Illinois Paycheck Calculator 2026
Enter your pay and your IL-W-4 allowances to see what lands in your bank account. Illinois takes a flat 4.95% after allowances — we show the working line by line.
| 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 |
| Illinois income tax · withheld | −$99.14 | −$2,577.64 |
| Take-home pay | $1,684.42 | $43,794.86 |
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 Illinois income tax was worked out
| Pay subject to Illinois tax this paycheck · same as federal: after pre-tax 401(k) and benefits | $2,115.38 |
| Minus IL-W-4 allowances for one paycheck · (1 × $2,925 + 0 × $1,000) ÷ 26 | −$112.50 |
| Illinois taxable pay | $2,002.88 |
| Illinois income tax this paycheck · × 4.95% (IL-700-T) | $99.14 |
What comes out of a Illinois 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.
Illinois has a flat 4.95% income tax. Your employer works out Illinois withholding from the pay that is subject to federal income tax — so a traditional 401(k) and pre-tax health insurance lower it too — minus your IL-W-4 allowances:
- Basic allowances (IL-W-4 Line 1) are worth $2,925 a year each in 2026 — usually one for you and one for your spouse.
- Additional allowances (Line 2) are worth $1,000 a year each.
The yearly allowance total is divided by your number of paychecks, subtracted from each paycheck, and the rest is taxed at 4.95%. If you never gave your employer an IL-W-4, it must withhold with no allowances, so more comes out. Open "How the Illinois income tax was worked out" under the result to see every step.
Unemployment insurance is financed by employer payroll taxes — not by deductions from your wages.
What's different about Illinois
The same rate at every income
Because the rate is flat, a raise or overtime is taxed by Illinois at the same 4.95% as the rest of your pay; only the allowances change how much of your pay is taxed. Federal withholding still rises in brackets.
Working in Illinois but living next door
Illinois has agreements with Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan and Wisconsin: employers don't have to withhold Illinois tax from residents of those states. If that's you, your home state's rules apply instead, and this calculator's Illinois line won't match your stub.
Paydays and your last paycheck
Illinois employers must pay at least twice a month, no later than 13 days after the pay period ends. Executive, administrative and professional employees can be paid once a month. When you leave a job, all final pay is due on your next regularly scheduled payday.
Paid leave
Under the Paid Leave for All Workers Act, most Illinois workers earn at least 1 hour of paid leave for every 40 hours worked, up to 40 hours a year. Chicago and Cook County have their own paid leave rules.
Moving to Illinois
If you move from a state with no income tax, expect about 4.95% of your pay above your allowances to go to Illinois — the "Illinois income tax" line above shows exactly how much.
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 Illinois 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
- Illinois Department of Revenue — Booklet IL-700-T, Illinois Withholding Tax Tables (2026) — 4.95%; $2,925 per Line 1 allowance, $1,000 per Line 2 allowance; worked example
- Illinois Department of Revenue — Bulletin FY 2026-15 — exemption $2,850 for 2025, $2,925 for 2026
- Illinois Department of Revenue — Withholding Illinois income tax for my employees — no IL-W-4 means no allowances; reciprocity with Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan and Wisconsin
- 86 Ill. Adm. Code 100.7000 — withholding follows federal income tax withholding
- Illinois Department of Employment Security — What every worker should know — financed by employer payroll taxes, not deductions from wages
- Illinois Department of Labor — Minimum Wage Law — $15.00; $9.00 tipped; overtime after 40 hours
- Illinois Department of Labor — Wage payment FAQ — at least semi-monthly; final pay on the next regular payday
- Illinois Department of Labor — Paid Leave for All Workers Act FAQ
Questions
How much Illinois tax comes out of my paycheck?
4.95% of your pay after pre-tax deductions and your IL-W-4 allowances ($2,925 a year for each basic allowance in 2026, $1,000 for each additional one), divided across your paychecks.
How much is taken out of a $1,000 paycheck in Illinois?
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, $43.93 of Illinois income tax, leaving $841.49. Enter your own details in the calculator for your exact figure.
What is $20 an hour after taxes in Illinois?
Working 40 hours a week and paid every two weeks, $20 an hour is $1,600.00 before tax and about $1,295.82 after tax per paycheck — $33,691.22 a year — for a single filer with a standard W-4.
How many allowances should I claim on my IL-W-4?
The IL-W-4 worksheet explains it: generally one basic allowance for yourself and one for your spouse, plus additional allowances for dependents and some deductions. We can't advise on your situation, but you can try different numbers in the calculator to see the effect.
What happens if I didn't fill out an IL-W-4?
Your employer must withhold Illinois tax with no allowances, which takes more from each paycheck. Enter 0 in the basic allowances box to see that amount.
What is the minimum wage in Illinois?
$15.00 an hour for adults; $9.00 cash wage for tipped workers as long as tips make up the rest.