State Income Tax Calculator (Pro) United States

What the state income tax calculator does

The calculator estimates how much individual income tax a US state would charge on a given taxable income at its top marginal rate, then ranks every state on the same income. It is meant for people weighing a move or a job offer in another state who want to compare the income tax burden.

This is a Pro tool. The rate table and the fifty-one-jurisdiction ranking are calculated on our server, and you see the tax figure, the rate applied, your income after it, and the full ranked schedule.

How the estimate is calculated

For your selected state, the tool looks up the 2026 top marginal individual income tax rate and applies it as a flat rate to your taxable income. If your taxable income is $100,000 and the state's top rate is 13.30%, the result is $100,000 multiplied by 0.1330, or $13,300. Your income after state tax is your income minus that amount.

Each state's rate comes from its revenue department or its enacted 2026 legislation. Applying the same rule to every state keeps the comparison consistent; the cost in accuracy is set out below.

What the model leaves out

Most states use graduated brackets, like the federal system, so lower slices of income are taxed at lower rates and only income above the top threshold pays the top rate. Several states express this as a computation schedule: apply the top rate to the whole amount, then subtract a fixed sum that gives back what the lower bands would have saved. A handful of states use a single flat rate, and for those the estimate here is essentially exact.

South Carolina shows the size of the gap. Under H. 4216, signed on 30 March 2026, its 2026 schedule charges 1.99% on income below $30,000, and 5.21% less a flat $966 on income of $30,000 and above. On $100,000 of taxable income the real South Carolina tax is $5,210 less $966, or $4,244. This calculator, applying 5.21% flat, returns $5,210, which is $966 too high for every South Carolina filer above the band. Other graduated states are overstated in the same way, usually by more, because their brackets are wider and their rate spreads larger.

Encoding one state's real schedule while leaving the other fifty as top-rate approximations would distort the ranking, which is the main purpose of the tool. So the same rule applies everywhere. Read each figure as an upper bound on that state's tax, useful for comparing states, not as a bill.

The states with no income tax

Eight states impose no individual income tax on wage income: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming. For these the calculator returns zero at any income, and the figure is exact.

New Hampshire does not tax ordinary wage or salary income. Washington taxes only certain high capital gains, not earned income, so it also shows zero for a typical wage earner. These zero-tax states sort to one end of the ranking.

A worked example

Suppose you have $100,000 of taxable income and are comparing California, New York and Texas. California's top marginal rate of 13.30% gives $13,300, leaving $86,700. New York's top rate of 10.90% gives $10,900. Texas, with no income tax, gives $0.

The ranked schedule puts Texas and the other no-tax states at the low end, then the low-rate flat states, the mid-rate states, and finally high-rate states such as California. The California and New York figures are upper bounds, since neither state taxes a $100,000 income at anything close to its top rate, while the Texas figure is exact.

Assumptions and limits

The calculator estimates state individual income tax only, at the top marginal rate. It excludes federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare, and local city or county income taxes, which can be significant in places such as New York City. It ignores state brackets, standard and itemized deductions, exemptions, credits, and fixed subtractions such as South Carolina's $966, all of which lower a real bill.

Use it to compare the relative burden between states and to spot the no-tax states. Rerun it when your income changes or states adjust their rates, pair it with a federal calculation and a bracket-aware state calculator, and confirm any real decision against official state guidance or with a licensed tax professional.

This is general information only and not financial advice.

About This State Income Tax Calculator

Use this state income tax calculator to get an instant, accurate estimate. The figures follow official guidance and every rate and threshold is kept up to date for 2026. Adjust the inputs above to match your situation, or browse all our calculators to plan your next step.