Colorado paycheck calculator

Take-home pay in Colorado after federal and Colorado income tax, Social Security, Medicare and your deductions, using the 2026 withholding rules.

State you live and work in

2026 rules for Colorado.

Pay

I'm paid

Salary (per year, before taxes)

How often you're paid

Your Form W-4

Filing status

Children under 17

$2,200 each in Step 3, if your income is $200,000 or less ($400,000 married filing jointly).

Other dependents

$500 each in Step 3.

Pre-tax and after-tax deductions

401(k) or 403(b) contribution

Traditional (pre-tax). Put a Roth contribution under after-tax deductions.

Health insurance, HSA and FSA

Pre-tax premiums and contributions through payroll; they also lower Social Security and Medicare.

After-tax deductions

Roth 401(k), union dues, garnishments.

More Form W-4 options

Step 2: two jobs, or married and your spouse works

Only if you checked the box in Step 2(c) of your W-4.

Step 4(a): other income (per year)

Step 4(b): deductions (per year)

From the W-4's Deductions Worksheet: tips, overtime, car loan interest, the senior deduction, itemizing.

Step 4(c): extra withholding

Take-home pay per paycheck

$1,835.69

$47,727.86 a year from $59,999.94 gross, 26 paychecks.

Gross pay, each deduction and take-home pay, per paycheck and per year
Item	Per paycheck	Per year
Gross pay	$2,307.69	$59,999.94
Federal income tax	−$193.08	−$5,020.08
Social Security	−$143.08	−$3,720.00
Medicare	−$33.46	−$870.00
Colorado income tax	−$92.23	−$2,398.00
CO FAMLI	−$10.15	−$264.00
Take-home pay	$1,835.69	$47,727.86

Taxes as a share of pay: 20.5%
Federal taxable wages (year): $59,999.94

Estimates for planning, not tax advice. Your employer's payroll may round differently, and your tax bill when you file can differ from what's withheld.

How Colorado taxes your paycheck in 2026

Colorado taxes wages at a flat 4.40%. For withholding, employers subtract an allowance of $5,500 a year ($11,000 if married filing jointly) unless you file a Colorado DR 0004, then take 4.40% of the rest. Paychecks also pay 0.44% for Colorado's paid family and medical leave program (FAMLI), on wages up to $184,500. Traditional 401(k) contributions and pre-tax health premiums are not taxed. Denver (and a few smaller cities) also charge a small flat monthly occupational privilege tax.

Income tax rate: 4.4% of taxable wages.

Standard deduction: $5,500 single or married filing separately; $11,000 married filing jointly; $5,500 head of household.
A traditional 401(k) lowers your Colorado taxable wages; pre-tax health premiums do.

Colorado payroll contributions

Colorado employee payroll taxes, 2026
Contribution	Rate	Wages up to
CO FAMLI	0.44%	$184,500

City and county taxes

Colorado has no local income tax, but a few cities charge a flat monthly Occupational Privilege Tax (OPT, or "head tax") on people who work there. Denver withholds $5.75 a month from employees who earn at least $500 a month working in Denver. A few smaller cities have their own; Aurora repealed its OPT from January 1, 2025. These flat amounts are not included in the calculator.

What this calculator simplifies

We assume you have not filed Colorado Form DR 0004, so the default yearly allowance applies: $11,000 if married filing jointly and $5,500 for everyone else. Dependents add nothing unless you file a DR 0004.
Uses the 4.40% rate Colorado sets for 2026 withholding. Colorado's final 2026 income tax rate can be cut temporarily (as it was to 4.25% for 2024) if state revenue exceeds the TABOR limit; that would be settled on your return, not in paychecks.
This is withholding, not your final Colorado tax, which starts from federal taxable income and has its own additions, subtractions and credits.
Denver's $5.75 a month Occupational Privilege Tax (and any other city's) is not deducted.
Some employers pay the employee's FAMLI share themselves, or use a private plan; then nothing is deducted for FAMLI.

Sources

How every number is worked out is on the methodology page.