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Kentucky
Kentucky paycheck calculator
Kentucky taxes wages at a flat 3.50%. The model starts from a $3,360 single standard deduction. Some cities or counties can add a local wage tax; this page leaves them off until you select one. Federal brackets and FICA are unchanged by the flat state rate.
A traditional 401(k) reduces the state wage base here; it does not reduce Social Security or Medicare. No state disability or paid-leave premium is modeled for employees here yet. Rate decreased from 4% to 3.5% on January 1, 2026. Many Kentucky cities and counties levy an occupational or income tax that is not in the launch local file. Use the custom percent. Married filing separately is modeled with a $6,720 deduction, following the Tax Foundation note that the deduction doubles for separate filers rather than joint filers.
Example take-home
| Salary | Federal | FICA | State | Payroll | Local | Net / year | Net / check |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000.00 | $2,620.00 | $3,060.00 | $1,282.40 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $33,037.60 | $1,270.68 |
| $60,000.00 | $5,020.00 | $4,590.00 | $1,982.40 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $48,407.60 | $1,861.82 |
| $80,000.00 | $8,770.00 | $6,120.00 | $2,682.40 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $62,427.60 | $2,401.05 |
| $100,000.00 | $13,170.00 | $7,650.00 | $3,382.40 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $75,797.60 | $2,915.29 |
| $150,000.00 | $24,734.00 | $11,475.00 | $5,132.40 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $108,658.60 | $4,179.18 |
Loading the 2026 calculator…
What this page includes
- Federal income tax using the 2026 standard deduction and Rev. Proc. 2025-32 brackets
- Social Security (6.2% up to $184,500) and Medicare (1.45%, plus Additional Medicare when wages clear the filing-status threshold)
- Kentucky: flat state income tax at 3.5%
- No employee state disability / paid-leave premium modeled for this state yet
- Local wage tax only if you select a city/county or enter a custom percent
Local tax
Kentucky can have local wage taxes in some places. This page leaves local tax off until you select a named jurisdiction or enter a custom percent.
What is not included
Credits, itemized deductions, multi-state credits, property tax, sales tax, and unsourced local rates are not included. Employer payroll tables can differ from this annualized estimate. This Kentucky page does not invent taxes that are missing from the 2026 data files.
Questions
What is Kentucky’s income tax rate for 2026?
A flat 3.50% after the deductions and exemptions in the published table.
Are local wage taxes included automatically in Kentucky?
Only if you select a named city or county, or enter a custom percent. This state page starts with local tax off.
Does a 401(k) change Kentucky tax?
A traditional 401(k) reduces the state wage base in this estimate. FICA wages do not fall.
Nearby
Compare · Bonus · Hourly · All states · Local taxes
Sources
- IRS newsroom, tax year 2026 inflation adjustments (Rev. Proc. 2025-32)
- Rev. Proc. 2025-32 (PDF)
- Tax Foundation, 2026 federal income tax brackets
- IRS Publication 15-T, Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods
- SSA, Contribution and benefit base
- IRS Publication 15 (Circular E), Employer's Tax Guide
- IRS, Questions and answers for the Additional Medicare Tax
- Tax Foundation, State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets, 2026
- IRS, state government websites index
See a rate that looks wrong? The sources and the gaps are public.
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