State Payroll & Paycheck Tax Calculators

Calculating payroll taxes means withholding the right amounts from each employee’s paycheck and, in some cases, contributing additional amounts as the employer. For most employees, that includes federal income tax (based on their W-4), Social Security (6.2% each from employee and employer), Medicare (1.45% each), and any applicable state and local income taxes. Use our calculators above to get the exact numbers for your state — they handle the federal and state math together so you don’t have to do it in two steps.

As an employer, you’re responsible for matching your employees’ Social Security and Medicare contributions (another 7.65% on top of what they pay), plus paying federal unemployment tax (FUTA) and any state unemployment insurance (SUI) your state requires. The rates and wage bases for SUI vary significantly by state, which is why a state-specific calculator matters — a flat national estimate will often be off.

Nine states currently impose no income tax on wages: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming. If you’re running payroll in one of these states, you still need to withhold federal income tax and FICA (Social Security and Medicare) — you just skip the state income tax line. See the full table above for a breakdown.

Yes — and that’s exactly why we built one for every state. Federal withholding rules are consistent nationwide, but state income tax rates, brackets, standard deductions, and local tax rules vary widely. Some states like California have nine income tax brackets; others are a flat rate; some have none at all. Using a generic calculator means you’re likely under- or over-withholding. Select your state above to get a calculator that accounts for all of it.

State tax rates can change annually as part of each state’s budget process, and some states — like Colorado and Iowa — have made notable changes in recent years. Employers are responsible for staying current, which is why Fingercheck updates our calculators for each new tax year. If you’d rather not track changes manually, Fingercheck’s payroll software handles tax table updates automatically.