California Income Tax Calculator
Estimate California state income tax and take-home pay. California has 10 tax brackets from 1% to 13.3%.
2026 tax year. The top 13.3% figure is the 12.3% rate plus the 1% Mental Health Services surtax, which applies to taxable income over $1,000,000 for every filing status — which is why the joint thresholds are not simply double the single ones near the top. Local city or county income taxes, credits, and itemized deductions are not modeled.
About the California Income Tax Calculator
The California Income Tax Calculator gives you an instant answer from just a few inputs — filing status, gross annual income, pre-tax deductions (401(k), hsa, premiums). It runs entirely in your browser, so the numbers you enter stay private and never touch a server, and the result recalculates the moment you change a value. It's free to use with no sign-up, no limits, and nothing to install.
Worth Knowing
California runs a progressive income tax with 10 brackets, starting at 1% on the first $11,079 of taxable income and topping out at 13.3% on income above $1,000,000 for a single filer. As with federal tax, each rate applies only to the slice of income inside its own bracket — reaching the top rate does not retroactively tax your earlier dollars at that rate, which is why the effective rate this calculator reports always lands below your marginal rate. Before any of those rates apply, California subtracts a standard deduction of $5,706 for single filers and $11,412 for joint filers. Joint filers also get wider brackets, so a couple with one income usually pays less than two single filers splitting the same total. This estimate covers state income tax, federal income tax, and FICA on wage income using 2026 figures. It does not model city or county income taxes, tax credits, itemized deductions, self-employment income, or part-year residency — if you moved into or out of California during the year you will generally file a part-year return and allocate income between states rather than paying full-year tax to either. Treat the result as a planning estimate and confirm anything you file with the California tax authority or a qualified tax professional.
How to Use
- Enter Filing status into the first field of the California Income Tax Calculator.
- Fill in the rest: Gross annual income, Pre-tax deductions (401(k), HSA, premiums).
- Your result appears instantly as you type — there's no submit button or page reload.
- 2026 tax year. The top 13.3% figure is the 12.3% rate plus the 1% Mental Health Services surtax, which applies to taxable income over $1,000,000 for every filing status — which is why the joint thresholds are not simply double the single ones near the top. Local city or county income taxes, credits, and itemized deductions are not modeled.