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Iowa Paycheck Calculator (2026)

Estimate your Iowa take-home pay after federal tax, FICA, and Iowa state income tax (flat 3.8%). No second Iowa payroll tax; school district surtax not modeled.

How this calculator works

Like our other paycheck calculators, this estimates federal tax and FICA the same way regardless of state. On top of that, it applies Iowa’s flat 3.8% state income tax to your Iowa taxable income: your federal-taxable wages, minus the same standard deduction you use on your federal return (Iowa’s own tax return takes this figure directly from your federal filing rather than publishing its own).

Iowa has no second state-level payroll tax like Colorado’s FAMLI premium, and Iowa’s income tax itself is a single flat rate with no brackets and no extra zero-rate threshold. This calculator does not include Iowa’s school district income surtax or county emergency medical services surtax: both charge a percentage of the state tax you already owe, not a percentage of your wages, vary district by district across more than 300 Iowa school districts, and this calculator does not ask which one you live in. Check your own district’s rate with the Iowa Department of Revenue if you want a more precise figure.

The formula

(federal tax, FICA, and net-pay assembly are identical to the Colorado calculator)

iaTaxableIncome = max(0, wagesAfterPretax − federalStandardDeduction)
                (same federal standard deduction used for the federal calculation:
                 $16,100 single/MFS, $32,200 joint)
iaIncomeTax     = iaTaxableIncome x 3.8%

stateTax = iaIncomeTax

Worked example

A single filer earning $60,000/year, paid biweekly, with no 401(k) or extra deductions:

  • FICA: $4,590.00/year (6.2% + 1.45% of $60,000, same as any state)
  • Federal tax: $5,020.00/year ($60,000 minus $16,100 standard deduction = $43,900 taxable, same as any state)
  • Iowa taxable income: $60,000 minus $16,100 standard deduction = $43,900
  • Iowa income tax: $43,900 x 3.8% = $1,668.20/year
  • Net pay: $60,000 minus $4,590.00 minus $5,020.00 minus $1,668.20 = $48,721.80/year, or $1,873.92 per biweekly paycheck

The Iowa Department of Revenue’s own payroll withholding formula (effective January 1, 2026) uses a smaller placeholder deduction than the real $16,100 standard deduction, by its own explicit note, so it isn’t directly comparable dollar for dollar. Applying this calculator’s method to that document’s own $2,100/paycheck, single, biweekly example gives $56.27 of Iowa tax per paycheck, within about 5.3% of the $59.26 the state’s own withholding formula produces for the same wages, a small and expected gap given the different deduction figures the two methods use. A live cross-check against SmartAsset’s Iowa Paycheck Calculator (accessed 2026-08-25) showed a notably larger gap for a higher-income scenario, which appears to reflect SmartAsset’s tool not yet being fully updated for Iowa’s 2025 to 2026 flat-tax overhaul, so this calculator relies on the state’s own published rate and deduction rules instead.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

What is Iowa's 2026 state income tax rate?

A flat 3.8% on Iowa taxable income, the same rate for every filer regardless of income. Iowa phased out its old graduated brackets (up to 8.53% before 2023) under Senate File 2442, reaching a single flat 3.8% rate for all income starting in 2025, and the rate stays at 3.8% for 2026 per the Iowa Department of Revenue.

Does Iowa have its own standard deduction, or does it use the federal one?

Iowa's own tax return takes the standard (or itemized) deduction figure directly from your federal return, so it does not publish a separate Iowa-specific dollar amount. This calculator uses the same federal 2026 standard deduction as your federal tax ($16,100 single, $32,200 married filing jointly), since Iowa taxable income equals federal taxable income for a typical wage earner.

Does this calculator include my Iowa school district income surtax?

No. Over 300 Iowa school districts, plus a few counties, charge an income surtax, but it's a percentage of the Iowa state tax you already owe, not a percentage of your wages, and it ranges from 1% to 20% depending on your specific district. This calculator doesn't ask for your school district, so it can't add this in. Check your district's rate with the Iowa Department of Revenue.

Does Iowa have a state disability insurance or paid family leave payroll tax?

No. Iowa does not operate a state-mandated disability insurance or paid-family-leave program, employee-paid or otherwise, unlike California, Colorado, New Jersey, and several other states. Iowa unemployment insurance is funded entirely by employer contributions, so Iowa income tax is the only state-level payroll deduction this calculator applies.

Does any other Iowa city or county have its own local income tax besides the school district surtax?

A handful of counties add a small emergency medical services (EMS) surtax of up to 1%, calculated the same way as the school district surtax: as a percentage of your Iowa tax liability, not your wages. Like the school district surtax, this calculator does not model it since it depends on your specific county and is layered on top of the state tax figure shown here.

Does contributing to a 401(k) lower my Iowa state tax the way it lowers my federal tax?

Yes. Iowa taxable income starts from the same federal-taxable-wages figure used for your federal tax, which is already reduced by your 401(k) elective deferrals. Contributing more to a 401(k) lowers both your federal and your Iowa taxable income by the same dollar amount.

Why is my actual Iowa paycheck different from this calculator's estimate?

This calculator spreads your estimated annual tax liability evenly across paychecks, while employers use Iowa's own withholding formula, which applies a smaller placeholder deduction than the real standard deduction and doesn't produce identical per-paycheck amounts. It also excludes any school district or county surtax and any employer-specific benefit elections not entered here.

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