Iowa Paycheck Calculator 2026
Iowa taxes wage income at a flat 3.8%, 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 Iowa's withholding formula. It annualizes your pay, subtracts the Iowa deduction amount for your filing status and applies the flat 3.80% rate. Iowa then subtracts the total allowance amount from your IA W-4 as a CREDIT against the tax, which this model cannot express, so the estimate runs high by whatever allowance you claim. Use the Iowa Department of Revenue's own withholding formula or tables for an official figure. Local taxes (Most Iowa school districts levy a school district surtax, and some counties an emergency medical services surtax, calculated as a percentage of your Iowa income tax. Both are settled on your annual Iowa return rather than withheld from your paycheck, so neither is computed here.) are not included.
Check against Iowa’s own withholding tables ↗
- Taxable: $65,000 − $13,000 deductions = $52,000
- Flat 3.8% → $1,976/year
- Local taxes: Most Iowa school districts levy a school district surtax, and some counties an emergency medical services surtax, calculated as a percentage of your Iowa income tax. Both are settled on your annual Iowa return rather than withheld from your paycheck, so neither is computed here. (not computed here)
- Estimate only: this is an approximation, not a copy of Iowa's withholding formula. It annualizes your pay, subtracts the Iowa deduction amount for your filing status and applies the flat 3.80% rate. Iowa then subtracts the total allowance amount from your IA W-4 as a CREDIT against the tax, which this model cannot express, so the estimate runs high by whatever allowance you claim. Use the Iowa Department of Revenue's own withholding formula or tables 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 Iowa Department of Revenue — Iowa Individual Income Tax Withholding Formula, Effective January 1, 2026 (released November 2025) (effective 2026-01-01)
Estimate only — not legal, tax, or financial advice. Only Iowa's revenue agency can determine your actual amounts.
Official source: Iowa Department of Revenue — Iowa Individual Income Tax Withholding Formula, Effective January 1, 2026 (released November 2025) ↗
How this estimate is built
Estimate only: this is an approximation, not a copy of Iowa's withholding formula. It annualizes your pay, subtracts the Iowa deduction amount for your filing status and applies the flat 3.80% rate. Iowa then subtracts the total allowance amount from your IA W-4 as a CREDIT against the tax, which this model cannot express, so the estimate runs high by whatever allowance you claim. Use the Iowa Department of Revenue's own withholding formula or tables for an official figure.
Local taxes (Most Iowa school districts levy a school district surtax, and some counties an emergency medical services surtax, calculated as a percentage of your Iowa income tax. Both are settled on your annual Iowa return rather than withheld from your paycheck, so neither is computed here.) exist in Iowa and are not computed here.
Iowa’s official withholding guidance ↗Iowa paycheck questions
How much is taken out of a paycheck in Iowa?
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%. Iowa taxes wage income at a flat 3.8%, after the deductions and exemptions its withholding guidance applies. Enter your gross pay above for an estimate of the total.
What is the Iowa income tax rate for 2026?
Iowa taxes wage income at a flat 3.8%, after the deductions and exemptions its withholding guidance applies. The figure was transcribed from Iowa Department of Revenue — Iowa Individual Income Tax Withholding Formula, Effective January 1, 2026 (released November 2025) 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 Iowa estimate?
No. Most Iowa school districts levy a school district surtax, and some counties an emergency medical services surtax, calculated as a percentage of your Iowa income tax. Both are settled on your annual Iowa return rather than withheld from your paycheck, so neither is computed here. appear in Iowa 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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