Want more in each check from the overtime or tips deductions? Use the W-4 calculator. It shows the Step 4(b) amount to give your employer, so less federal tax comes out of every paycheck.
Worked example: a server on the tipped minimum wage
A server is paid Florida's tipped minimum, $11.98 an hour, for 30 hours a week, and reports $450 a week in tips. Paid every two weeks, single.
Wages: 30 × $11.98 × 2 weeks = $718.80. Reported tips: $900. Pay for tax purposes: $1,618.80. Enter that under "Set amount per paycheck".
Federal income tax: $1,618.80 × 26 = $42,088.80, minus $8,600 = $33,488.80; $1,240 + 12% of the $13,588.80 over $19,900 = $2,870.66 a year, or $110.41 a paycheck. Social Security $100.37, Medicare $23.47.
Left after taxes: $1,384.55. If the tips were cash she already took home, the check itself is $718.80 − $234.25 = $484.55.
That smaller check is normal: tips count as wages for federal tax (IRS Publication 15, section 6), and the tax on them comes out of the paycheck. Her $23,400 of yearly tips can also go in Step 4(b) of a new Form W-4 for the 2025 to 2028 tips deduction. Federal tax withheld then drops to $9.96 a paycheck and the check rises to $585.00. The W-4 calculator works out the amount.
Second example: hourly, with a 401(k) and health insurance
$22 an hour, 44 hours a week (4 of them overtime at $33), paid every two weeks, single: $2,024 gross. $100 goes to a traditional 401(k) and $60 to health insurance, both before tax.
Social Security and Medicare use $1,964 (the health insurance is left out, the 401(k) isn't): $121.77 and $28.48. Federal income tax uses $1,864: $139.83.
Take-home pay: $2,024 − $100 − $60 − $139.83 − $121.77 − $28.48 = $1,573.92.
The $160 of pre-tax deductions lowers take-home pay by less than $160, because less tax comes out. At Florida's $15.00 minimum wage, the calculator's starting example, full-time pay of $1,200 every two weeks leaves $1,048.05.
What comes out of a Florida paycheck
| Deduction | 2026 rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Federal income tax | Depends on pay and W-4 | Withheld on wages, overtime and reported tips |
| Social Security | 6.2% | Stops after $184,500 of pay in the year |
| Medicare | 1.45% | Plus 0.9% on pay over $200,000 in the year |
| Florida income tax | None | Florida Constitution, Article VII, Section 5 |
| Florida reemployment (unemployment) tax | None from you | Paid by employers; "Workers do not pay reemployment tax and employers must not make payroll deductions for this purpose" (Florida Department of Revenue) |
| City or county income tax | None | The same constitutional ban covers taxes levied "under its authority" |
Your minimum wage rights in Florida
Florida's minimum wage is written into the state Constitution (Article X, Section 24), and so are the rights that come with it:
- The rate: $15.00 an hour from September 30, 2026, through December 31, 2027 (FloridaCommerce's 2026 notice). Tipped workers get at least $11.98 an hour plus tips: $15.00 minus a tip credit fixed at its 2003 level, $3.02. From September 30, 2027, the rate is adjusted each year for inflation and the new rate takes effect the following January 1.
- No retaliation: an employer may not take action against you for using these rights, including filing a complaint, telling anyone your employer isn't complying, or helping a coworker claim their rights.
- Back pay: a worker who wins in court recovers the unpaid wages plus the same amount again as damages, and reasonable attorney's fees and costs. An employer that broke the rule on purpose also owes the state $1,000 per violation.
- Notice first: before suing for unpaid minimum wages, Florida law requires you to send your employer a written notice with the wage you claim, the dates and hours, and the amount owed; the employer then has 15 days to pay or resolve it (Florida Statutes §448.110(6)).
- Time limit: 4 years to bring a case, or 5 years if the violation was willful.
Why your real Florida check may differ a little
This is an estimate. Payroll may use the IRS wage bracket tables or round differently, a bonus paid on its own can have a flat 22% federal tax withheld (IRS Publication 15, section 7), and after-tax deductions such as a Roth 401(k) or union dues aren't included. Your pay stub is the final word, and this isn't payroll or tax advice. Every assumption is listed on how we calculate.
Common questions
Does Florida have a state income tax?
No. Florida's Constitution (Article VII, Section 5) bars a tax on the income of residents by the state or under its authority, so there is no state, city or county income tax on wages. Only federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare come out, plus deductions you choose.
How much is taken out of a paycheck in Florida?
For most workers, 7.65% for Social Security and Medicare plus federal income tax. Full-time at the $15.00 minimum wage, paid every two weeks, single: $1,200 gross, $60.15 federal income tax, $74.40 Social Security and $17.40 Medicare, leaving $1,048.05.
What is the minimum wage in Florida now?
$15.00 an hour from September 30, 2026, through December 31, 2027. Tipped employees must get at least $11.98 an hour plus tips. From September 30, 2027, the rate is adjusted each year for inflation and takes effect the following January 1.
Why is my paycheck so small when I make tips?
Tips you report are wages for federal tax, so federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare on your tips come out of your paycheck. A server with $718.80 of wages and $900 of cash tips every two weeks has $234.25 withheld, leaving a $484.55 check. Putting expected tips in Step 4(b) of a new W-4 can lower the federal part.
What can I do if I'm paid less than Florida's minimum wage?
Florida's Constitution (Article X, Section 24) lets you go to court for the unpaid wages plus the same amount again as damages, with attorney's fees, within 4 years (5 if the violation was willful). Your employer may not retaliate against you for complaining or for telling others about your rights.
Updated November 7, 2026. Sources: Florida Statutes §448.110 (2026); IRS Publication 15-T (2026), Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods (December 3, 2025), Worksheet 1A and the 2026 Annual Percentage Method tables; IRS Publication 15 (2026), Employer's Tax Guide (December 15, 2025): Social Security and Medicare rates, the $184,500 wage base and Additional Medicare Tax withholding (section 9), overtime and tips (sections 5 and 6), supplemental wages (section 7), 401(k), 403(b) and cafeteria plans (section 15); IRS Publication 15-B (2026) (December 23, 2025), Table 2-1, accident and health benefits; Florida Constitution, Article VII, Section 5 (income tax) and Article X, Section 24 (minimum wage), subsections (c) to (e); FloridaCommerce, "Florida's Minimum Wage Updated September 30, 2026" and the 2026 minimum wage poster; Florida Department of Revenue, Reemployment Tax.