How your paycheck is taxed in Wisconsin
A Wisconsin paycheck is reduced by federal income tax, Social Security (6.2%), Medicare (1.45%), and state income tax of 3.5% to 7.65%. 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. Wisconsin's standard deduction slides down with income: a single filer's $13,930 deduction shrinks by 12% of income over $20,090 and disappears around $136,000. The calculator models this slide.
Wisconsin's table is based on the 2025 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 - Wisconsin income tax - After-tax deductions. Federal taxable income is gross minus pre-tax deductions minus the standard deduction. Wisconsin taxable income is wages minus the state standard deduction.
Wisconsin income tax brackets for 2026
Wisconsin's 2025 budget widened the 4.4% bracket to $50,480 (single) and $67,300 (joint). Bracket edges and the sliding standard deduction are 2025 figures without 2026 indexing, so the record is marked estimated. Brackets apply to Wisconsin taxable income, which is wages after the $13,930 (single) or $25,890 (joint) standard deduction.
| Rate | Single taxable income |
|---|---|
| 3.5% | $0 to $14,680 |
| 4.4% | $14,680 to $50,480 |
| 5.3% | $50,480 to $323,290 |
| 7.65% | Over $323,290 |
| Rate | Married filing jointly taxable income |
|---|---|
| 3.5% | $0 to $19,580 |
| 4.4% | $19,580 to $67,300 |
| 5.3% | $67,300 to $431,060 |
| 7.65% | Over $431,060 |
Head of household and married filing separately use the single schedule in this estimate; Wisconsin may publish separate columns.
Worked examples: single filer, paid biweekly
Each row is a single filer with no pre-tax deductions, using the 2026 federal tables and the Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin tax on $67,659 of state taxable income is $2,999.50. Net pay is $58,593.00 a year, or $2,253.58 every two weeks.
| Salary | Federal tax | Social Security | Medicare | Wisconsin tax | Net per year | Net per paycheck |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $3,820 | $3,100 | $725 | $1,613 | $40,742 | $1,567.00 |
| $75,000 | $7,670 | $4,650 | $1,088 | $2,999 | $58,593 | $2,253.58 |
| $100,000 | $13,170 | $6,200 | $1,450 | $4,483 | $74,697 | $2,872.94 |
Effective total tax rates in these examples run from 18.5% at $50,000 to 25.3% 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, and Wisconsin's joint brackets are wider too.
How the Wisconsin brackets apply to $75,000
State taxable income for the single $75,000 example is $67,659. Each slice is taxed at its own rate and the pieces are added up, so the marginal rate (5.3%) is higher than the average rate on all wages (4%).
| Bracket | Income in bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 3.5% | $14,680 | $513.80 |
| 4.4% | $35,800 | $1,575.20 |
| 5.3% | $17,179 | $910.50 |
| Total Wisconsin tax | $2,999.50 |
Hourly pay in Wisconsin
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 Wisconsin tax $23.06, leaving $661.67 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 Wisconsin tax is $2,386.58 instead of $2,999.50. Social Security and Medicare do not change with filing status. Take-home pay for the couple is $62,235.92 a year, or $2,393.69 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.