Louisiana Paycheck Calculator 2026
Enter your pay and your L-4 details to see what lands in your bank account. Louisiana taxes wages at a flat 3% — we show exactly how your employer withholds it.
| 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 |
| Louisiana income tax · withheld | −$50.06 | −$1,301.56 |
| Take-home pay | $1,733.50 | $45,070.94 |
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 Louisiana income tax was worked out
| Pay subject to Louisiana tax this paycheck · same as federal: after pre-tax 401(k) and benefits | $2,115.38 |
| Minus standard deduction for one paycheck · $12,875 ÷ 26 — single or married filing separately (L-4 Block A “1”) | −$495.19 |
| Louisiana taxable pay · a negative amount counts as zero (R-1306) | $1,620.19 |
| Louisiana tax by formula · × 3.09% — the 3% rate plus a 0.09% cushion (R-1306) | $50.06 |
| Louisiana income tax this paycheck | $50.06 |
What comes out of a Louisiana 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.
Louisiana has a flat 3% income tax. Employers withhold it with the Department of Revenue's R-1306 formula for 2026:
- Start with your pay subject to income tax for one paycheck — after a traditional 401(k) and pre-tax health insurance, as for federal tax.
- Subtract one paycheck's share of the standard deduction you picked in Block A of your L-4: $12,875 a year for "1" (single or married filing separately), $25,750 a year for "2" (married filing jointly, head of household or qualifying surviving spouse), or nothing for "0". If the result is below zero, it counts as zero.
- Multiply what's left by 3.09% — the 3% rate plus a 0.09% cushion the Department of Revenue builds into withholding — and round to the cent.
Line 7 of the L-4 lets you add a set amount to each paycheck's withholding, or take one off. Louisiana has no employee-paid state payroll programs: unemployment contributions are paid by employers and, by law, can't be taken out of your wages. Parishes and cities can't levy an income tax, so there is no local income tax line.
What's different about Louisiana
No L-4 means no standard deduction
If you never gave your employer an L-4, it must withhold Louisiana tax with no standard deduction — 3.09% of every taxable dollar. As long as your pay is above the deduction, that is about $398 more a year than with a "1" in Block A. Our form lets you pick "0" to see that case.
No allowances for dependents
The L-4 no longer asks about dependents. Louisiana's tax reform repealed the extra exemptions for dependents, blind persons and people over 65, and folded everything into one larger standard deduction. Block A is the only choice that changes the formula.
A flat rate since 2025
Before 2025, Louisiana used graduated rates that topped out at 4.25%. Since January 1, 2025 every dollar of taxable income is taxed at 3%. The standard deduction started at $12,500 and $25,000 and now rises with inflation each year — to $12,875 and $25,750 for 2026.
Your last paycheck
When you quit or are let go, your employer must pay what it owes by the next regular payday or within 15 days, whichever comes first. An employer that doesn't pay after you ask can owe penalty wages of up to 90 days' pay, plus your attorney fees. Unpaid wage claims are brought in 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 Louisiana 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
- Louisiana Department of Revenue — R-1306 (1/26) Louisiana Withholding Tables and Formulas, effective January 1, 2026 — 3.09% formula rate; $12,875 / $25,750 standard deductions by L-4 Block A; worked example
- Louisiana Department of Revenue — Form L-4, Employee's Withholding Certificate (R-1300 (1/26)) — Block A 0/1/2; Line 7 adjustments; no L-4 means no standard deduction
- Louisiana Department of Revenue — Revenue Information Bulletin 25-012, Individual Income Tax Reform (March 7, 2025) — flat 3%; standard deduction $12,500 / $25,000 for 2025, indexed from 2026; dependent exemptions repealed; 0.09% withholding cushion
- Louisiana Department of Revenue — What are the individual income tax rates and brackets? — flat 3% from January 1, 2025; 1.85% / 3.5% / 4.25% for 2022–2024
- La. R.S. 23:1531 — Employer contributions — unemployment contributions shall not be deducted from employees' wages
- Louisiana House — State and Local Government, Local Government Finance — the constitution bars parishes and cities from levying an income tax (Const. Art. VII, §§4(C), 5)
- U.S. Department of Labor — State minimum wage laws — Louisiana: no state minimum wage law; federal $7.25 applies to FLSA-covered employers (updated July 1, 2026)
- U.S. Department of Labor — Minimum wages for tipped employees — Louisiana: $2.13 cash wage, federal rules
- U.S. Department of Labor — Overtime pay — time and one-half after 40 hours in a workweek
- U.S. Department of Labor — State payday requirements — twice a month for manufacturing, mining or oil-boring employers with 10 or more employees and public service corporations
- La. R.S. 23:631 — Payment after termination of employment — final pay by the next regular payday or within 15 days, whichever is first
- La. R.S. 23:632 — Liability of employer for failure to pay — penalty wages up to 90 days' pay; attorney fees
- Law Library of Louisiana — Unpaid wages information guide — unpaid wage claims are brought in court
Questions
What is the Louisiana income tax rate in 2026?
3%, a flat rate on all taxable income. For withholding, employers use 3.09%, which adds a small cushion.
How much is taken out of a $1,000 paycheck in Louisiana?
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, $15.60 of Louisiana income tax, leaving $869.82. Enter your own details in the calculator for your exact figure.
What is $20 an hour after taxes in Louisiana?
Working 40 hours a week and paid every two weeks, $20 an hour is $1,600.00 before tax and about $1,335.31 after tax per paycheck — $34,717.96 a year — for a single filer with a standard W-4.
What do the L-4 Block A choices mean?
The form says to enter "1" if your filing status is single or married filing separately, "2" if it is married filing jointly, head of household or qualifying surviving spouse, and "0" to claim no standard deduction.
What happens if I didn't fill out an L-4?
Your employer must withhold Louisiana tax from your wages with no standard deduction, the same as a "0" in Block A.
Can I claim my children on the L-4?
No. Louisiana repealed the dependent exemptions, and the L-4 has no dependents line. Only Block A and the Line 7 adjustment change your withholding.
When do I get my last paycheck in Louisiana?
By the next regular payday or within 15 days of leaving, whichever comes first.