Colorado paycheck calculator 2026
Colorado withholds a flat 4.40% of annualized taxable wages above a subtraction amount (DR 1098, 2026).
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Federal tax on a bonus paid on its own check is a flat 22% (37% above $1M of bonuses in the year). Your W-4 doesn't change it.
Per paycheck. Calculating from gross pay → other amounts
No state income tax on wages here.
More W-4, deductions and employer settings
- Standard deduction $16,100 single, $32,200 married jointly, $24,150 head of household
- Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500 · Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% over $200,000)
- FUTA 0.6% on the first $7,000 · bonus withholding 22%
- 401(k) limit $24,500 ($32,500 at 50+, $35,750 at 60–63)
Paycheck breakdown
Employer taxes (on top of gross pay)
Where the employer's money goes
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Colorado payroll taxes and rules for 2026
Colorado withholds a flat 4.40% of annualized taxable wages above a subtraction amount (DR 1098, 2026). Employees may file a DR 0004 to set their own subtraction and extra withholding; without one, the employer uses a default subtraction based on the employee's W-4 filing status. Employers also owe a FAMLI paid-leave premium and, in a handful of cities, a small flat monthly local tax.
- Income tax
- 4.40% of taxable wages above a subtraction amount · Employee form: DR 0004: Colorado Employee Withholding Certificate
- DR 0004 is optional. If an employee doesn't file one (or leaves Line 2 blank), the employer must use a default annual subtraction based on the employee's IRS Form W-4 filing status: $11,000 if married filing jointly, $5,500 otherwise. This is NOT the same as zero allowances.
- An employee who files a DR 0004 sets their own subtraction amount (Line 2) and can request additional per-period withholding (Line 3).
- An employee who claims Exempt on their federal W-4 and has not filed a DR 0004 owes $0 Colorado withholding.
- Colorado taxable wages follow federal wages subject to withholding: traditional 401(k) deferrals and Section 125 cafeteria deductions both reduce Colorado wages the same way they reduce federal wages.
- Employee deductions
- FAMLI (Family and Medical Leave Insurance): 0.44% of wages up to $184,500 (2026) Always withheld, regardless of employer size.
- Employer taxes
- State Unemployment Insurance (SUI): 3.05% new-employer rate on the first $30,600 of wages (2026) Experience-rated range 0.72%-10.85%. New-employer rate = 1.53% beginning rate + 0.17% support rate + 1.35% solvency surcharge rate.
- FAMLI (employer share): 0.44% of wages up to $184,500 (2026) Only owed by employers with 10 or more employees. Employers with fewer than 10 employees don't pay this share, but still withhold and remit the employee's 0.44%.
- Local taxes
- Denver, Glendale, Greenwood Village and Sheridan each levy a flat monthly Occupational Privilege Tax (OPT, sometimes called a 'head tax') on both the employee and the employer once an employee earns at least a city-set amount in a calendar month: Denver ($5.75 employee / $4.00 employer, $500/month threshold), Glendale ($5.00 / $5.00, $750/month), Greenwood Village ($2.00 / $2.00, $250/month), Sheridan ($3.00 / $3.00). Aurora repealed its OPT effective January 1, 2025 and no longer levies one. Because OPT is a flat monthly amount, not a percentage, most payroll software either spreads it evenly across every paycheck in the month or deducts the full month's tax from a single paycheck.
- Bonuses
- Colorado has no separate flat supplemental-wage rate. Bonuses and other supplemental wages paid on their own check are run through the regular DR 1098 calculation using the aggregate method: tax the combined regular-plus-bonus pay, then subtract the tax already withheld on the regular pay alone.
- Minimum wage 2026
- $15.16/hour Denver and some other Colorado municipalities set a higher local minimum wage under home-rule authority.
- Pay frequency
- At least monthly; many employers pay more often. Colorado does not mandate weekly or biweekly pay for private employers generally, but wages must be paid at regular, published intervals.
- Final paycheck
- Employee fired or laid off: immediately, or by the next payroll if payroll is handled by a third party and immediate payment isn't possible. Employee who quits: by the next regular payday.
- New-hire reporting
- Within 20 days of the hire date, to the Colorado State Directory of New Hires.
- Reciprocity
- None. Colorado has no reciprocal withholding agreements with other states.
Checked against official sources on October 5, 2026:
- Colorado DR 1098 (10/21/25): 2026 Colorado Withholding Worksheet for Employers
- Colorado Wage Withholding Tax Guide (rev. Jan 2026)
- FAMLI: Premium and Benefits Calculator
- FAMLI: Small Business Corner
- City and County of Denver: Business Tax Information (Occupational Privilege Tax)
- City of Glendale, CO: Occupational Privilege Tax
- Greenwood Village, CO: Occupational Privilege Tax (OPT)
- City of Aurora, CO: Occupational Privilege Tax (repealed 1 Jan 2025)
- Colorado Dept. of Labor and Employment: Beginning Rates
- US DOL: Minimum Wages by State (Colorado)
Take-home pay in Colorado by salary
| Salary | Federal tax | FICA | Colorado taxes | Take-home / year | Per paycheck | Employer cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $2,620 | $3,060 | $1,694 | $32,626 | $1,255 | $44,211 |
| $60,000 | $5,020 | $4,590 | $2,662 | $47,728 | $1,836 | $65,829 |
| $80,000 | $8,770 | $6,120 | $3,630 | $61,480 | $2,365 | $87,447 |
| $100,000 | $13,170 | $7,650 | $4,598 | $74,582 | $2,869 | $109,065 |
| $150,000 | $24,734 | $11,475 | $7,018 | $106,773 | $4,107 | $163,110 |
Single filer, paid every two weeks, 2026 W-4 with no adjustments, default Colorado withholding settings, no 401(k) or benefits, new-employer unemployment rate. Colorado taxes include state income tax and employee-paid state programs; local taxes are not included unless the default setting includes them.
How the federal part works, step by step: the 2026 paycheck guide · California · Connecticut
Colorado paycheck questions
What if an employee never files a Colorado DR 0004?
Use the default subtraction amount based on the filing status on their IRS Form W-4: $11,000 a year if married filing jointly or qualifying surviving spouse, $5,500 otherwise. This is the DR 1098 default, not zero withholding allowances.
Do small employers owe the FAMLI employer premium?
Not if they have fewer than 10 employees. They still must withhold and remit the 0.44% employee share, and their employees remain covered and eligible for FAMLI benefits either way.
Does Aurora still have an occupational privilege tax?
No. Aurora repealed its Occupational Privilege Tax effective January 1, 2025. Denver, Glendale, Greenwood Village and Sheridan still levy one.
Does a 401(k) deferral lower Colorado withholding?
Yes. Colorado wages subject to withholding follow federal wages subject to withholding, so traditional 401(k) deferrals and Section 125 cafeteria-plan deductions both reduce the wages the 4.40% rate applies to.
How much is $60,000 a year after taxes in Colorado?
About $47,728 a year, or $1,836 every two weeks, for a single filer with no other W-4 adjustments in 2026. Federal income tax is $5,020, Social Security and Medicare $4,590, and Colorado taxes and payroll deductions $2,662.
What does a $60,000 employee cost an employer in Colorado?
$65,829 a year before benefits: the salary plus the 7.65% FICA match, federal unemployment (FUTA) and Colorado unemployment insurance at the new-employer rate of 3.05% on the first $30,600, plus employer-paid state programs.
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