Colorado Paycheck Calculator
Estimate your Colorado take-home pay after federal tax, FICA, and Colorado state income tax. Enter your gross pay, filing status, and pre-tax deductions to see your net pay per paycheck.
2026 rate, standard deduction, and personal exemption verified against Tax Foundation 2026 data.
- Take-home$51,969.90 · 79.95%
- Federal tax$5,620.00 · 8.65%
- Social Security + Medicare$4,972.50 · 7.65%
- Colorado tax$2,151.60 · 3.31%
- CO FAMLI$286.00 · 0.44%
| Item | Per bi-week | % of gross |
|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $2,500.00 | 100% |
| Federal withholding | $216.15 | 8.65% |
| Social Security | $155.00 | 6.20% |
| Medicare | $36.25 | 1.45% |
| Colorado income tax | $82.75 | 3.31% |
| CO FAMLI | $11.00 | 0.44% |
| Take-home pay | $1,998.84 | 79.95% |
A flat 4.4% plus a paid-leave premium
Colorado charges a single 4.4% rate on taxable income, so the state's share of your paycheck stays proportionally identical whether you earn a starting wage in Fort Collins or a senior salary in Denver.
Colorado also runs FAMLI, its paid family and medical leave programme, funded by a premium split between employer and employee. The employee share is withheld from wages up to the Social Security wage cap, so it is a real deduction that stops partway through the year for higher earners. It is not an income tax — it buys a defined leave benefit — but it does reduce take-home, and the estimate above includes it.
Colorado's standard deduction does a lot of work
Colorado's taxable income starts from federal taxable income, and the state's standard deduction is large relative to its 4.4% rate. The practical effect is that Colorado's effective rate on a modest salary is meaningfully below the headline 4.4%, even though the marginal rate never changes.
This is why comparing flat states by headline rate alone is misleading. A higher rate against a large deduction can cost less than a lower rate against none — which is exactly the Colorado-versus-Pennsylvania comparison.
TABOR refunds are not withholding
Colorado's Taxpayer's Bill of Rights caps state revenue growth and refunds the excess to taxpayers in years when collections run over the cap. Those refunds arrive through the filing process, not through your paycheck, so they never reduce the amount withheld during the year.
It means a Colorado worker's true annual state cost can end up below what the withholding suggests. Plan your budget from take-home pay, and treat any TABOR refund as a separate, variable event rather than income you can count on.
Getting your Colorado withholding right
Colorado Form DR 0004 lets you adjust state withholding independently of your federal W-4. Because Colorado's calculation starts from federal figures, a W-4 change ripples into your state withholding automatically unless you have filed a DR 0004 to override it.
Pre-tax retirement and HSA contributions reduce federal taxable income and therefore Colorado taxable income too, saving at your federal marginal rate plus 4.4%. FAMLI premiums, by contrast, apply to gross wages and are not reduced by pre-tax deferrals.
How Colorado taxes your paycheck
Colorado has a flat 4.4% state income tax. Use the calculator above to estimate your take-home pay after all withholdings.
Every US paycheck also has federal income tax, Social Security (6.2% up to the annual wage base), and Medicare (1.45%, plus 0.9% on high earners) withheld. Your taxable income is your gross pay minus pre-tax deductions such as 401(k) and pre-tax health premiums.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is taken out of a paycheck in Colorado?
Colorado paychecks have federal income tax, Social Security (6.2%), and Medicare (1.45%) withheld, plus a flat 4.4% state income tax, plus CO FAMLI. The exact amount depends on your pay, filing status, and pre-tax deductions.
Does Colorado have a state income tax?
Yes. Colorado levies a flat 4.4% state income tax in addition to federal taxes.
How is this take-home estimate calculated?
It applies 2026 estimated federal brackets, FICA rates, state income-tax rates, local taxes where configured, and employee payroll-program rates to your annual pay minus pre-tax deductions, then divides by your pay frequency. It is a simplified estimate, not official payroll withholding.
What is the FAMLI deduction on my Colorado paycheck?
It is your share of the premium funding Colorado's Paid Family and Medical Leave programme. It is withheld up to the Social Security wage cap, so it stops for the year once your wages pass that ceiling. It is not an income tax — it funds a defined leave benefit.
Do TABOR refunds reduce my Colorado withholding?
No. TABOR refunds are issued through the filing process when state revenue exceeds its cap, not through your paycheck. Your withholding is unaffected, so budget from take-home pay and treat any refund as separate.
How do I change Colorado withholding without changing my W-4?
File Colorado Form DR 0004. Colorado's calculation starts from your federal figures, so without a DR 0004 on file, a W-4 change automatically moves your state withholding too.