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Colorado Paycheck Calculator 2026

Estimate your 2026 Colorado take-home pay. Colorado withholds a flat 4.40% of annualized taxable wages after the Form W-4 / DR 0004 allowance (DR 1098), and most employers also deduct the employee share of FAMLI paid family and medical leave insurance (0.44% of wages up to $184,500).

1Your pay
2Federal W-4 (2020 or later)
More W-4 options

Take-home pay

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Per year
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Total tax rate
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    Full breakdown
    ItemPer paycheckPer year

    Estimate only, not tax advice. Your employer's payroll may differ by a few cents because of rounding, and your actual tax is settled when you file.

    3Pre-tax deductions Optional
    4Colorado DR 1098 / DR 0004

    How your Colorado paycheck is calculated

    Colorado income tax withholding (4.40%)

    Employers follow worksheet DR 1098: multiply taxable wages by the number of pay periods, subtract $11,000 if your expected filing status is married filing jointly or qualifying surviving spouse (or $5,500 otherwise), or the amount from Form DR 0004 Line 2 if you filed one, multiply by 4.40%, and divide by pay periods. Example: $2,000 biweekly as single → ($52,000 − $5,500) × 4.40% ÷ 26 = $78.69.

    Colorado FAMLI (0.44% employee share)

    For 2026 the total FAMLI premium is 0.88% of wages up to the Social Security wage base ($184,500), split evenly so employees typically pay 0.44%. Employers may choose to cover the employee share; tick the box in this calculator if yours does.

    Pre-tax deductions

    Traditional 401(k) and Section 125 contributions reduce Colorado taxable wages for income-tax withholding in this calculator. FAMLI premiums follow Social Security wages (401(k) still counts; Section 125 does not).

    Federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare

    Federal withholding uses the IRS 2026 percentage method for automated payroll systems (Publication 15-T, Worksheet 1A). Social Security is 6.2% of wages up to the $184,500 wage base, and Medicare is 1.45% of all wages plus 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax on wages above $200,000. Per-paycheck Social Security and Medicare are shown as a yearly average: if you pass the wage base, your later paychecks will show none.

    What this calculator does not include

    This estimate does not cover bonuses or other supplemental wages, multiple jobs, Roth (after-tax) contributions, HSA payroll contributions, wage garnishments, or tips and overtime deductions unless you enter them on Form W-4 Step 4(b). Denver and other local occupational privilege taxes are not included. Private-plan FAMLI substitutes are not modeled beyond the employer-pays checkbox. See the methodology for details.

    Frequently asked questions

    What is the Colorado state income tax rate for 2026 withholding?

    4.40% of annualized taxable wages after the DR 1098 allowance (Colorado Department of Revenue, DR 1098 dated 10/21/25).

    What is the Colorado withholding allowance?

    If you did not file Form DR 0004, your employer subtracts $11,000 a year for married filing jointly or qualifying surviving spouse, or $5,500 otherwise, based on your Form W-4. Form DR 0004 Line 2 can set a different annual allowance.

    How much is Colorado FAMLI in 2026?

    The employee share is usually 0.44% of wages up to $184,500. On $2,000 of biweekly pay that is about $8.80 per paycheck until you hit the wage base.

    Does this include Denver occupational privilege tax or local taxes?

    No. Colorado local occupational privilege taxes and other local withholdings are not modeled.

    How is federal income tax withholding calculated?

    We follow Worksheet 1A of IRS Publication 15-T (2026) for a 2020-or-later Form W-4: your taxable pay is annualized, adjusted by the Form W-4 entries (Step 2 checkbox, Step 3 credits, Step 4 other income, deductions and extra withholding), run through the 2026 percentage-method table for your filing status, and divided back by your number of paychecks. Our engine reproduces all 4,350 cells of the IRS 2026 wage-bracket tables for weekly, biweekly, semimonthly and monthly pay.

    Why does Social Security stop at $184,500?

    For 2026 the Social Security (OASDI) wage base is $184,500 (SSA). The 6.2% employee tax applies only to wages up to that amount each year. Medicare (1.45%) has no cap, and employers must withhold an extra 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax on wages above $200,000 in the year, regardless of filing status.

    Is withholding the same as the tax I will owe?

    No. Withholding is an estimate taken from each paycheck. Your actual tax is settled when you file your return and depends on all your income, deductions and credits, so you may get a refund or owe more.

    Official sources

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