Georgia paycheck calculator
Georgia taxes wages at a single flat rate, and 2026 brought a bigger cut than scheduled: HB 463, signed on May 11, 2026, lowered the rate for the whole year and raised the standard deduction and the dependent deduction. Employers switched to the new rate partway through the year, so paychecks from May onward carry less Georgia tax than those from January to early May.
Take-home per paycheck
$2,254
- Take-home per year
- $58,599
- Total taxes per year
- $16,401
- Effective tax rate
- 21.9%
- Marginal tax rate
- 34.6%
- Uses the 4.99% rate employers may use from May 11, 2026; paychecks earlier in 2026 were withheld at 5.19%.
- Assumes 0 allowances on Form G-4 (dependents).
Take-home per paycheck: $2,254 every 2 weeks
| Line | Every 2 weeks | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $2,885 | $75,000 |
| Federal income tax | −$295 | −$7,670 |
| Social Security | −$179 | −$4,650 |
| Medicare | −$42 | −$1,088 |
| State income tax | −$115 | −$2,994 |
| Take-home pay | $2,254 | $58,599 |
- Take-home pay$58,59978%
- Federal income tax$7,67010%
- Social Security & Medicare$5,7388%
- State & local taxes$2,9944%
How Georgia taxes your paycheck
- 4.99% flat
- One flat rate of 4.99% on Georgia taxable income for 2026, after a standard deduction and a deduction for each dependent.
- None
- Georgia has no state payroll tax withheld from employees.
- None
- Georgia cities and counties do not levy income taxes on wages, so only state income tax is withheld. Georgia has no employee-paid state disability or paid family leave tax.
- 4.99%
- Bonuses and other supplemental pay are withheld at Georgia's flat income tax rate in effect when paid (4.99% from May 11, 2026; 5.19% before).
Georgia income tax rates for 2026
These are the return rates. Your employer withholds using Georgia's withholding method (Percentage method (Georgia Employer's Withholding Tax Guide 2026, Table E)), which the calculator above follows.
| Taxable income | Rate |
|---|---|
| Over $0 | 4.99% |
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Standard deduction — Single | $15,000 |
| Standard deduction — Married filing jointly | $30,000 |
| Standard deduction — Married filing separately | $15,000 |
| Standard deduction — Head of household | $15,000 |
| Dependent exemption (each dependent) — O.C.G.A. 48-7-26(b) as amended by HB 463; was $4,000 for 2025. | $5,000 |
$48,170 in Georgia
$48,170 is the median annual wage in Georgia (May 2025, BLS OEWS). A single filer paid every two weeks with no other income or deductions takes home $39,229 a year, or $1,509 per paycheck.
| Line | Every 2 weeks | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $1,853 | $48,170 |
| Federal income tax | -$138 | -$3,600 |
| Social Security | -$115 | -$2,987 |
| Medicare | -$27 | -$698 |
| State income tax | -$64 | -$1,655 |
| Take-home pay | $1,509 | $39,229 |
How Georgia withholding is worked out
Employers can use the wage tables in the Department of Revenue's Employer's Withholding Tax Guide or its percentage method. The percentage method takes your pay for the period, subtracts a standard deduction for your Form G-4 marital status, subtracts a fixed amount for each allowance you claim, and multiplies what is left by the flat rate.
Form G-4 asks for a marital status letter: single, married with both spouses working, married with one spouse working, or head of household. A married couple where only one spouse works gets the larger joint standard deduction in each paycheck; if both spouses work, each paycheck uses the smaller married-filing-separately amount so the couple is not under-withheld.
Allowances on Line 4 are for dependents. Line 5 lets you add Georgia adjustment allowances for itemized deductions or Georgia subtractions such as the retirement exclusion, but only if you complete the worksheet on the form. If you never hand in a G-4, your employer may use your federal W-4 information, or else must withhold as if you are single with zero allowances.
Which pre-tax deductions lower Georgia wages
The guide says Georgia follows federal rules for 401(k), profit-sharing and deferred compensation plans, so those contributions come out of wages before Georgia tax is figured. Georgia taxable income starts from federal adjusted gross income, so pre-tax health premiums and HSA contributions through a cafeteria plan are left out the same way they are federally.
Overtime, tips and bonuses
Georgia did not copy the federal no-tax-on-tips and no-tax-on-overtime deductions. HB 463 created smaller Georgia subtractions for qualified overtime and qualified cash tips that you claim on your return; the Department says reporting them does not reduce the Georgia tax withheld from your paycheck in 2026.
Bonuses and commissions are withheld at the flat income tax rate in effect on the day they are paid.
No local income tax or employee payroll taxes
Atlanta, Savannah, Augusta and other Georgia cities and counties do not tax wages, so the only Georgia line on your pay stub is state income tax. Georgia also has no state disability or paid family leave deduction for employees.
What changed recently
- 2025: HB 111 cut the flat rate for tax year 2025 and set up annual step-downs, subject to revenue triggers. Source
- 2026: HB 463, signed May 11, 2026 and retroactive to January 1, 2026, lowered the flat rate to 4.99%, raised the standard deduction to $15,000 (single, head of household, married filing separately) and $30,000 (married filing jointly), and raised the dependent deduction to $5,000. Employers could start withholding at the new rate on May 11, 2026. Source
- 2026: Georgia did not adopt the federal tips and overtime exemptions, but created limited Georgia subtractions for qualified overtime and cash tips for 2026 through 2028. Source
Questions people ask
What is Georgia's income tax rate for 2026?
Georgia has one flat rate of 4.99% for tax year 2026, set by HB 463. It applies to Georgia taxable income after the standard deduction and dependent deductions.
Why did my Georgia withholding go down in May 2026?
HB 463 was signed on May 11, 2026. Employers had to keep withholding at 5.19% before that date and could switch to 4.99%, with the larger standard deduction and dependent amounts, from May 11 onward. Because the new rate applies to the whole 2026 tax year, the extra withheld early in the year will come back to you when you file your 2026 return.
Does Atlanta have a city income tax?
No. No Georgia city or county taxes wages. Atlanta and other local governments rely on property and sales taxes.
How are bonuses taxed in Georgia?
Georgia withholds bonuses and other supplemental pay at the flat income tax rate in effect when the bonus is paid: 4.99% from May 11, 2026, and 5.19% before that.
How many allowances should I claim on Form G-4?
Claim one dependent allowance on Line 4 for each dependent you will claim on your return. Add Georgia adjustment allowances on Line 5 only if the worksheet shows your itemized deductions or Georgia subtractions exceed the standard deduction. The worksheet divides the extra amount by $5,000 to get the number of allowances.
What happens if I don't fill out a Georgia G-4?
Your employer may use the information on your federal W-4 if it is enough to calculate Georgia withholding. If it is not, Georgia law says to withhold as if you are single with zero allowances, which usually means more tax is taken out than necessary.
Sources
- Employer's Withholding Tax Guide 2026 (revised September 2026) · retrieved 2026-10-16
- Form G-4 Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate (Rev. 06/03/26) · retrieved 2026-10-16
- HB 463 (2026) as passed House and Senate — Georgia Economic Growth and Tax Relief Act of 2026 · retrieved 2026-10-16
- Important Tax Updates · retrieved 2026-10-16
- Gov. Kemp Signs Legislation Lowering Taxes and Supporting Economic Growth (May 11, 2026) · retrieved 2026-10-16
- 2025 Summary of Enacted Legislation · retrieved 2026-10-16
- Publication 15-T (2026), Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods · retrieved 2026-10-16
- Publication 15 (2026), (Circular E), Employer's Tax Guide · retrieved 2026-10-16
- Rev. Proc. 2025-32: 2026 inflation-adjusted tax items · retrieved 2026-10-16
- Form W-4 (2026), Employee's Withholding Certificate · retrieved 2026-10-16
- Publication 505 (2026), Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax · retrieved 2026-10-16
- Form 1040-ES (2026), Estimated Tax for Individuals · retrieved 2026-10-16
- Schedule 1-A (Form 1040) 2026, Additional Deductions (early-release draft) · retrieved 2026-10-16
- Schedule 8812 (Form 1040) 2026, Credits for Qualifying Children and Other Dependents (early-release draft) · retrieved 2026-10-16
- Working Families Tax Cuts: Individuals and workers (tips, overtime, seniors, car loan interest) · retrieved 2026-10-16
- Working Families Tax Cuts provisions (charitable deduction for non-itemizers, Section 70424) · retrieved 2026-10-16
- Child Tax Credit · retrieved 2026-10-16
- IR-2025-111: 401(k) limit increases to $24,500 for 2026 · retrieved 2026-10-16
- Rev. Proc. 2025-19: 2026 HSA limits · retrieved 2026-10-16
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, median annual wage by state · retrieved 2026-10-16