Colorado Paycheck Calculator (2026)

Colorado's 4.4% flat tax starts from federal taxable income, which means the full federal standard deduction ($16,100 single, $32,200 joint in 2026) comes off before the state rate applies. That makes Colorado gentler on modest incomes than the headline rate implies: a $60,000 single filer pays about 3.2% of gross to the state. Under the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights, surplus revenue is refunded, sometimes by temporarily trimming the rate (it was 4.25% for 2024) and sometimes by check, so the effective rate can wobble from year to year.

Two payroll deductions sit outside the income tax. Colorado's FAMLI paid-leave program takes 0.44% of wages from employees in 2026 (the total premium fell from 0.9% to 0.88%, split evenly with employers of ten or more), capped at the $184,500 Social Security wage base. Separately, Denver charges an Occupational Privilege Tax, a flat $5.75 a month withheld from anyone earning at least $500 in a month for work performed inside the city, with the employer paying another $4. Glendale, Greenwood Village and Sheridan have similar head taxes; Aurora repealed its version at the start of 2025.

Colorado has no reciprocity agreements and no county income taxes. Its state sales tax is a low 2.9%, but cities and special districts add several points, so Denver-area shoppers pay closer to 9%.