Iowa Paycheck Calculator

Calculate your take-home pay per paycheck for salary and hourly jobs after federal & Iowa taxes

Updated for 2025 tax year on Feb 14, 2025

Calculate your paycheck in these states

How to calculate your Iowa paycheck

Overview of Iowa

Iowa has a population of over 3 million (2019) and is the world’s leading corn producer (second to China).

Brief summary:

• the income tax rate ranges from 4.4% to 5.7%
• a resident of Appanoose county need to pay a 1% local income tax
• additional local income tax for some school districts
• no state-level payroll tax
• has standard deductions and exemptions

Understanding your Iowa paycheck

Your Iowa paycheck can be a puzzle to decipher, with federal taxes, state taxes, and other components to account for. Let’s dive into the details and help you better understand how your paycheck is calculated.

At the top of the list, your paycheck is subject to federal income and FICA taxes. FICA consists of Social Security and Medicare.

If you’re self-employed in Iowa, you are responsible for the employee and employer portions of FICA tax. You can, however, deduct the employer portion as a business expense.

Understanding how Form W-4 impacts your paycheck is essential. This form lets your employer know how much to withhold from your wages. The frequency of your pay can also affect the withholding amount, thus the size of your paychecks.

Your marital status and pre-tax deductions also come into play when calculating your Iowa paycheck. Some standard pre-tax deductions include contributions to retirement accounts, health insurance premiums, and flexible spending accounts. These deductions reduce your taxable income and your tax liability.

In addition to federal taxes, your paycheck will be subjected to Iowa state income tax. There are also local income taxes that vary by jurisdiction and school district.

Iowa offers a state standard deduction, so you don’t have to itemize deductions. You can also claim personal exemptions for you and your dependents. These deductions and exemptions help lower your tax burden, ensuring that you only pay taxes on the income that truly represents your ability to pay.

Finally, post-tax deductions may also be taken out of your paycheck. These deductions can include charitable contributions, wage garnishments, and union dues. Understanding these deductions is crucial to ensuring your paycheck accurately reflects your financial commitments.

Calculate your Iowa paycheck

Calculating your Iowa state income tax is similar to the steps we listed on our main paycheck calculator page:

1. Determine your gross income
   • Annual salary
     Annual salary = Gross income
   • Hourly wage
     Hourly wage × Hours worked per day × Days worked per week × Weeks worked per year = Your weekly paycheck
2. Work out your total federal income tax
   1. Gross income adjusted
      Gross income − Pre-tax deductions = Gross income adjusted
   2. Federal taxable income
      Gross income adjusted − Federal standard/itemized deductions = Federal taxable income
   3. Federal income tax liability
      Federal taxable income × Federal income tax rate = Federal income tax liability
   4. Federal payroll tax liability
      Gross income × Federal payroll tax rate = Federal payroll tax liability
3. Calculate your total Iowa state income tax
   1. Iowa state taxable income
      Gross income adjusted − Iowa state standard/itemized deductions = Iowa state taxable income
   2. Iowa state income tax liability
      Iowa state taxable income × Iowa state income tax rate = Iowa state income tax liability
4. Derive your Iowa local income tax liability
   (Gross income adjusted or Iowa state taxable income) × Iowa local income tax rate = Iowa local income tax liability
5. Figure out your net pay
   You need to account for any other deductions such as health insurance, 401(k) contribution, as well as additional withholdings.
   Gross income − (Total income tax liability + Total payroll tax liability + Total pre-tax deductions + Total post-tax deductions + Total withholdings) = Your net pay
6. Divide your net pay by your pay frequency
   
   • Daily
     Your net pay / Days worked per week / Weeks worked per year = Your daily paycheck
   • Weekly
     Your net pay / 52 = Your weekly paycheck
   • Bi-weekly
     Your net pay / 26 = Your bi-weekly paycheck
   • Semi-monthly
     Your net pay / 24 = Your semi-monthly paycheck
   • Monthly
     Your net pay / 12 = Your monthly paycheck
   • Quarterly
     Your net pay / 4 = Your quarterly paycheck
   • Semi-annual
     Your net pay / 2 = Your semi-annual paycheck
   • Annual
     Your net pay = Your annual paycheck

State income tax brackets

Each filer type has different progressive tax rates. Refer to Tax Foundation for more details.

County income tax

School district income tax

Iowa school district surtaxes are calculated based on the taxpayer’s Iowa tax liability. For instance, if a taxpayer’s Iowa tax liability is $1,000 and the school district surtax rate is 15%, they will owe an additional $150 in taxes.

State standard deduction

State exemptions

There are state-level exemptions for all types of filers and dependents. All exemptions are in the form of tax credits. Refer to Tax Foundation for more details.

FAQs