Colorado Paycheck Calculator 2026
Colorado taxes wage income at a flat 4.4%, after the deductions and exemptions its withholding guidance applies. Federal withholding follows the IRS Publication 15-T percentage method — the one payroll systems use. Everything is computed in your browser; nothing you type is sent anywhere.
Works offline — your inputs never leave this device. How that works
Estimate only: this is an approximation, not a copy of Colorado's withholding worksheet. It annualizes your pay, subtracts the DR 1098 annual withholding allowance and applies the 4.40% rate. Your employer follows the DR 1098 worksheet with your own W-4 or DR 0004 elections, so your actual withholding will differ. Use the Colorado Department of Revenue's own DR 1098 worksheet and withholding calculator for an official figure. Local taxes (Some Colorado home-rule cities levy a flat monthly occupational privilege tax (a 'head tax') on people who work in the city. It is a fixed dollar amount set by each city rather than a percentage of pay, and it is not computed here — check with your city.) are not included.
Check against Colorado’s own withholding tables ↗
- Taxable: $65,000 − $5,500 deductions = $59,500
- Flat 4.4% → $2,618/year
- Colorado FAMLI (Family and Medical Leave Insurance) — employee share: 0.44% (up to $184,500/yr) → $11.00/period
- Local taxes: Some Colorado home-rule cities levy a flat monthly occupational privilege tax (a 'head tax') on people who work in the city. It is a fixed dollar amount set by each city rather than a percentage of pay, and it is not computed here — check with your city. (not computed here)
- Estimate only: this is an approximation, not a copy of Colorado's withholding worksheet. It annualizes your pay, subtracts the DR 1098 annual withholding allowance and applies the 4.40% rate. Your employer follows the DR 1098 worksheet with your own W-4 or DR 0004 elections, so your actual withholding will differ. Use the Colorado Department of Revenue's own DR 1098 worksheet and withholding calculator for an official figure.
Verified 2026-07-31 against IRS Publication 15-T (2026), Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods — section 1, Worksheet 1A and the 2026 Annual Percentage Method Tables for Automated Payroll Systems; FICA rates and wage base from IRS Publication 15 (2026) (effective 2026-01-01)
Verified 2026-07-31 against Colorado Department of Revenue — DR 1098 (10/21/25), 2026 Colorado Withholding Worksheet for Employers (effective 2026-01-01)
Estimate only — not legal, tax, or financial advice. Only Colorado's revenue agency can determine your actual amounts.
Official source: Colorado Department of Revenue — DR 1098 (10/21/25), 2026 Colorado Withholding Worksheet for Employers ↗
How this estimate is built
Estimate only: this is an approximation, not a copy of Colorado's withholding worksheet. It annualizes your pay, subtracts the DR 1098 annual withholding allowance and applies the 4.40% rate. Your employer follows the DR 1098 worksheet with your own W-4 or DR 0004 elections, so your actual withholding will differ. Use the Colorado Department of Revenue's own DR 1098 worksheet and withholding calculator for an official figure.
Local taxes (Some Colorado home-rule cities levy a flat monthly occupational privilege tax (a 'head tax') on people who work in the city. It is a fixed dollar amount set by each city rather than a percentage of pay, and it is not computed here — check with your city.) exist in Colorado and are not computed here.
Colorado’s official withholding guidance ↗Colorado paycheck questions
How much is taken out of a paycheck in Colorado?
Federal income tax comes out under the IRS Publication 15-T percentage method, along with Social Security at 6.2% and Medicare at 1.45%. Colorado taxes wage income at a flat 4.4%, after the deductions and exemptions its withholding guidance applies. Enter your gross pay above for an estimate of the total.
What is the Colorado income tax rate for 2026?
Colorado taxes wage income at a flat 4.4%, after the deductions and exemptions its withholding guidance applies. The figure was transcribed from Colorado Department of Revenue — DR 1098 (10/21/25), 2026 Colorado Withholding Worksheet for Employers and verified on 2026-07-31. Because withholding tables and annual calculations differ slightly, treat the result as an estimate and check it against the state's own table.
Why does this differ from my actual pay stub?
Two reasons. Pre-tax items — retirement contributions, health premiums, HSA deductions — reduce taxable pay and are not modelled here. And this uses an annualized approximation of the state's schedule rather than the exact withholding tables your employer's payroll system uses, which is disclosed on every result.
Are local taxes included in the Colorado estimate?
No. Some Colorado home-rule cities levy a flat monthly occupational privilege tax (a 'head tax') on people who work in the city. It is a fixed dollar amount set by each city rather than a percentage of pay, and it is not computed here — check with your city. appear in Colorado but vary by locality, so they are disclosed rather than computed. Your city or county revenue office publishes the applicable rate.
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