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Colorado Paycheck Calculator - Flat 4.4% State Tax (2026)

Colorado Paycheck Calculator (2026)

Colorado state income tax rate: 4.4% (flat 4.4% rate). Enter your hourly rate or salary above to see your exact Colorado take-home pay including federal and state withholding.

Rates verified against Colorado Department of Revenue. Updated September 2026.

Written by Cole Bridges, Senior Tax and Payroll Analyst | Reviewed by the HourlyTax Research Team

Data sourced from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32, Public Law 119-21 (OBBBA), and SSA COLA Guidelines. Updated September 2026. About our methodology

Bracket-based estimate using 2025 IRS tax tables - Colorado

🔒 No data stored ⚡ Instant results 📊 Real 2026 brackets ✓ FICA rates verified
📋 State Rate Verified — Colorado tax rate confirmed against Colorado Department of Revenue current guidance. Federal brackets from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32. Report a data error.

Colorado Paycheck Calculator

ℹ️
What this calculator includes Federal income tax + Social Security + Medicare + Colorado flat 4.4% state income tax.
Pay Type
Your take-home pay
$0.00
per period
DescriptionPer Paycheck
💵 Gross Pay -
🏛 Federal Income Tax -
🔒 Social Security (6.2%) -
🏥 Medicare (1.45%) -
🗺 Colorado State Income Tax -
Total Deductions -
✅ Net take-home pay -
⚠️ Bracket-based estimate only. Does not include W-4 adjustments, pre-tax deductions (401k, HSA, health insurance), local/municipal taxes, or year-to-date limits. Consult your employer or a tax professional for exact withholding amounts.

About the Colorado Paycheck Calculator

Colorado uses a flat 4.4% state income tax with no separate state standard deduction (it uses your federal taxable income). This calculator applies Colorado's actual flat rate alongside federal income tax, Social Security, and Medicare for an accurate Colorado take-home pay estimate.

Colorado's state income tax is computed after deducting Colorado's standard deduction ($2,500 single / $7,500 married) and personal exemption ($1,500 single / $3,000 married). The top 5% rate kicks in on income above $3,000 for single filers and $6,000 for married filers - meaning most Colorado workers pay an effective rate close to 5% on the majority of their income.

Note: Several Colorado cities including Birmingham and Gadsden impose local occupational taxes (1–2%) not included in this calculator. Jefferson County also has a 1% occupational tax. Check with your employer for local withholding amounts. These results are bracket-based estimates only.

📚 Sources & Last Updated

Last updated: August 2026 · Tax year: 2026

How the Tax Formula Works

This calculator uses a bracket-based approach - the same method used to compute annual tax liability - divided by your pay periods. It is an estimate, not a payroll withholding calculation (which uses W-4 inputs and IRS Publication 15-T procedures).

1Gross Pay = Hourly Rate × Hours OR Annual Salary ÷ Pay Periods
2Federal Taxable Income = Annual Gross − Standard Deduction (2026: $16,100 single / $32,200 married)
3Federal Income Tax = Apply 2026 IRS brackets (10%→37%) ÷ pay periods
4Social Security = Gross × 6.2% (stops at $184,500 annual wages)
5Medicare = Gross × 1.45% (+0.9% on wages over $200K single)
6Colorado 2026: flat 4.4% rate applied to federal taxable income (gross − $16,100 single / $32,200 married federal standard deduction) - source: Colorado Department of Revenue, Tax Foundation 2026 brackets
7Net Take Home = Gross − Fed Tax − SS − Medicare − State Tax

Results are bracket-based estimates. Actual paycheck withholding is determined by your W-4 form, pre-tax deductions, and employer payroll procedures. Use these results for planning and budgeting - not as a substitute for your actual pay stub.

Frequently Asked Questions - Colorado Paycheck Calculator

Colorado has a flat 4.4% income tax rate for 2026. This single rate applies to all taxable income regardless of income level - Colorado does not have brackets. The rate may be temporarily reduced to 4.25% in years when state revenue exceeds the TABOR (Taxpayer's Bill of Rights) cap, but 4.4% is the current permanent rate.
A single Colorado filer earning $60,000 can expect approximately $46,800–$47,800 in annual take-home pay. Federal income tax (~$5,200 after the $16,100 federal standard deduction), Colorado state tax (~$1,932 at 4.4% flat rate), Social Security ($3,720), and Medicare ($870) are deducted. Colorado has no local income taxes (Denver has a small monthly occupational tax separately).
Colorado has no local income taxes at the county or city level - with one small exception. Denver imposes an Occupational Privilege Tax of $5.75 per month for employees earning over $500/month who work in Denver (employers also pay $4/month). Some other cities like Aurora, Glendale, Greenwood Village, and Sheridan have similar small flat occupational taxes. These are not percentage-based income taxes and are separate from the state 4.4% rate.
Colorado offers meaningful retirement income exemptions. Social Security benefits are fully exempt for taxpayers age 65 and older. Those ages 55–64 may subtract up to $20,000 of combined Social Security and pension/annuity income. For taxpayers 65+, the retirement income deduction increases to $24,000. IRA and 401(k) withdrawals count toward the pension subtraction limit. Colorado also has no estate or inheritance tax.
Colorado does not have a separate state standard deduction. Instead, Colorado uses your federal taxable income as the starting point for state tax - meaning the federal standard deduction ($16,100 single / $32,200 married for 2026) effectively applies. Colorado then makes specific additions and subtractions to arrive at Colorado taxable income, which is taxed at the flat 4.4% rate.
Colorado employers use Form DR 0004 (Colorado Employee Withholding Certificate) and Colorado Department of Revenue withholding tables to calculate state income tax each pay period. Employees can also use the federal W-4 in lieu of the DR 0004 - Colorado accepts both. The flat 4.4% rate makes withholding calculations straightforward. Official source: tax.colorado.gov
Colorado's top (and only) income tax rate is 4.4% flat - it applies to all taxable income regardless of amount. There is no higher bracket. This rate may be temporarily reduced below 4.4% in years when state revenue exceeds the TABOR (Taxpayer's Bill of Rights) constitutional cap and triggers surplus refunds to taxpayers. The permanent rate remains 4.4%.
Colorado sits in the middle of its Mountain West neighbors for income tax burden. Wyoming and Nevada have no state income tax. Arizona's flat rate is 2.5% - significantly lower than Colorado's 4.4%. Utah is 4.65%, New Mexico is around 4.9%, and Kansas is around 5.7%. Colorado's TABOR mechanism, which refunds surplus revenue to taxpayers, provides an additional advantage not found in most states.

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Federal changes from Public Law 119-21 affect all states:

⏰ No Tax on OT 💰 No Tax on Tips 👴 Senior Deduction 🏠 SALT Cap Relief

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Federal source: IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 · State source: Colorado DOR 2026 — flat 4.4% rate · Estimates only — not tax advice. Methodology · Report error

Colorado Paycheck Calculator — Flat 4.4% State Tax

Colorado uses a flat 4.4% income tax rate for 2026, applying uniformly to all taxable income. Colorado voters approved Proposition 121 in 2022, reducing the rate from 4.55% to 4.4%. The state ties its standard deduction to the federal standard deduction — meaning Colorado workers benefit from the same $16,100 deduction as federal filers in 2026, resulting in the same federal and Colorado taxable income.

Colorado FAMLI Deduction

Colorado workers also see a deduction for FAMLI — Family and Medical Leave Insurance. The employee contribution rate is 0.45% of wages up to the Social Security wage base in 2026. This is a relatively small but additional paycheck deduction specific to Colorado that workers in most other states do not pay.

Colorado at $25/Hour

A Colorado worker earning $25/hour ($52,000/year) pays approximately $1,574 in Colorado state income tax annually ($52,000 - $16,100 standard deduction = $35,900 × 4.4%). Combined with federal taxes and FICA, take-home pay is roughly $38,500-$39,000 — or about $1,480-$1,500 biweekly.

Denver Metro and Colorado Housing Costs

Colorado's housing costs are among the highest in the Mountain West, particularly in the Denver-Boulder metro. A worker earning $25/hour in Denver faces a housing market where a one-bedroom apartment averages $1,800-$2,200/month — consuming a significant portion of take-home pay. Mountain resort communities like Vail and Aspen have even higher costs, driving many resort workers into shared housing arrangements.

"For tax year 2026, the standard deduction for single filers is $16,100 and $32,200 for married couples filing jointly, reflecting inflation adjustments under IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32."

Source: Internal Revenue Service - IRS 2026 Tax Year Inflation Adjustments

"The Social Security wage base limit is $184,500 for calendar year 2026. The FICA tax rate remains 6.2% for employees and employers."

Source: Social Security Administration - SSA 2026 COLA Fact Sheet

Related state calculators

Working across state lines or comparing offers? Use our calculators for nearby states to see how Colorado take-home pay compares to Arizona, Nevada, and Texas. Each calculator applies the actual 2026 state brackets plus federal tax, FICA, and OBBBA overtime deduction.

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Or jump back to the national paycheck calculator or browse our full state list.