State Tax Withholding Calculator
Estimate your potential state income tax withholding based on your income and filing status.
Your Information
Single
Married Filing Jointly
Head of Household
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
Estimated Annual State Tax Withholding
Enter your details to see the estimate.
Understanding State Tax Withholding
State income tax withholding is the amount of money an employer deducts from an employee's paycheck and sends to the state government to pre-pay the employee's state income tax liability. This process ensures that taxpayers meet their tax obligations throughout the year, rather than facing a large lump sum payment at tax time. The exact amount withheld is determined by several factors, primarily your reported income, your filing status, and the number of allowances you claim on your state's W-4 form (or equivalent).
How State Tax Withholding Works
When you start a new job, you're typically asked to fill out a state withholding form (often mirroring the federal W-4 but specific to your state). On this form, you provide information that helps your employer calculate how much state income tax to withhold.
- Annual Gross Income: This is your total expected income before any deductions, including wages, salaries, tips, bonuses, and other taxable compensation.
- Filing Status: This includes options like Single, Married Filing Jointly, or Head of Household. Your filing status significantly impacts the tax brackets and standard deductions applied, thus affecting your tax liability and withholding.
- Allowances/Exemptions: Each allowance you claim typically represents a portion of your income that is not subject to state income tax withholding. Claiming more allowances generally leads to lower withholding amounts each paycheck, while claiming fewer increases withholding.
- State: Each state has its own unique tax laws, rates, brackets, and rules for calculating withholding. Some states have no income tax at all.
The Calculation Behind the Estimate
This calculator provides an *estimate* because actual withholding calculations can be complex and vary by state. Generally, the process involves:
- Determining Taxable Income: Your annual gross income is adjusted by subtracting any standard deductions or personal exemptions allowed by your state and filing status. The number of allowances claimed directly reduces this taxable income figure (e.g., each allowance might represent a specific dollar amount that is subtracted from your income).
- Applying Tax Rates: The resulting taxable income is then subjected to the state's progressive tax rates. This means different portions of your income are taxed at increasing rates.
- Calculating Estimated Annual Tax: Based on the taxable income and tax brackets, an estimated annual tax liability is calculated.
- Estimating Withholding: This estimated annual tax is then divided by the number of pay periods in a year (assuming bi-weekly or monthly for simplicity in many calculators) to estimate the amount to be withheld per paycheck.
Disclaimer: This calculator is for informational purposes only and does not constitute tax advice. Tax laws are complex and change frequently. The accuracy of the estimate depends on the state's specific withholding formulas, which may include additional credits, deductions, or specific rules not incorporated into this simplified model. Consult with a qualified tax professional or refer to your state's official tax agency resources for precise calculations. States like Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming do not have state income tax on wages.
No State Income Tax
$0.00
This state does not have a state income tax on wages.';
return;
}
// Simplified Tax Brackets and Allowances – EXAMPLE DATA for demonstration
// In a real-world scenario, you would need to implement specific tax tables and rules for EACH state.
// This example uses a very basic progressive structure and a fixed allowance value.
var estimatedAnnualTax = 0;
var taxableIncome = annualIncome;
var allowanceDeductionPerAllowance = 0; // This would vary significantly by state
// Placeholder for state-specific logic – VERY SIMPLIFIED EXAMPLE
// This section needs to be expanded drastically to be accurate for different states.
switch (state) {
case "CA": // Example for California (highly simplified)
allowanceDeductionPerAllowance = 110; // Simplified dollar amount per allowance for 2023
var standardDeduction = (filingStatus === "single") ? 5363 : (filingStatus === "married_filing_jointly" ? 10726 : 8053); // Simplified
taxableIncome = annualIncome – (allowances * allowanceDeductionPerAllowance) – standardDeduction;
taxableIncome = Math.max(0, taxableIncome); // Taxable income cannot be negative
if (taxableIncome <= 9325) {
estimatedAnnualTax = taxableIncome * 0.02;
} else if (taxableIncome <= 21961) {
estimatedAnnualTax = (9325 * 0.02) + (taxableIncome – 9325) * 0.04;
} else if (taxableIncome <= 34599) {
estimatedAnnualTax = (9325 * 0.02) + (21961 – 9325) * 0.04 + (taxableIncome – 21961) * 0.06;
} else { // Simplified for higher brackets
estimatedAnnualTax = (9325 * 0.02) + (21961 – 9325) * 0.04 + (34599 – 21961) * 0.06 + (taxableIncome – 34599) * 0.08; // Example higher rate
}
break;
case "NY": // Example for New York (highly simplified)
allowanceDeductionPerAllowance = 1000; // Simplified dollar amount per allowance for 2023
var standardDeduction = (filingStatus === "single") ? 11000 : (filingStatus === "married_filing_jointly" ? 23000 : 17000); // Simplified
taxableIncome = annualIncome – (allowances * allowanceDeductionPerAllowance) – standardDeduction;
taxableIncome = Math.max(0, taxableIncome);
if (taxableIncome <= 11000) {
estimatedAnnualTax = taxableIncome * 0.04;
} else if (taxableIncome <= 27000) {
estimatedAnnualTax = (11000 * 0.04) + (taxableIncome – 11000) * 0.045;
} else if (taxableIncome <= 106000) {
estimatedAnnualTax = (11000 * 0.04) + (27000 – 11000) * 0.045 + (taxableIncome – 27000) * 0.055;
} else { // Simplified for higher brackets
estimatedAnnualTax = (11000 * 0.04) + (27000 – 11000) * 0.045 + (106000 – 27000) * 0.055 + (taxableIncome – 106000) * 0.0625; // Example higher rate
}
break;
case "TX": // Example – Texas has no state income tax
resultDiv.innerHTML = 'No State Income Tax
$0.00
Texas does not have a state income tax on wages.';
return;
case "IL": // Example for Illinois (simplified flat tax)
allowanceDeductionPerAllowance = 2300; // Simplified dollar amount per allowance for 2023
var incomeSubjectToTax = annualIncome – (allowances * allowanceDeductionPerAllowance);
incomeSubjectToTax = Math.max(0, incomeSubjectToTax);
// Illinois has a flat tax rate (4.95% for 2023)
estimatedAnnualTax = incomeSubjectToTax * 0.0495;
break;
case "OH": // Example for Ohio (simplified)
allowanceDeductionPerAllowance = 1500; // Simplified dollar amount per allowance for 2023
var standardDeduction = (filingStatus === "single") ? 1150 : (filingStatus === "married_filing_jointly" ? 2300 : 1700); // Simplified
taxableIncome = annualIncome – (allowances * allowanceDeductionPerAllowance) – standardDeduction;
taxableIncome = Math.max(0, taxableIncome);
if (taxableIncome <= 5760) {
estimatedAnnualTax = taxableIncome * 0.0399;
} else if (taxableIncome <= 11520) {
estimatedAnnualTax = (5760 * 0.0399) + (taxableIncome – 5760) * 0.0453;
} else if (taxableIncome <= 17280) {
estimatedAnnualTax = (5760 * 0.0399) + (11520 – 5760) * 0.0453 + (taxableIncome – 11520) * 0.0507;
} else { // Simplified for higher brackets
estimatedAnnualTax = (5760 * 0.0399) + (11520 – 5760) * 0.0453 + (17280 – 11520) * 0.0507 + (taxableIncome – 17280) * 0.0561; // Example higher rate
}
break;
// Add more states here with their specific tax tables, standard deductions, and allowance values.
// This is a placeholder and requires extensive data for accuracy.
default:
// A very generic fallback if state isn't implemented, but should ideally not be hit.
// Using a simplified flat tax concept as a fallback.
var flatRate = 0.05; // Example 5% flat rate
var genericAllowanceValue = 2000; // Generic value per allowance
taxableIncome = annualIncome – (allowances * genericAllowanceValue);
taxableIncome = Math.max(0, taxableIncome);
estimatedAnnualTax = taxableIncome * flatRate;
break;
}
var formattedAnnualTax = estimatedAnnualTax.toFixed(2);
resultDiv.innerHTML = 'Estimated Annual State Tax
$' + formattedAnnualTax + '
';
}