Calculate your take home pay after federal & California taxes
Last updated on Jul 15 2021
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California state income tax
Being the most populous US state, California state has a population of over 39 million (2019) and is an economic powerhouse, larger than all but eight countries. The state is known for plenty of American icons. The median household income is $71,805 (2017).
Brief summary:
- the income tax rate ranges from 1% to 13.3%
- no local income tax
- subject to State Disability Insurance (SDI)
- has standard deductions and exemptions
- has Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC)
California fiscal year starts from July 01 the year before to June 30 the current year. So the fiscal year 2021 will start from July 01 2020 to June 30 2021.
Calculating your California state income tax is similar to the steps we listed on our Federal paycheck calculator:
- figure out your filing status
- work out your adjusted gross income [Total annual income – Adjustments = Adjusted gross income]
- calculate your taxable income [Adjusted gross income – (Post-tax deductions + Exemptions) = Taxable income]
- understand your tax liability [Taxable income Γ Tax rate = Tax liability]
- determine whether your tax liability is more than your tax credits and withheld
- Tax liability – (Credits + Withheld) = What you owe or
- (Credits + Withheld) – Tax liability = Tax refunds
State payroll tax
| Fiscal year | Tax name | Percent of taxable wage | Up to taxable wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | State Disability Insurance (SDI) | 1.2% | $128,298 |
| 2020 | State Disability Insurance (SDI) | 1% | $122,909 |
Income tax brackets
Each filer type has different progressive tax rates. Refer to Tax Foundation for more details.
| Fiscal year | Filing status | Taxable income | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Single Married, Filing Separately |
$0 – $8,932 | 1.00% |
| $8,932 – $21,175 | 2.00% | ||
| $21,175 – $33,421 | 4.00% | ||
| $33,421 – $46,394 | 6.00% | ||
| $46,394 – $58,634 | 8.00% | ||
| $58,634 – $299,508 | 9.30% | ||
| $299,508 – $359,407 | 10.30% | ||
| $359,407 – $599,012 | 11.30% | ||
| $599,012 – $1,000,000 | 12.30% | ||
| $1,000,000 and over | 13.30% | ||
| Married, Filing Jointly or Widow(er) | $0 – $17,864 | 1.00% | |
| $17,864 – $42,350 | 2.00% | ||
| $42,350 – $66,842 | 4.00% | ||
| $66,842 – $92,788 | 6.00% | ||
| $92,788 – $117,268 | 8.00% | ||
| $117,268 – $599,016 | 9.30% | ||
| $599,016 – $718,814 | 10.30% | ||
| $718,814 – $1,000,000 | 11.30% | ||
| $1,000,000 – $1,198,024 | 12.30% | ||
| $1,198,024 and over | 13.30% | ||
| Head of Household | $0 – $17,864 | 1.00% | |
| $17,864 – $42,353 | 2.00% | ||
| $42,353 – $54,597 | 4.00% | ||
| $54,597 – $67,569 | 6.00% | ||
| $67,569 – $79,812 | 8.00% | ||
| $79,812 – $407,329 | 9.30% | ||
| $407,329 – $488,796 | 10.30% | ||
| $488,796 – $814,658 | 11.30% | ||
| $814,658 – $1,000,000 | 12.30% | ||
| $1,000,000 and over | 13.30% | ||
| 2020 | Single Married, Filing Separately |
$0 – $8,809 | 1.00% |
| $8,809 – $20,883 | 2.00% | ||
| $20,883 – $32,960 | 4.00% | ||
| $32,960 – $45,753 | 6.00% | ||
| $45,753 – $57,824 | 8.00% | ||
| $57,824 – $295,373 | 9.30% | ||
| $295,373 – $354,445 | 10.30% | ||
| $354,445 – $590,742 | 11.30% | ||
| $590,742 – $999,999 | 12.30% | ||
| $1,000,000 and over | 13.30% | ||
| Married, Filing Jointly or Widow(er) | $0 – $17,618 | 1.00% | |
| $17,618 – $41,766 | 2.00% | ||
| $41,766 – $65,920 | 4.00% | ||
| $65,920 – $91,506 | 6.00% | ||
| $91,506 – $115,648 | 8.00% | ||
| $115,648 – $590,746 | 9.30% | ||
| $590,746 – $708,890 | 10.30% | ||
| $708,890 – $1,181,484 | 11.30% | ||
| $1,181,484 – $1,999,999 | 12.30% | ||
| $2,000,000 and over | 13.30% | ||
| Head of Household | $0 – $17,629 | 1.00% | |
| $17,629 – $41,768 | 2.00% | ||
| $41,768 – $53,843 | 4.00% | ||
| $53,843 – $66,636 | 6.00% | ||
| $66,636 – $78,710 | 8.00% | ||
| $78,710 – $401,705 | 9.30% | ||
| $401,705 – $482,047 | 10.30% | ||
| $482,047 – $803,410 | 11.30% | ||
| $803,410 – $999,999 | 12.30% | ||
| $1,000,000 and over | 13.30% |
Deductions
| Fiscal year | Filing status | Standard deduction amount |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Single Married, Filing Separately Head of Household |
$4,601 |
| Married, Filing Jointly | $9,202 | |
| 2020 | Single Married, Filing Separately Head of Household |
$4,537 |
| Married, Filing Jointly | $9,074 |
Exemptions
There is state-level exemptions for all type of filers and dependents. Refer to Tax Foundation for more details.
| Fiscal year | Filing status | Personal exemption amount | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Single Married, Filing Separately Head of Household |
$124 | As tax credit |
| Married, Filing Jointly or Widow(er) | $248 | As tax credit | |
| Dependent(s) | $383 | As tax credit | |
| 2020 | Single Married, Filing Separately Head of Household |
$122 | As tax credit |
| Married, Filing Jointly or Widow(er) | $244 | As tax credit | |
| Dependent(s) | $378 | As tax credit |
Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
| Fiscal year | No. of child | Maximum credit amount | Percentage of Federal EITC | Maximum income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 2020 |
0 | $243 | 85% | $30,000 |
| 1 | $1,626 | |||
| 2 | $2,691 | |||
| 3 or more | $3,027 |
Child Tax Credit (CTC)
| Fiscal year | Filing status | Amount per dependent | Refundable | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Single Married, Filing Separately Head of Household |
$337 per child | No | phase-out begins at $172,615 |
| Married, Filing Jointly | phase-out begins at $345,235 | |||
| 2020 | Single Married, Filing Separately Head of Household |
$326 per child | No | phase-out begins at $172,615 |
| Married, Filing Jointly | phase-out begins at $345,235 |
FAQs
What taxes do Californians pay?
The state-level income tax for California ranges from 1% to 13.3%. There is a payroll tax of 1.2% for taxable wage up to $128,298.
How much do you make after taxes in California?
A single filer with an annual paycheck of $72,000 will take home $55,420.25 after taxes.
A married couple earning $144,000 per annual will get $111,103.33 after taxes.