How your paycheck is taxed in Colorado
A Colorado paycheck is reduced by federal income tax, Social Security (6.2%), Medicare (1.45%), and a flat 4.4% state income tax. The federal side uses the 2026 standard deduction of $16,100 (single) or $32,200 (joint) and seven brackets from 10% to 37%. The state side is described below. Colorado starts from federal taxable income, so the federal standard deduction applies.
Colorado's table is based on the 2026 schedule and is marked estimated; see the notes below for what may differ in 2026.
Formula
Net pay = Gross pay - Pre-tax deductions - Federal income tax - Social Security - Medicare - Colorado income tax - After-tax deductions. Federal taxable income is gross minus pre-tax deductions minus the standard deduction. Colorado taxable income is wages minus the state standard deduction.
Colorado income tax rate for 2026
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tax rate (all filing statuses) | 4.4% |
| Standard deduction, single | $16,100 |
| Standard deduction, married filing jointly | $32,200 |
Colorado's statutory rate is 4.4%. TABOR surplus refunds have temporarily lowered it in recent years (4.25% for 2024), and any 2026 temporary reduction depends on revenue, so the record is marked estimated.
Local taxes in Colorado
Denver, Aurora, Glendale, Greenwood Village, and Sheridan charge small flat occupational privilege taxes (a few dollars per month). Local taxes are not included in the estimate above; check your pay stub for a city or county line and subtract it from the net pay shown.
Worked examples: single filer, paid biweekly
Each row is a single filer with no pre-tax deductions, using the 2026 federal tables and the Colorado rules above. The $75,000 example: federal taxable income is $58,900 after the $16,100 standard deduction, giving $7,670.00 of federal tax (10% on the first $12,400, 12% up to $50,400, 22% on the rest). Social Security is 6.2% of $75,000 = $4,650.00, Medicare is 1.45% = $1,087.50, and Colorado tax on $58,900 of state taxable income is $2,591.60. Net pay is $59,000.90 a year, or $2,269.27 every two weeks.
| Salary | Federal tax | Social Security | Medicare | Colorado tax | Net per year | Net per paycheck |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $3,820 | $3,100 | $725 | $1,492 | $40,863 | $1,571.67 |
| $75,000 | $7,670 | $4,650 | $1,088 | $2,592 | $59,001 | $2,269.27 |
| $100,000 | $13,170 | $6,200 | $1,450 | $3,692 | $75,488 | $2,903.40 |
Effective total tax rates in these examples run from 18.3% at $50,000 to 24.5% at $100,000. Married filers with the same household income pay less federal tax because the joint standard deduction and brackets are twice as wide.
How a flat tax changes with income
Because every dollar of taxable income is taxed at 4.4%, Colorado tax rises in a straight line once you are past the deduction and exemption. In the examples above it is $1,492 at $50,000 (2.98% of gross), $2,592 at $75,000 (3.46%), and $3,692 at $100,000 (3.69%). The federal side is what makes the total effective rate climb faster than that, since federal brackets step from 12% to 22% at $50,400 of taxable income and to 24% at $105,700.
Hourly pay in Colorado
Hourly workers are annualized the same way: rate x hours per week x 52. At $20 an hour for 40 hours, gross pay is $41,600 a year or $800 a week. Federal income tax is $54.08 a week, Social Security $49.60, Medicare $11.60, and Colorado tax $21.58, leaving $663.15 per weekly paycheck. Overtime raises the annualized figure and can push a few dollars into the next federal bracket, but only those dollars are taxed at the higher rate.
Married filing jointly on $75,000
A married couple filing jointly with $75,000 of combined wages gets the $32,200 joint standard deduction and brackets twice as wide, so federal income tax falls to $4,640.00 from $7,670.00 for a single filer, and Colorado tax is $1,883.20 instead of $2,591.60. Social Security and Medicare do not change with filing status. Take-home pay for the couple is $62,739.30 a year, or $2,413.05 per biweekly paycheck.
Estimates for 2026 using federal and state tables; local taxes, benefits, and credits vary. Not tax advice. Compare other states on the national paycheck calculator.