2026 Washington has no state income tax
The Washington Department of Revenue states that Washington does not currently have an individual income tax. Employees do pay two state premiums: Paid Family and Medical Leave, 1.13% of wages up to $184,500 with up to 71.43% paid by the employee, and WA Cares, 0.58% of all wages. A new 9.9% tax on income over $1 million begins in 2028 and does not apply to 2026 paychecks. The state income-tax line on this page is $0.00 at every wage. Federal income tax and FICA are still withheld.
| Item | 2026 |
|---|---|
| State income tax | $0.00 |
| What is still withheld | Federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, Additional Medicare, WA PFML, WA Cares |
| WA Paid Family and Medical Leave | 1.13% of wages up to $184,500, employee pays up to 71.43% |
| WA Cares | 0.58% of all wages |
Social Security is 6.2% up to $184,500. Medicare is 1.45% of wages. Additional Medicare is 0.9% of wages over $200,000. Those figures are the federal amounts in the same data file, from Publication 15-T and the Social Security wage-base publication.
This page assumes your employer deducts the full employee share of Paid Family and Medical Leave. Some employers pay part of it. WA Cares is $0 for workers with an approved exemption. The Paid Leave line stops after wages pass $184,500; the paycheck amount spreads the year's total evenly.
Worked example
The same federal method used on the other paycheck pages, with the Washington state income-tax line at $0.00.
Washington example
$60,000 a year, single, paid every two weeks. Step 2 is not checked. There is no Step 3 credit and no Step 4 amount.
Federal withholding follows IRS Publication 15-T (tax year 2026), Worksheet 1A, annualized. Annual wages are $60,000.00. Worksheet line 1g is $8,600.00, so the adjusted annual wage is $51,400.00. That wage falls in the standard percentage table row from $19,900.00 to $57,900.00. The row's base is $1,240.00 and its rate is 12%. Annual federal income tax is $5,020.00.
Social Security is $3,720.00 and Medicare is $870.00 for the year. Take-home pay on this paycheck is $1,906.06.
| Line | This paycheck | Full year |
|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $2,307.69 | $60,000.00 |
| Federal income tax | $193.08 | $5,020.00 |
| Social Security | $143.08 | $3,720.00 |
| Medicare | $33.46 | $870.00 |
| Additional Medicare | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| State income tax | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| WA PFML | $18.63 | $484.30 |
| WA Cares | $13.38 | $348.00 |
| Total withheld | $401.63 | $10,442.30 |
| Take-home pay | $1,906.06 | $49,557.70 |
How to use the result
- Enter salary, hourly pay, or a gross paycheck the same way as on the other state pages.
- The allowance field does not change the state line, because there is no state income tax to reduce.
- Compare another state from the paycheck calculator.
Sources
Rates, deductions, and limits on this page are the 2026 figures this calculator uses (last checked 2026-11-01). The publications below are the sources for this estimate.
- IRS Publication 15-T (2026)
- Social Security and Medicare employee tax
- Social Security and Medicare employee tax
- Additional Medicare Tax
- Washington Department of Revenue: no individual income tax
- Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave premium
- WA Cares Fund premium
Check a federal estimate with the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator.
Data sources: IRS Publication 15-T (2026), Washington Department of Revenue: no individual income tax, Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave premium, WA Cares Fund premium. Last checked November 1, 2026.
Disclaimer
AuraCalcs provides estimates for informational and educational purposes only. Results use the 2026 payroll withholding methods published by the IRS and the listed state agencies and may differ from your actual paycheck, which depends on your employer's payroll system, your Form W-4 and state withholding forms, benefits elections and other factors. This is not tax, legal or financial advice. Verify with your employer's payroll department, the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator, or a qualified tax professional. The paycheck calculators estimate federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, Additional Medicare, and state withholding for the states on these pages. They are not a bill, a filing, or a determination of tax owed.
Frequently asked questions
Does Washington withhold state income tax?
Then why is the take-home less than gross pay?
What are WA PFML and WA Cares?
Does Washington's new income tax affect 2026?
Can I use this for a bonus or a 401(k)?
Last reviewed: 2026-11-01