California Paycheck Calculator
Calculate your take home pay after federal & California taxes
Updated for tax year 2022
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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
From Wikipedia
California tax year starts from July 01 the year before to June 30 the current year. So the tax 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 × Tax rate = Tax liability]
- minus any additional tax withholdings [Total annual income – (Tax liability + All deductions + Withholdings) = Your annual paycheck]
State payroll tax
| Tax 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.
| Tax 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% |
Standard deduction
| Tax 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.
| Tax 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 |
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 $53,527.75 after taxes.
A married couple earning $144,000 per annual will get $107,318.33 after taxes.