Weekly
Bi-weekly (Every 2 weeks)
Semi-monthly (Twice a month)
Monthly
Single
Married Filing Jointly
Gross Pay per Period:
Federal Income Tax:
FICA (Social Security & Medicare):
Arkansas State Income Tax:
Estimated Net Take-Home:
How Your Arkansas Paycheck is Calculated
Living and working in the Natural State means your paycheck is subject to federal taxes, FICA contributions, and Arkansas state-specific income tax brackets. Arkansas uses a progressive tax system, though recent legislative changes have significantly lowered the top marginal rates to make the state more competitive.
Arkansas State Income Tax Brackets (2024)
Arkansas currently utilizes a tiered tax system. For the 2024 tax year, the state has moved toward a simplified structure with a top rate of 4.4%. This is a reduction from previous years. Your specific liability depends on your total annual income and your filing status. This calculator uses the most recent guidelines to estimate your withholding.
Understanding Payroll Deductions
FICA Taxes: This consists of 6.2% for Social Security and 1.45% for Medicare. These are mandatory federal payroll taxes.
Federal Income Tax: This is calculated based on your annual earnings and the IRS tax brackets ranging from 10% to 37%.
Arkansas State Tax: Unlike states with no income tax (like Texas), Arkansas collects income tax to fund state infrastructure, education, and public services.
Arkansas Tax Example
If you earn a gross annual salary of $60,000 in Little Rock as a single filer:
FICA: Approximately $4,590 will be deducted for Social Security and Medicare.
Federal Tax: Roughly $5,800 – $6,500 depending on deductions.
Arkansas State Tax: Approximately $2,100 based on current 2024 simplified brackets.
Annual Net: Roughly $47,010, resulting in a bi-weekly paycheck of about $1,808.
Tips for Managing Your Paycheck
If you find that your refund is very large at the end of the year, you may be over-withholding. You can adjust your AR4EC (Arkansas Employee's Withholding Exemption Certificate) to change the number of exemptions, which allows you to keep more of your money throughout the year. Conversely, if you owe money, you might want to decrease your exemptions.
function calculateArkansasPay() {
var grossPay = parseFloat(document.getElementById('grossPay').value);
var frequency = parseFloat(document.getElementById('payFrequency').value);
var filingStatus = document.getElementById('filingStatus').value;
var allowances = parseInt(document.getElementById('allowances').value) || 0;
if (isNaN(grossPay) || grossPay <= 0) {
alert("Please enter a valid gross pay amount.");
return;
}
// Determine Annual Gross
var annualGross = grossPay;
// If they entered a small number, assume it's per period, otherwise annual
if (grossPay 609350) fedTax = 162799 + (taxableFed – 609350) * 0.37;
else if (taxableFed > 243725) fedTax = 47747 + (taxableFed – 243725) * 0.35;
else if (taxableFed > 191950) fedTax = 33889 + (taxableFed – 191950) * 0.32;
else if (taxableFed > 100525) fedTax = 14710 + (taxableFed – 100525) * 0.24;
else if (taxableFed > 47150) fedTax = 5308 + (taxableFed – 47150) * 0.22;
else if (taxableFed > 11600) fedTax = 1160 + (taxableFed – 11600) * 0.12;
else fedTax = taxableFed * 0.10;
} else {
if (taxableFed > 731200) fedTax = 177597 + (taxableFed – 731200) * 0.37;
else if (taxableFed > 487450) fedTax = 92334 + (taxableFed – 487450) * 0.35;
else if (taxableFed > 383900) fedTax = 64638 + (taxableFed – 383900) * 0.32;
else if (taxableFed > 201050) fedTax = 32580 + (taxableFed – 201050) * 0.24;
else if (taxableFed > 94300) fedTax = 10616 + (taxableFed – 94300) * 0.22;
else if (taxableFed > 23200) fedTax = 2320 + (taxableFed – 23200) * 0.12;
else fedTax = taxableFed * 0.10;
}
// 3. Arkansas State Tax (2024 Simplified 4.4% top bracket logic)
// AR Standard Deduction is approx $2,340 per person (exemptions)
var arStandardDeduction = allowances * 2340;
var taxableAR = Math.max(0, annualGross – arStandardDeduction);
var arTax = 0;
// AR Simplified Brackets 2024 approx
if (taxableAR <= 5000) {
arTax = taxableAR * 0.00;
} else if (taxableAR <= 10000) {
arTax = (taxableAR – 5000) * 0.02;
} else if (taxableAR <= 14000) {
arTax = 100 + (taxableAR – 10000) * 0.03;
} else {
arTax = 220 + (taxableAR – 14000) * 0.044;
}
// Period Calculations
var periodFedTax = fedTax / frequency;
var periodFICA = annualFICA / frequency;
var periodStateTax = arTax / frequency;
var periodNet = periodGross – periodFedTax – periodFICA – periodStateTax;
// Display Results
document.getElementById('resGross').innerText = "$" + periodGross.toLocaleString(undefined, {minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2});
document.getElementById('resFedTax').innerText = "-$" + periodFedTax.toLocaleString(undefined, {minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2});
document.getElementById('resFICA').innerText = "-$" + periodFICA.toLocaleString(undefined, {minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2});
document.getElementById('resStateTax').innerText = "-$" + periodStateTax.toLocaleString(undefined, {minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2});
document.getElementById('resNet').innerText = "$" + periodNet.toLocaleString(undefined, {minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2});
document.getElementById('results').style.display = 'block';
}