Methodology
Compliance figures are only useful if you can trust where they came from. This page explains exactly how we research, verify, and maintain the data behind every WageHour Tools calculator.
1. Primary sources only
Every rule we encode comes from a primary legal source: the U.S. Department of Labor and individual state labor agencies, EUR-Lex and EU Directives, and provincial or national labor ministries. We do not copy figures from other calculators or aggregator sites. The exact source for each page is linked on that page.
2. Dated verification
Each tool shows the date its figures were last verified against the official source. Minimum wages, salary thresholds, and reporting deadlines change on fixed schedules, so a visible date tells you how current the page is rather than asking you to assume.
3. We leave out what we cannot verify
A page is published only once its rules have been checked against a primary source. Where a rule is genuinely ambiguous or contested, we say so on the page or leave it out. We do not publish a number we cannot stand behind.
4. Estimates are labelled as estimates
Some results — such as daily-overtime stacking or an unadjusted pay gap — are estimates that depend on inputs we cannot see (your full timesheet, role-level pay controls). We label these clearly and explain what a final, audited calculation would account for.
5. When we re-check
Figures are re-checked on the calendar their sources follow. In January: federal tax brackets, the Social Security wage base, the IRS mileage rate, and the state minimum wages that change on January 1. In April: UK statutory rates for the new tax year. In July: mid-year minimum wage changes such as Oregon, Alaska and D.C. Outside that calendar, we update a page when the law behind it changes — a new statute, a court ruling, or an EU deadline.
6. Corrections welcome
If you find a figure that is out of date or a rule we have read wrong, tell us. We review every correction against the official source and update the page and its verification date.
Not legal advice
Our methodology is designed for accuracy, but WageHour Tools still provides general information and estimates only — not legal, tax, payroll, or financial advice. For decisions, consult a qualified professional alongside the official sources we cite.
Update log
What changed on the site after a figure was re-checked against its official source, newest first.
- October 4, 2026
Refreshed every state against the U.S. DOL table: Florida is now $15.00 (from September 30), Alaska $14.00, Oregon $15.55 and D.C. $18.40 (from July 1), plus tipped rates and city rates. Added the 2027 rates already announced for California, Washington and Michigan.
- October 4, 2026
The Digital Omnibus (Regulation (EU) 2026/1744) moved the high-risk obligations for recruitment and HR AI from 2 August 2026 to 2 December 2027. The checker and timeline now use the new date.
- October 4, 2026
Added Virginia (July 1, 2026) and Maine (July 29, 2026) to the US state list, and updated the EU snapshot: Greece has now transposed the directive, alongside Italy, Slovakia, Lithuania and Malta.
- October 4, 2026
Updated 18 states to their 2026 rates, including Iowa (3.8%), Louisiana (3%), Kentucky (3.5%), North Carolina (3.99%) and Ohio (2.75%).
- October 4, 2026
Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan pages now apply daily overtime after 8 hours as well as the weekly threshold. New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador pages explain that the statutory minimum is 1.5× the minimum wage.
- June 21, 2026Site launched with 2026 figures
Calculators went live on the 2026 federal tax brackets and standard deduction, the $184,500 Social Security wage base, the IRS mileage rate of 72.5¢ a mile, and the UK 2026/27 statutory rates (£751 redundancy cap, £194.32 maternity pay).