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.
State payroll deductions for employees, 2026
| State | Taken from your pay | What the state says |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska | Unemployment insurance: 0.50% of the first $54,200 of pay, at most $271.00 a year | Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, 2026 employee rate and taxable wage base |
| Nevada | Nothing | Unemployment contributions "must not be deducted, in whole or in part, from the wages" of employees (NRS 612.535) |
| New Hampshire | Nothing found | We couldn't open New Hampshire Employment Security's pages to confirm. The U.S. Department of Labor's comparison of state unemployment laws lists only Alaska, New Jersey and Pennsylvania as taking employee contributions. |
| South Dakota | Nothing | "No contributions may be deducted in whole or in part by any employer from the wages of any employee" (SDCL 61-5-36) |
| Tennessee | Nothing found | We couldn't open the Tennessee Department of Labor's pages to confirm. The U.S. Department of Labor comparison above lists no employee contribution for Tennessee. |
| Washington | Paid Family and Medical Leave: up to 71.43% of the 1.13% premium (at most about 0.81% of pay, not counting tips), up to $184,500 of pay per employer. Your employer may pay some or all of it for you. WA Cares Fund: 0.58% of all pay, no cap. | Washington Employment Security Department, Paid Leave employer toolkit (June 2026) |
| Wyoming | Nothing | Unemployment benefits are "funded entirely by employer contributions" (Wyoming Department of Workforce Services) |
Washington workers' comp: employers may also deduct the worker's share of the state workers' comp premium. It's charged per hour worked and depends on your job's risk class; on average workers pay about 25% of the premium, L&I says. It shows on your pay stub as L&I and isn't included in the calculator.
WA Cares exemption: if the Employment Security Department approved an exemption for you, your employer doesn't take the 0.58%. Leave it in only if you see "WA Cares" on your stub.
Worked example: $2,500 every two weeks
Single, paid every two weeks, $2,500 gross, a 2020 or later W-4 with nothing else filled in.
Federal income tax: $2,500 × 26 = $65,000, minus $8,600 = $56,400. From the 2026 single table: $1,240 + 12% of the $36,500 over $19,900 = $5,620 a year, or $216.15 a paycheck. Social Security $155.00, Medicare $36.25.
Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Wyoming: nothing else, so take-home pay is $2,092.60.
Alaska: $12.50 for unemployment insurance, so $2,080.10, until the first $54,200 of the year is reached in paycheck 22; after that $2,092.60.
Washington: $20.18 Paid Leave (the full employee share: $2,500 × 1.13% × 71.43%) and $14.50 WA Cares, so take-home pay is $2,057.92.
Why your real paycheck 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
Which states have no income tax on wages?
Nine: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming. This page covers seven of them; Texas and Florida have their own paycheck calculators. Federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare still apply in all nine.
Why does my Washington paycheck have deductions if there's no income tax?
Two state programs are paid for from wages. Paid Family and Medical Leave costs 1.13% of pay in 2026, of which your employer may withhold up to 71.43% (about 0.81% of pay), up to $184,500 of pay. WA Cares, the long-term care fund, takes 0.58% of all pay unless you have an approved exemption.
What is the Alaska unemployment deduction on my paycheck?
Alaska is one of the few states where employees pay into unemployment insurance. For 2026 it is 0.50% of the first $54,200 you earn from an employer, so at most $271.00 a year. After that it stops for the rest of the year.
Can I stop paying WA Cares?
Only with an exemption approved by Washington's Employment Security Department. Once you give it to your employer, they don't deduct the 0.58%. Without one, the premium applies to all of your pay, with no cap.
Do I still pay federal taxes in these states?
Yes. Federal income tax, Social Security (6.2% up to $184,500 of pay in 2026) and Medicare (1.45%) come out of every paycheck in every state, and the federal deductions for overtime, tips and seniors work the same way everywhere.
Updated November 7, 2026. Sources: 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; Washington Employment Security Department, Paid Leave "Employer Wage Reporting and Premiums Toolkit" v25.1 (June 26, 2026) and WA Cares Fund, "Employers"; Washington Department of Labor & Industries, 2026 workers' comp rates (news release 25-32); Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Employment Security Tax FAQ, "Rate/Taxable Wage Base"; Nevada Revised Statutes 612.535; South Dakota Codified Laws 61-5-36; Wyoming Department of Workforce Services, Unemployment Insurance; U.S. Department of Labor, Comparison of State Unemployment Insurance Laws 2023, Financing chapter.