Georgia (GA) Paycheck Calculator 2026

Filling in Georgia Form G-4

Georgia withholding is based on Form G-4, the Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate, where you list your filing status, allowances and any extra withholding. Georgia expects employees to file both a G-4 and a federal W-4. If you do not hand in a G-4, your employer may use your W-4 if it has enough information; otherwise it must withhold as if you were single with zero allowances.

A new G-4 takes effect with the first payroll after your employer receives it, and you can update it as often as you like. There is no cap on allowances, but a G-4 claiming more than 14 allowances or claiming exemption must be mailed to the Department of Revenue; your employer honours it unless told otherwise. An exempt claim lasts until you change it or until February 15 of the following year.

Why your 2026 Georgia withholding changed in May

HB 463 cut Georgia's rate to 4.99% for the whole of 2026, but employers had to keep withholding 5.19% until the law took effect and could switch only from May 11, 2026. So most Georgians were over-withheld for the first four months or so of the year and will see the difference come back as a refund (or a smaller balance due) when they file.

Rough size of that refund: a single worker earning $60,000 has about $45,000 of Georgia taxable income after the $15,000 standard deduction. The wages paid from January 1 to May 10 carried about $15,938 of that taxable income, and the 0.2-point rate difference on it comes to roughly $32. Bonuses paid before May 11 were also withheld at the higher rate.

Example Georgia paycheck on $60,000

Single filer, bi-weekly, at the new 4.99% rate for the rest of 2026:

• Georgia has no local income taxes and no employee-paid disability or paid-leave premiums. Unemployment insurance is paid by employers.

Overtime, tips and bonuses under Georgia rules

Bonuses and other supplemental pay are withheld at the Georgia income tax rate in effect when they are paid: 5.19% before May 11, 2026 and 4.99% afterwards.

HB 463 also created temporary Georgia subtractions for qualified overtime compensation and qualified cash tips for tax years 2026 through 2028. They are narrower than the federal deductions, and they are claimed on the return: reporting overtime or tips does not by itself reduce Georgia withholding or the Georgia wages shown in Box 16 of your W-2. Employers report the qualifying amounts on year-end 2026 W-2s and 1099s, and the quarterly Form G-7 starts collecting totals in 2027.

Working in Georgia from another state

A nonresident who works in Georgia becomes a taxable nonresident, and Georgia tax is withheld on the Georgia wages, once more than 5% of their wages, or more than $5,000, can be attributed to Georgia. Georgia residents who work in another state are withheld under that state's rules; if the work state does not require withholding, Georgia tax is withheld instead.