Does this California take-home include SDI?

Yes. EDD’s 2026 State Disability Insurance / Paid Family Leave employee rate is 1.3% of FICA wages with no annual ceiling, and Counttaxes subtracts that payroll line in the net (see the California SDI / PFL row in the breakdown).

Why is California’s standard deduction so small?

For 2026 FTB sets $5,900 for single or married filing separately and $11,800 for joint, surviving spouse, or head of household — far below the federal standard deduction. That is why a salary that looks lightly taxed federally can still owe meaningful California tax.

What is the 13.3% top California rate?

The regular FTB schedules top out at 12.3%. Taxable income over $1,000,000 also owes a separate 1% Mental Health Services Tax, so the combined top rate is 13.3%. Our bracket table shows that combined step for clarity.

Is this the same as FTB withholding on my paycheck?

Not exactly. Employers withhold using DE 4 / FTB withholding schedules and your elections. This page estimates annual liability from the Form 540 rate schedules, then splits it by pay frequency. Use it to sanity-check an offer or stub, not as a substitute for payroll.

Do city taxes apply in California?

California does not add a statewide local wage income tax in our model. Some cities have business or other taxes that do not work like NYC resident income tax. If your stub shows a city line, that amount is outside this estimate.

Rates verified on 2026-10-11

Estimates only

California take-home pay calculator

Tax year 2026 (Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2026)

Region(required)

Gross pay

Pay frequency

Filing status

Pre-tax 401(k)

Traditional elective deferral — reduces taxable income, not FICA. Cap $24,500/yr (under age 50).

Advanced options

Your age

Age 50+ / 60–63 raise the 401(k) elective deferral cap; age 55+ adds the fixed $1,000 HSA catch-up when present in the verified national file.

Dependents

Adds state/city personal exemptions beyond yourself (and spouse if MFJ) where the state file models them. Federal tax credits for dependents are not modeled.

Roth 401(k)

Does not reduce taxable income. Real plans share the elective deferral limit with pre-tax 401(k).

HSA coverage

HSA contribution (annual)

Self-only $4,400; family $8,750; +$1,000 if age ≥ 55. Payroll HSA reduces FICA. Some states (e.g. California) do not conform — HSA still counts in state wages.

Other pre-tax benefits (annual)

Health/dental/vision, FSA, dependent-care FSA, commuter — reduces AGI and FICA.

Federal deduction

Results update as you type. Methodology · Annual figures are exact; per-paycheck figures are rounded.

Your result will appear here

Tax year 2026

How California take-home pay is calculated (2026)

A California paycheck stacks federal income tax and FICA with Franchise Tax Board (FTB) state income tax. California uses nine progressive brackets from 1% to 12.3%, plus a 1% Mental Health Services Tax on taxable income over $1 million (Prop 63), so the top combined state rate is 13.3%. The state standard deduction is much smaller than the federal one — $5,900 single / $11,800 joint or head of household for 2026 — so more of your wages enter the California brackets than you might expect from an IRS-only estimate.

Outline map of the state of California — California state outline (styled by Counttaxes) — not an official FTB chart.

California's 10 brackets, and where your pay lands

California personal income tax is progressive under Franchise Tax Board Schedules X, Y, and Z — nine regular rates from 1% to 12.3% after the California standard deduction, plus a separate 1% Mental Health Services Tax (Prop 63) on California taxable income over $1 million. Our verified file folds that surcharge into the top step so high earners see an effective 13.3%. The 2026 state standard deduction is only $5,900 single / $11,800 joint or head of household (FTB Tax News, 3.4% CCPI indexing) — far below the federal figure — so more wages enter the FTB brackets. This estimate also subtracts EDD State Disability Insurance / Paid Family Leave at 1.3% of FICA wages with no wage ceiling (EDD 2026 rate).

State income tax (2026)as of 2026
Progressive 1%–12.3% + 1% MHST over $1M (top 13.3%)
Source: FTB Tax News — 2026 indexing & Schedules X/Y/Z →
California standard deductionas of 2026
$5,900 single/MFS · $11,800 joint/HOH
Source: FTB Tax News — 2026 indexing & Schedules X/Y/Z →
Median household incomeas of 2024 ACS 1-year
$100,149
Source: U.S. Census Bureau — California profile (ACS median household income) →

Local wage taxes & SDI

California does not add a statewide municipal wage income tax in this engine (unlike NYC-style locals). EDD State Disability Insurance / Paid Family Leave at 1.3% of FICA wages (no wage ceiling in 2026) is included in the net on this page. Remaining gaps versus a stub are usually benefits elections and FTB withholding tables — not a missing SDI line.

What makes a California paycheck different

FTB Schedules X, Y, and Z set separate progressive tables for single/MFS, married filing jointly, and head of household — we load those 2026 thresholds from FTB Tax News (3.4% CCPI indexing).
Income over $1,000,000 of California taxable income also owes the Mental Health Services Tax. Our rate file folds that 1% into the top steps so the schedule shows an effective 13.3% at the highest incomes.
California SDI / PFL through EDD — employee 1.3% on FICA wages with no wage ceiling — is included in this estimate (same rate as DE 3395 / EDD withholding tables).
California personal exemption credit ($158 single / $316 joint) and dependent credit ($491 each) reduce state tax after brackets. Above California AGI $245,630 single/MFS, $368,448 HOH, or $491,267 MFJ, the Form 540 AGI limitation worksheet phases those credits down ($6 / $12 per $2,500 / $1,250 of excess). Senior/blind credits, itemized-deduction phase-out, and the Renter’s Credit remain not modeled.

How we count California take-home

Federal income tax: IRS 2026 brackets and standard deduction from the verified US national file.
FICA: Social Security (6.2% up to the SSA wage base) and Medicare (1.45%, plus Additional Medicare where it applies).
California state income tax: progressive FTB brackets after the California standard deduction for your filing status.
Optional pre-tax 401(k) reduces federal and California taxable wages when entered. HSA contributions reduce federal tax and FICA but not California wages (R&TC §§ 17131.4 / 17215.4 — California does not conform).
California SDI / PFL: employee 1.3% (included).
Not modeled: Personal exemptions; Senior Blind Exemption Credit; Itemized Deduction Phase Out; Renter’s credit.

Full United States methodology · Bracket tables · Engine & privacy

Sources & status

Verified

Primary sources below, grouped by layer. Oldest verification on this page: 2026-10-11.

California tax brackets (2026)

Federal income tax brackets (Single)

From	To	Rate
$0.00	$12,400.00	10.00%
$12,400.00	$50,400.00	12.00%
$50,400.00	$105,700.00	22.00%
$105,700.00	$201,775.00	24.00%
$201,775.00	$256,225.00	32.00%
$256,225.00	$640,600.00	35.00%
$640,600.00	and above	37.00%

California state tax brackets (single)

From	To	Rate
$0.00	$11,456.00	1.00%
$11,456.00	$27,157.00	2.00%
$27,157.00	$42,861.00	4.00%
$42,861.00	$59,498.00	6.00%
$59,498.00	$75,197.00	8.00%
$75,197.00	$384,109.00	9.30%
$384,109.00	$460,927.00	10.30%
$460,927.00	$768,213.00	11.30%
$768,213.00	$1,000,000.00	12.30%
$1,000,000.00	and above	13.30%

How a US paycheck works

Every US paycheck starts with the same federal layers: income-tax withholding from Form W-4, plus Social Security and Medicare (FICA). State and local lines come next when your region files them.

Counttaxes estimates annual liability from verified rate files, then shows per-paycheck amounts for your frequency — not a live payroll withholding run.

Read the full US paycheck guide →

Worked examples (California, annual, default assumptions)

Gross	Net	Effective
$60,000.00	$48,036.92	19.9%
$100,000.00	$72,969.14	27.0%
$150,000.00	$102,280.14	31.8%

Examples use single filing status and no 401(k)/HSA. Open the calculator above to try your salary and filing status. Nets include California SDI/PFL (1.3%).

Frequently asked questions

Does this California take-home include SDI?: Yes. EDD’s 2026 State Disability Insurance / Paid Family Leave employee rate is 1.3% of FICA wages with no annual ceiling, and Counttaxes subtracts that payroll line in the net (see the California SDI / PFL row in the breakdown).
Why is California’s standard deduction so small?: For 2026 FTB sets $5,900 for single or married filing separately and $11,800 for joint, surviving spouse, or head of household — far below the federal standard deduction. That is why a salary that looks lightly taxed federally can still owe meaningful California tax.
What is the 13.3% top California rate?: The regular FTB schedules top out at 12.3%. Taxable income over $1,000,000 also owes a separate 1% Mental Health Services Tax, so the combined top rate is 13.3%. Our bracket table shows that combined step for clarity.
Is this the same as FTB withholding on my paycheck?: Not exactly. Employers withhold using DE 4 / FTB withholding schedules and your elections. This page estimates annual liability from the Form 540 rate schedules, then splits it by pay frequency. Use it to sanity-check an offer or stub, not as a substitute for payroll.
Do city taxes apply in California?: California does not add a statewide local wage income tax in our model. Some cities have business or other taxes that do not work like NYC resident income tax. If your stub shows a city line, that amount is outside this estimate.

Related United States calculators

Useful links

Official California tax agencies and the primary sources behind the rates on this page.

California Franchise Tax Board (FTB) →
State personal income tax agency — forms, MyFTB, withholding
FTB Tax News — 2026 indexing & Schedules X/Y/Z →
Primary source for 2026 brackets and standard deduction
EDD — State Disability Insurance rates →
2026 SDI employee rate 1.3% — included in this calculator’s net
EDD DE 3395 — tax rates & wage limits (PDF) →
Payroll tax rate table including SDI
IRS — Tax Withholding Estimator →
Federal paycheck spot-check
SSA — contribution and benefit base →
Social Security wage base used in FICA
Census — California profile →
ACS median household income context
Counttaxes — US sources & loaded numbers →
Federal rate file audit trail