California Paycheck Calculator
California withholding uses the EDD's Method B with graduated rates and a per-allowance credit. Estimate your net pay with the official 2026 schedules.
Your estimated paycheck
| Per paycheck | Per year | |
|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Federal income tax | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Medicare (1.45%) | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| State tax | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Net (take-home) pay | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Pre-tax deductions per paycheck: $0.00 (reduce income-tax wages, not FICA). Total tax is about 0% of gross pay. Results update as you type.
Paycheck taxes in California
California has the most complex withholding on this site. The Employment Development Department's Method B (exact calculation) — the method used here, with the annual tables prorated to your pay period — annualizes your pay, subtracts a standard deduction ($5,706 for single filers in 2026; $11,412 for married filers claiming two or more allowances), applies graduated withholding rates from 1.1% up to 10.23% (higher above $371,479 of taxable income), then subtracts a credit of $168.30 per withholding allowance. Wages at or below the low-income exemption ($18,896 a year for single filers) have no California tax withheld at all. With one allowance, a $1,000 weekly paycheck has about $24.53 of California income tax withheld.
Most California employees also pay State Disability Insurance (SDI) — 1.3% of wages in 2026, with no wage cap. SDI is a separate EDD program rather than income tax, and it is not included in the state-tax line above, so a real California paycheck is typically about 1.3% lower than the net shown here. California has no local income taxes for most workers (San Francisco's payroll taxes fall on employers).
Frequently asked questions
- How is California paycheck tax calculated?
- By EDD Method B: annualize your wages, subtract the standard deduction ($5,706 single / $11,412 married with 2+ allowances for 2026), apply the graduated rate table, then subtract $168.30 per allowance and divide back by your pay periods. This calculator follows that method exactly, using the annual tables.
- Why is California withholding higher than my actual tax rate?
- The withholding rates (1.1%–10.23% for most earners) are set slightly above the income-tax rates (1%–9.3%) by design, and the difference is reconciled when you file your California return.
- What is the extra 1.3% on my California pay stub?
- That is State Disability Insurance (SDI), which funds disability and paid family leave benefits. It is 1.3% of wages in 2026 with no cap. It is separate from income tax and is not included in this calculator's state-tax figure.
- Do I need a California DE 4 form?
- Only if your California allowances differ from your federal W-4. Without a DE 4, your employer uses your federal W-4 allowances for California withholding; with neither, you are treated as single with zero allowances.