving for the pre-deduction amount that yields a desired after-deduction figure.
- Net amount
- What you actually receive after tax and fees.
- Withholding
- Tax taken out of a distribution before you receive it.
Frequently asked questions
Why can't I just add the tax back?
Because the tax is charged on the larger gross amount, not your net. You have to divide by the fraction you keep, which gives a bigger figure than adding the percentage back.
What's this useful for?
Sizing a retirement-account withdrawal, bonus, or payout so the after-tax cash hits a specific number.
Does it use my real tax rate?
It uses the flat rate you enter. Actual withholding and marginal rates vary, so treat the result as an estimate and confirm with your provider.