Maine paycheck calculator
Maine taxes wages with three graduated brackets, and for 2026 it added a 2% surcharge on very high incomes and raised its standard deduction. Those changes were enacted partway through the year, so Maine Revenue Services reissued its 2026 withholding tables in August 2026. Most Maine paychecks also now carry a Paid Family and Medical Leave premium.
Take-home per paycheck
$2,217
- Take-home per year
- $57,630
- Total taxes per year
- $17,371
- Effective tax rate
- 23.2%
- Marginal tax rate
- 36.4%
- Maine allowances assumed: 1 (Form W-4ME worksheet: you, a joint-filing spouse, head of household, and each dependent).
Take-home per paycheck: $2,217 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 | −$138 | −$3,588 |
| ME PFML | −$14 | −$375 |
| Take-home pay | $2,217 | $57,630 |
- Take-home pay$57,63077%
- Federal income tax$7,67010%
- Social Security & Medicare$5,7388%
- State & local taxes$3,9635%
How Maine taxes your paycheck
- Up to 9.15%
- Three brackets from 5.8% to 7.15%, plus a new 2% surcharge on taxable income over $1 million ($1.5 million for joint filers).
- ME PFML
- ME PFML 0.5%
- None
- Maine municipalities do not levy income taxes on wages.
- 5%
- A bonus paid separately can be withheld at a flat 5%; paid with regular wages, it is withheld as part of that paycheck.
Maine income tax rates for 2026
These are the return rates. Your employer withholds using Maine's withholding method (Maine percentage method (Withholding Tables, Revised August 2026)), which the calculator above follows.
| Taxable income | Rate |
|---|---|
| $0 – $27,400 | 5.8% |
| $27,400 – $64,850 | 6.75% |
| $64,850 – $1,000,000 | 7.15% |
| Over $1,000,000 | 9.15% |
| Taxable income | Rate |
|---|---|
| $0 – $54,850 | 5.8% |
| $54,850 – $129,750 | 6.75% |
| $129,750 – $1,500,000 | 7.15% |
| Over $1,500,000 | 9.15% |
| Taxable income | Rate |
|---|---|
| $0 – $41,100 | 5.8% |
| $41,100 – $97,300 | 6.75% |
| $97,300 – $1,500,000 | 7.15% |
| Over $1,500,000 | 9.15% |
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Standard deduction — Single (phased out at higher incomes) | $15,700 |
| Standard deduction — Married filing separately | $15,700 |
| Standard deduction — Head of household | $23,550 |
| Standard deduction — Married filing jointly (phased out at higher incomes) | $31,400 |
| Personal exemption (you, and your spouse if filing jointly) | $5,300 |
Other taxes on Maine paychecks
| Employee payroll tax | Rate | Wage base | Annual max |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) premium — employee share | 0.5% | $184,500 | — |
$51,430 in Maine
$51,430 is the median annual wage in Maine (May 2025, BLS OEWS). A single filer paid every two weeks with no other income or deductions takes home $41,271 a year, or $1,587 per paycheck.
| Line | Every 2 weeks | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $1,978 | $51,430 |
| Federal income tax | -$154 | -$3,992 |
| Social Security | -$123 | -$3,189 |
| Medicare | -$29 | -$746 |
| State income tax | -$76 | -$1,976 |
| ME PFML | -$10 | -$257 |
| Take-home pay | $1,587 | $41,271 |
How Maine withholds income tax
Employers use Maine's percentage method or its wage-bracket tables. The percentage method annualizes your pay, subtracts a fixed amount for each allowance on Form W-4ME, subtracts a withholding standard deduction that shrinks as pay rises, applies the single or married rate schedule, and divides back to a per-paycheck amount rounded to the nearest dollar.
Form W-4ME is separate from the federal W-4. Its worksheet gives one allowance for you, one for a spouse if you file jointly, one if you file as head of household, and one for each child or other dependent who qualifies for a federal credit. Married workers whose spouse also works may enter zero for the spouse to avoid under-withholding. Without a valid W-4ME, your employer withholds as if you were single with no allowances.
Maine starts from wages subject to federal withholding, so traditional 401(k) deferrals, pre-tax health premiums and cafeteria-plan HSA contributions lower Maine withholding too.
2026 changes: surcharge and mid-year tables
Starting with tax year 2026, Maine adds a 2% surcharge on taxable income above a high threshold that depends on filing status. Employers add it to withholding once annualized income passes the single or married threshold.
Because the surcharge and the larger standard deduction were adopted after the year began, Maine Revenue Services told employers in August 2026 to switch to the revised tables immediately and discard the earlier version. Paychecks from early 2026 may have used the old tables, so your actual year-to-date Maine withholding can differ slightly from this estimate.
Paid Family and Medical Leave premiums
Maine's paid leave program is funded by a premium on wages up to the Social Security wage base. Larger employers pay the premium and may pass up to half of it to employees; smaller employers owe a lower premium and may pass all of it on, so the most an employee pays is the same either way.
Premiums started with pay dates on or after January 1, 2025, and benefits began on May 1, 2026. Your employer may choose to cover your share, in which case the amount it pays for you counts as taxable wages.
Bonuses and local taxes
A bonus paid with your regular wages is withheld as part of that paycheck. Paid on its own, it can be withheld at a flat supplemental rate. Maine towns and cities do not levy income taxes, so there is no local withholding.
What changed recently
- 2026: Maine adopted a 2% income tax surcharge on high incomes and raised the standard deduction for tax years beginning in 2026; revised withholding tables took effect immediately in August 2026. Source
- 2026: Bracket thresholds, the personal exemption and the standard deduction were adjusted for inflation for 2026. Source
- 2026: Maine also created an elective pass-through entity tax for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2026. Source
- 2026: Maine Paid Family and Medical Leave benefits began May 1, 2026; the contribution rates are set for calendar years 2025 through 2027. Source
Questions people ask
What is the Maine income tax rate in 2026?
Maine has three brackets: 5.8%, 6.75% and 7.15%. For 2026 a 2% surcharge also applies to taxable income over $1,000,000 for single filers and $1,500,000 for joint filers and heads of household.
How much is the Maine paid leave deduction?
Employers can deduct up to 0.5% of your wages for Paid Family and Medical Leave, on wages up to the $184,500 Social Security wage base for 2026.
How are bonuses taxed in Maine?
If the bonus is paid separately from your regular pay, your employer may withhold a flat 5% for Maine. If it comes in the same check as your regular wages, the total is withheld as one paycheck.
How many allowances should I claim on Form W-4ME?
The worksheet allows one for yourself, one for a spouse if you file jointly, one for head of household status, and one for each dependent eligible for the federal child or other-dependent credit. You can claim fewer to have more withheld, but claiming more requires approval from Maine Revenue Services.
Why did my Maine withholding change in the middle of 2026?
Maine adopted the 2% surcharge and a larger standard deduction during 2026, and Maine Revenue Services issued revised withholding tables in August 2026 that employers had to start using immediately.
Does Maine tax 401(k) contributions?
No. Maine withholding is based on wages subject to federal withholding, so traditional 401(k) deferrals, pre-tax health premiums and cafeteria-plan HSA contributions are not included.
Sources
- Withholding Tables for Individual Income Tax (Revised August 2026) · retrieved 2026-10-16
- Maine Tax Alert, Volume 36, Issue 10 (August 2026) · retrieved 2026-10-16
- 2026 Individual Income Tax Rates (revised May 20, 2026) · retrieved 2026-10-16
- Form W-4ME (2026) Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate · retrieved 2026-10-16
- Paid Family and Medical Leave FAQs for Employers (July 2026) · retrieved 2026-10-16
- What Employers Need to Know: Premiums & Counting Employees · retrieved 2026-10-16
- Publication 15 (2026), Employer's Tax Guide — social security wage base · retrieved 2026-10-16
- Publication 15-T (2026), Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods · 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