Kentucky Income Tax Calculator
Estimate Kentucky state income tax and take-home pay. Kentucky has a flat 3.5% state income tax.
2026 tax year. Rate cut from 4% to 3.5% on 1 January 2026. Kentucky's standard deduction is per-return and is not doubled for joint filers. Local city or county income taxes, credits, and itemized deductions are not modeled.
About the Kentucky Income Tax Calculator
The Kentucky 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
Kentucky applies a single flat income tax rate of 3.5% to taxable income, so unlike the federal system there is no bracket to "cross" — the first dollar and the hundred-thousandth dollar are taxed identically. Your marginal rate and your state effective rate converge as income rises, and the only thing that moves your effective rate is deductions, not the size of your paycheck. Taxable income is not the same as gross pay. Kentucky subtracts a standard deduction of $3,360 for a single filer ($3,360 filing jointly) before the flat rate is applied, which is why low earners pay an effective rate well below 3.5%. This calculator applies that deduction automatically. 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 Kentucky 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 Kentucky tax authority or a qualified tax professional.
How to Use
- Enter Filing status into the first field of the Kentucky 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. Rate cut from 4% to 3.5% on 1 January 2026. Kentucky's standard deduction is per-return and is not doubled for joint filers. Local city or county income taxes, credits, and itemized deductions are not modeled.