Paycheck calculator
Iowa paycheck calculator
2026 federal, FICA and Iowa withholding. Change any field; the pay stub updates.
Take-home pay$1,870.93every two weeks · $48,644 a year
| Item | Per paycheck | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Earnings | ||
| Gross pay | $2,307.69 | $60,000.00 |
| Taxes | ||
| Federal income tax | −$193.08 | −$5,020.00 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | −$143.08 | −$3,720.00 |
| Medicare (1.45%) | −$33.46 | −$870.00 |
| Iowa income tax | −$67.15 | −$1,745.90 |
| Total taxes | −$436.77 | −$11,355.90 |
| Net pay | $1,870.93 | $48,644.10 |
Taxes take 18.9% of gross pay in Iowa. Your top federal withholding bracket is 12%.
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How Iowa withholding works in 2026
Iowa withholding is four steps: subtract a fixed deduction from the paycheck, multiply by 3.8%, subtract your IA W-4 allowances spread over the year's paychecks, and add any extra amount you asked for[ia1]. In the Department of Revenue's notation:
- T1 = wages for the period − deduction for the period (table below).
- T2 = T1 × 3.8%.
- T3 = T2 − total IA W-4 allowances ÷ pay periods per year.
- T4 = T3 + additional withholding from line 8.
For this page's example: $2,307.69 − $500.00 = $1,807.69; × 3.8% = $68.69; minus $40 ÷ 26 = $67.15 withheld. Payments an employer makes into retirement plans or for employee health insurance are not counted as taxable wages, so pre-tax 401(k) and health premiums come out before step 1[ia1]. The 3.8% flat rate dates from a 2024 law, SF 2442, which took effect for 2025[ia5].
| Pay period | Other / single | Head of household | Married, spouse no earned income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly | $250.00 | $375.00 | $500.00 |
| Biweekly | $500.00 | $750.00 | $1,000.00 |
| Semimonthly | $541.67 | $812.50 | $1,083.33 |
| Monthly | $1,083.33 | $1,625.00 | $2,166.67 |
| Annual | $13,000.00 | $19,500.00 | $26,000.00 |
These amounts went up for 2026, from $12,000, $18,050 and $24,050 a year in the 2025 formula[ia5]. The Department notes that the deduction in this step is not the federal standard deduction.
Filling out the 2026 IA W-4
The IA W-4 asks for a filing status and a dollar total of allowances, not a count. Each new hire must complete one within 15 days, and an employee who never does is withheld at a $0 allowance[ia4]. The 2026 form (44-019a) works like this[ia3]:
- Filing status. "Other" covers single and married filing separately. A married employee who checks "Married filing jointly" and answers yes to "does your spouse also have earned income?" is withheld as if single; answering no uses the larger married deduction.
- Line 1, personal allowances. $40 for yourself, or $80 if unmarried and eligible for head of household, plus $20 if 65 or older and $20 if blind; the same amounts for a spouse who does not work or claim allowances on a separate IA W-4.
- Line 2, dependents. $40 for each dependent claimed on the Iowa return.
- Lines 3–6. Itemized deductions above the federal standard deduction, adjustments to income and the federal senior exemption, each multiplied by 3.8%, plus a child and dependent care allowance of $40 to $200 by income.
- Line 8. An extra amount per paycheck.
Every $40 of allowances lowers Iowa withholding by $40 over the year. Adding two dependents ($120 in total) changes Iowa tax on $60,000 from $1,746 to $1,666. Employees whose IA W-4 dates from 2023 or earlier keep being withheld from it, with each old allowance counted as $40 and the older Single and Married columns[ia1].
Iowa exemptions, surtax and federal changes
Some Iowa employees can write "EXEMPT" on the IA W-4 and have nothing withheld. Under age 65, a single person qualifies with total income of $9,000 or less, or under $5,000 if claimed as someone else's dependent, and a married couple or head of household at $13,500 or less. At 65 or older the limits are $24,000 single and $32,000 for others[ia3][ia4]. Nonresidents cannot claim the exemption.
Iowa's school district surtax is not part of employer withholding. The IA W-4 instructions suggest that residents of districts that impose it claim fewer allowances or add an extra amount on line 8[ia3].
The 2026 formula and IA W-4 were revised for federal changes from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that Iowa follows[ia2]. The form cannot reflect the new federal deductions for tips, overtime or car-loan interest, because Iowa law does not yet provide a withholding allowance for them[ia3].
Iowa take-home pay on common salaries
| Salary | Federal tax | FICA | State + local | Per paycheck | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $30,000 | $1,420 | $2,295 | $606 | $987.65 | $25,679 |
| $40,000 | $2,620 | $3,060 | $986 | $1,282.08 | $33,334 |
| $50,000 | $3,820 | $3,825 | $1,366 | $1,576.50 | $40,989 |
| $60,000 | $5,020 | $4,590 | $1,746 | $1,870.93 | $48,644 |
| $75,000 | $7,670 | $5,738 | $2,316 | $2,279.86 | $59,276 |
| $100,000 | $13,170 | $7,650 | $3,266 | $2,919.77 | $75,914 |
| $150,000 | $24,734 | $11,475 | $5,166 | $4,177.89 | $108,625 |
Worked example: $60,000 in Iowa
- Gross pay: $60,000 a year ÷ 26 paychecks = $2,307.69.
- Federal income tax: the IRS percentage method annualizes $60,000 of taxable wages, subtracts the $8,600 built into the 2026 tables for a standard W-4, and applies the brackets (top rate 12%): $193.08[p15t].
- FICA: 6.2% Social Security $143.08 plus 1.45% Medicare $33.46[tc751].
- Iowa: Iowa income tax $67.15.
- Net pay: $1,870.93 per paycheck, $48,644 a year (81.1% of gross).
Compare Iowa with nearby states
Same $60,000 salary, different state: Illinois $1,829.42 · Minnesota $1,927.92 · Wisconsin $1,831.75 per paycheck. The state tax calculator ranks every state we cover on one salary, and the paycheck calculator switches states in one click. Hourly? Add overtime with the time and a half calculator.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Iowa income tax rate in 2026?
A flat 3.8%, the same rate employers use for withholding. Iowa moved to a single rate for tax years starting in 2025 under SF 2442.
How do Iowa W-4 allowances work?
Allowances are dollar amounts: $40 for yourself ($80 if head of household), $40 per dependent, $20 extras for age 65 or blindness, plus worksheet amounts for itemized deductions and other items. The total is divided across your paychecks and subtracted from the tax.
How much is $60,000 after taxes in Iowa?
About $48,644 a year, or $1,870.93 every two weeks, for a single filer with the $40 personal allowance. Iowa withholding is $1,746 and federal income tax $5,020.
Is the Iowa school district surtax taken out of my paycheck?
No. Employers withhold only the 3.8% state tax. The surtax is figured on your Iowa return; the IA W-4 suggests fewer allowances or extra withholding to cover it.
Sources
- Iowa Individual Income Tax Withholding Formula, Effective January 1, 2026
- IDR Issues New Income Withholding Tax Tables for 2026
- 2026 IA W-4 Employee Withholding Allowance Certificate and instructions (44-019a/b/c)
- Iowa Withholding Tax Information
- Iowa Withholding Formula, Effective January 1, 2025
- Publication 15-T (2026), Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods
- Topic no. 751, Social Security and Medicare withholding rates
- Contribution and Benefit Base ($184,500 for 2026)