Income Tax Calculator 2026

Three kinds of state income tax

Every state falls into one of three groups for tax on wages in 2026:

• No tax on wages (9): Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wyoming.
• Flat tax (16): one rate on all taxable income — Arizona 2.50%, Colorado 4.40%, Georgia 4.99%, Idaho 5.30%, Illinois 4.95%, Indiana 2.95%, Iowa 3.80%, Kentucky 3.50%, Louisiana 3.00%, Massachusetts 9.00%, Michigan 4.25%, Mississippi 4.00%, North Carolina 3.99%, Ohio 2.75%, Pennsylvania 3.07%, Utah 4.45%.
• Graduated tax (26, counting DC): rates rise with income in brackets, like the federal system.

Highest top rates

Top rates get the headlines, but they often apply only to very high incomes. The lowest flat rates are Arizona (2.50%), Ohio (2.75%), Indiana (2.95%).

What $75,000 costs in state income tax

Tax on a typical salary is a better guide than the top rate. For a single filer earning $75,000 in wages:

Each state defines taxable income its own way

States start from similar income but subtract different amounts before applying their rates. Some copy the federal standard deduction, some set their own smaller one, some use personal exemptions instead, and some give a flat credit per person. That is why two states with the same rate can tax the same salary differently, and why a state with a higher rate can sometimes tax a modest income less.

Each state calculator page lists its standard deduction, exemptions and credits for 2026, the brackets for every filing status, and the specific things the calculator does not model for that state, such as retirement income exclusions or deductions for federal tax paid.

State tax and your federal return

State income tax you pay can be deducted on your federal return only if you itemize, as part of the state and local tax (SALT) deduction, which is capped at $40,400 for 2026 and reduced for incomes above $505,000. Most people take the standard deduction instead, so for them state tax is a straight addition to the federal bill.

Filing jointly: where brackets aren’t doubled

Federal brackets for married couples are mostly twice the single brackets, which keeps two similar earners from paying more just because they married. Not every state follows that pattern. In 17 of the 26 graduated-rate jurisdictions, at least one joint-filer bracket threshold is less than double the single one: Arkansas, California, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin. In those states, two earners with similar incomes can pay somewhat more filing jointly than they would as two single filers. Flat-tax states avoid the issue for rates, though deductions and exemptions can still differ.

Local income taxes on top of state tax

In 13 states, counties, cities or school districts can tax wages as well: Alabama, Colorado, Delaware, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania. The state calculator pages add a typical local rate for these states, and you can override it with your own rate in the calculator’s expandable options. City pages for places such as New York City and Philadelphia use the exact city rates.