Michigan paycheck calculator
Michigan taxes wages at one flat rate, and the rate stayed put for 2026 because the state's automatic rate-cut trigger was not met. What changes a Michigan paycheck most is where you live: Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing, Flint and about twenty other cities add their own income tax.
Take-home per paycheck
$2,256
- Take-home per year
- $58,656
- Total taxes per year
- $16,344
- Effective tax rate
- 21.8%
- Marginal tax rate
- 33.9%
- Assumes 1 personal and dependency exemption on Form MI-W4.
Take-home per paycheck: $2,256 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 | −$113 | −$2,937 |
| Take-home pay | $2,256 | $58,656 |
- Take-home pay$58,65678%
- Federal income tax$7,67010%
- Social Security & Medicare$5,7388%
- State & local taxes$2,9374%
How Michigan taxes your paycheck
- 4.25% flat
- One flat 4.25% rate on Michigan taxable income after a personal exemption for you, your spouse and each dependent.
- None
- Michigan has no state payroll tax withheld from employees.
- 4 included
- Twenty-four Michigan cities levy an income tax under the state's uniform city income tax ordinance, with a lower rate for people who only work there than for residents. We include Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing and Flint.
- 4.25%
- Bonuses paid separately from regular pay are withheld at a flat 4.25% with no exemption allowance.
Michigan income tax rates for 2026
These are the return rates. Your employer withholds using Michigan's withholding method (Direct percentage computation (Form 446, 2026)), which the calculator above follows.
| Taxable income | Rate |
|---|---|
| Over $0 | 4.25% |
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Personal and dependency exemption (each for you, your spouse and each dependent) | $5,900 |
Other taxes on Michigan paychecks
| Locality | Type | Resident rate |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit | city | 2.4% |
| Grand Rapids | city | 1.5% |
| Lansing | city | 1% |
| Flint | city | 1% |
$49,270 in Michigan
$49,270 is the median annual wage in Michigan (May 2025, BLS OEWS). A single filer paid every two weeks with no other income or deductions takes home $39,925 a year, or $1,536 per paycheck.
| Line | Every 2 weeks | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $1,895 | $49,270 |
| Federal income tax | -$144 | -$3,732 |
| Social Security | -$117 | -$3,055 |
| Medicare | -$27 | -$714 |
| State income tax | -$71 | -$1,843 |
| Take-home pay | $1,536 | $39,925 |
How Michigan withholds state tax
Michigan's method is a straight percentage. Each pay period your employer takes your gross taxable pay, subtracts your exemption allowance (the annual exemption amount times the number of exemptions on your MI-W4, divided by the number of paychecks), and withholds 4.25% of the rest.
The federal W-4 does not count for Michigan. If you never turn in an MI-W4, your employer withholds as if you claimed no exemptions at all.
Michigan follows federal rules for pre-tax benefits, so traditional 401(k) contributions, cafeteria-plan HSA contributions and pre-tax health premiums all reduce the pay Michigan withholds on.
City income taxes
Twenty-four Michigan cities levy an income tax under the state's uniform city income tax ordinance. Residents pay the full resident rate on all their wages; people who only work in the city pay a lower nonresident rate, capped at half the resident rate.
Detroit, the largest city, charges a higher rate than the other cities we include. The Michigan Department of Treasury runs Detroit's tax; the other cities run their own income tax offices.
City taxes also start with an exemption for you, your spouse and each dependent, but the city exemption is much smaller than the state one. Because the ordinance follows federal rules, a 401(k) contribution lowers your city tax too.
Bonuses
A bonus paid separately from your regular paycheck is withheld at the flat state rate with no exemption allowance. Detroit treats separate bonuses the same way: the city rate applies to the whole bonus.
Reciprocity with neighboring states
Michigan has reciprocal agreements with Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin. If you live in one of those states and work in Michigan, your employer does not withhold Michigan income tax, and Michigan residents working in those states pay only Michigan tax on their wages. City income taxes are separate and can still apply where you work.
What changed recently
Questions people ask
Do I pay city income tax in Detroit?
Yes, if you live in Detroit or Detroit is your main place of work. Residents pay the resident rate on all their wages wherever they work; nonresidents pay half that rate on what they earn in the city.
What is the Michigan income tax rate for 2026?
It is a flat 4.25%. Treasury checks each year whether a rate cut is triggered by state revenue growth; for 2026 it was not, so the rate did not change.
How many exemptions should I claim on my MI-W4?
Claim one for yourself, one for your spouse if your spouse is not claiming it on their own MI-W4, and one for each dependent. Don't claim your own exemption if someone else claims you as a dependent.
Which Michigan cities have an income tax?
Twenty-four cities, including Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing, Flint, Saginaw, Pontiac, Battle Creek, Jackson, Muskegon, Port Huron and East Lansing. Our calculator currently includes Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing and Flint.
How is a bonus taxed in Michigan?
If your bonus is paid separately from your regular pay, your employer withholds a flat 4.25% of it for the state, with no exemption allowance. A city income tax, if you have one, also applies to the whole bonus.
I live in Ohio and work in Michigan. Which state do I pay?
Ohio. Michigan has reciprocity with Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota and Wisconsin, so you pay income tax only to your home state on your wages. A Michigan city where you work can still charge its nonresident city tax.
Sources
- Form 446 (Rev. 02-26), 2026 Michigan Income Tax Withholding Guide · retrieved 2026-10-16
- Withholding Tax Information by Calendar Year · retrieved 2026-10-16
- 4.25% Income Tax Rate for Individuals and Fiduciaries in 2026 Tax Year (taxpayer notice, April 15, 2026) · retrieved 2026-10-16
- MI-W4 (Rev. 12-20), Employee's Michigan Withholding Exemption Certificate and instructions · retrieved 2026-10-16
- Form 5469 (Rev. 05-25), 2026 City of Detroit Income Tax Withholding Guide · retrieved 2026-10-16
- City Income Tax Act (Uniform City Income Tax Ordinance), Act 284 of 1964, MCL 141.601 et seq. · retrieved 2026-10-16
- Income Tax Guide for Withholders and Withholding Tax Tables · retrieved 2026-10-16
- 2026 Form L-1040ES Estimated Income Tax · retrieved 2026-10-16
- 2026 City of Flint Employer's Withholding Tax Forms and Instructions · retrieved 2026-10-16
- 2025 City of Flint F-1040 Individual Return Booklet · retrieved 2026-10-16
- Which cities impose an income tax? (FAQ) · 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