Colorado Paycheck Calculator 2026
Enter your pay to see what lands in your bank account. Colorado withholds a flat 4.4% after a yearly allowance, plus your share of the FAMLI paid-leave premium — we show each step.
| Per paycheck | Amount | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $2,115.38 | $55,000.00 |
| Federal income tax · withheld | −$170.00 | −$4,420.00 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | −$131.15 | −$3,410.00 |
| Medicare (1.45%) | −$30.67 | −$797.50 |
| Colorado income tax · withheld | −$83.77 | −$2,178.02 |
| Colorado FAMLI (paid family and medical leave) · your share, up to half of 0.88% | −$9.31 | −$242.00 |
| Take-home pay | $1,690.48 | $43,952.48 |
How the federal income tax was worked out
| Pay subject to income tax, for the year · $2,115.38 × 26 paychecks | $55,000.00 |
| Minus the IRS withholding allowance · Pub 15-T Worksheet 1A, line 1g | −$8,600.00 |
| Adjusted yearly wage | $46,400.00 |
| Tax from the IRS yearly table · standard table | $4,420.00 |
| Federal income tax per paycheck · divided by 26 | $170.00 |
IRS Publication 15-T (2026), Worksheet 1A — the percentage method payroll software uses for a Form W-4 from 2020 or later. Your employer's figure can differ by a few cents because of rounding.
How the Colorado income tax was worked out
| Pay subject to Colorado tax this paycheck · same as federal: after pre-tax 401(k) and benefits (line 1a) | $2,115.38 |
| Pay for the year · × 26 pay periods (line 1c) | $54,999.88 |
| Minus annual withholding allowance · no DR 0004: W-4 single or head of household (line 2a) | −$5,500.00 |
| Colorado taxable pay for the year · line 2b | $49,499.88 |
| Yearly Colorado tax · × 4.40% (line 2c) | $2,177.99 |
| Colorado tax this paycheck · ÷ 26 (line 2d) | $83.77 |
| Colorado income tax withheld this paycheck · line 2f | $83.77 |
What comes out of a Colorado paycheck
- Federal income tax withholding — worked out from your pay and your Form W-4, using the IRS tables for 2026.
- Social Security — 6.2% of your pay, up to $184,500 of pay in 2026. Above that, it stops for the rest of the year.
- Medicare — 1.45% of all your pay, plus 0.9% on pay above $200,000 in the year.
A Colorado paycheck usually has two state lines, and a third in some cities:
- Colorado income tax. Employers follow the Department of Revenue's DR 1098 worksheet. Your pay subject to income tax — after a traditional 401(k) and pre-tax health insurance, as for federal tax — is turned into a yearly amount. An annual withholding allowance comes off: $11,000 if your federal W-4 says married filing jointly or qualifying surviving spouse, or $5,500 otherwise, unless you gave your employer a DR 0004 with its own amount. The rest is multiplied by 4.4% and divided by your number of paychecks.
- FAMLI (paid family and medical leave). The premium is 0.88% of wages, and your employer can take up to half of it — 0.44% — from your pay, on wages up to $184,500 a year. It comes out after tax, so it doesn't lower your taxable pay.
- Occupational privilege tax — a flat monthly amount some cities charge people who work there. Enter yours above if it applies.
What's different about Colorado
The DR 0004 is optional
Colorado has its own withholding certificate, the DR 0004, but you don't have to fill it in. Without one, your employer uses your federal W-4 filing status to pick the allowance. The DR 0004 lets you enter a different yearly allowance on Line 2 — for one job, its Table 1 lists $14,000 for single, $22,000 for head of household and $30,000 for married filing jointly — and an extra amount per paycheck on Line 3. A bigger allowance means less withheld.
FAMLI: your share can be less
Employers with 10 or more employees owe the full 0.88% premium and may take up to 0.44% from your pay. Employers with 9 or fewer employees send only 0.44%, which they may deduct from your pay. Some employers choose to pay your share, so your pay stub may show less. From January 1, 2027 the total premium falls to 0.86%.
Denver and other occupational privilege taxes
Denver charges employees $5.75 a month if they earn at least $500 there in the month; employers pay $4 on top. With more than one Denver employer, you pay it once. Greenwood Village charges $2 a month once you earn $250 there. Enter your city's monthly amount above; we spread it across your paychecks.
Paydays and your last paycheck
Pay periods can be no longer than a month or 30 days, and payday must be within 10 days after the period ends. If you're let go, your final wages are due right away — within 6 hours of the start of the next workday if the payroll office is closed, or 24 hours if it's off site. If you quit, they're due on the next regular payday. Unused vacation pay must be paid out either way.
Unpaid wages
You can send your employer a written demand for unpaid wages. If it doesn't pay in full within 14 days, penalties can apply. You can also file a claim with the Division of Labor Standards and Statistics or go to court.
Why your paycheck might differ from this
- Your W-4. Credits for children (Step 3), a checked Step 2 box, or extra withholding (Step 4c) change the federal amount a lot. Open "Tips, 401(k), health insurance and W-4 details" above to enter them.
- Benefits taken before tax. Health insurance through work usually lowers income tax and Social Security and Medicare. A traditional 401(k) lowers income tax only.
- Rounding. Payroll software may round each step, so a few cents of difference is normal.
Tips and overtime in 2026
New federal deductions apply for 2025 through 2028: up to $25,000 for qualified tips, and up to $12,500 ($25,000 for joint filers) for the extra "half" of time-and-a-half overtime. Both phase out above $150,000 of income ($300,000 joint).
These are deductions on your tax return. Your employer still takes Social Security and Medicare out of tips and overtime, and still withholds income tax unless you tell it otherwise. If you expect to claim them, you can put the expected amount in Step 4(b) of your W-4 (and in the Step 4(b) box above) so less income tax is withheld during the year.
Other Colorado calculators
Paycheck calculator · Hourly paycheck calculator · Salary paycheck calculator · What changed for 2026
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Sources
- IRS Publication 15-T (2026), Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods — Worksheet 1A and the annual percentage-method tables
- IRS Publication 15 (2026), Employer's Tax Guide — Social Security and Medicare rates
- Social Security Administration — 2026 wage base of $184,500
- IRS — tips and overtime deductions
- Colorado Department of Revenue — DR 1098, 2026 Colorado Withholding Worksheet for Employers — 4.40%; allowance $11,000 married filing jointly, $5,500 otherwise, or DR 0004 Line 2; DR 0004 Line 3 added per paycheck
- Colorado Department of Revenue — DR 1098 page (2026 form and calculator)
- Colorado Department of Revenue — DR 0004, 2026 Colorado Employee Withholding Certificate — optional; without it the employer uses the IRS W-4; Table 1 standard allowances
- Colorado Department of Revenue — DR 0004 employer resources — no DR 0004 means the DR 1098 amounts based on the IRS W-4
- Colorado Department of Revenue — Colorado Wage Withholding Tax Guide (revised January 2026) — wages subject to Colorado withholding generally include any wages subject to federal withholding
- Colorado FAMLI — Employers — 0.88% of wages, employees pay no more than 50%; wages up to the Social Security wage cap
- Colorado FAMLI — Update your employee headcount for 2026 premiums — 2026: 0.88% (10 or more employees), 0.44% (nine or fewer); employers may deduct up to 0.44% from wages
- Colorado FAMLI — Employer FAQs — premiums are post-tax deductions
- Colorado FAMLI — Rules and guidance — 0.88% falls to 0.86% from January 1, 2027
- Colorado FAMLI — Individuals and families FAQs — weekly benefit capped at $1,448 from July 1, 2026
- City and County of Denver — Tax Guide Topic 61, Occupational Privilege Taxes — employee $5.75 a month when earning $500 or more in the month; employer $4; paid once with more than one Denver employer
- Greenwood Village — Occupational Privilege Tax — $2 a month employee, $2 employer, when $250 or more is earned in the month
- Colorado Department of Labor and Employment — 2026 COMPS Order poster (wage and hour rights) — $15.16 in 2026; tip credit up to $3.02; overtime after 40 a week or 12 a day or consecutive; final pay
- Colorado Department of Labor and Employment — Minimum wage will increase to $15.71 in 2027
- Colorado Department of Labor and Employment — Paydays, pay periods and pay statements — pay periods no longer than a month or 30 days; payday within 10 days of the period's end
- Colorado Wage Act, C.R.S. § 8-4-101 et seq. (revised August 6, 2025) — § 8-4-109: final pay immediately when fired, next regular payday when you quit; penalties after a 14-day written demand
Questions
How much Colorado tax comes out of my paycheck?
4.4% of your yearly taxable pay after the allowance ($5,500, or $11,000 if married filing jointly), divided by your number of paychecks, plus up to 0.44% for FAMLI.
How much is taken out of a $1,000 paycheck in Colorado?
For a single filer paid every two weeks with nothing else on the W-4, a $1,000 paycheck has about $38.08 of federal income tax, $62.00 of Social Security and $14.50 of Medicare taken out, $34.69 of Colorado income tax, leaving $846.33. Enter your own details in the calculator for your exact figure.
What is $20 an hour after taxes in Colorado?
Working 40 hours a week and paid every two weeks, $20 an hour is $1,600.00 before tax and about $1,301.32 after tax per paycheck — $33,834.22 a year — for a single filer with a standard W-4.
Do I need to fill in a DR 0004?
No. It's optional. Without it, your employer uses your federal W-4 filing status. Fill it in to change your allowance or add extra withholding.
What is FAMLI on my pay stub?
Colorado's paid family and medical leave premium. Your employer can deduct up to 0.44% of your wages, on pay up to $184,500 a year.
What is the OPT on my Denver pay stub?
Denver's occupational privilege tax: $5.75 a month when you earn at least $500 in Denver that month.
Does Colorado have daily overtime?
Yes. Hours over 12 in a workday, or 12 in a row, earn time-and-a-half, as do hours over 40 in a week.