Quick answer
Georgia paycheck basics
Georgia cut its flat income tax rate to 4.99% for 2026 under House Bill 463, the Georgia Economic Growth and Tax Relief Act of 2026, and raised the standard deduction to $15,000 for single filers and $30,000 for married couples filing jointly. The law was signed on May 11, 2026 and applies back to January 1, but paychecks only caught up from that date: employers had to keep withholding at the old 5.19% rate before May 11 and could switch to the new tables from May 11 on.
This calculator uses the Georgia Department of Revenue's own percentage method with the tables that apply on your pay date: the old ones for pay dates before May 11, 2026 and the new ones after. Enter the marital status letter and allowances from your Form G-4, and the calculator combines Georgia withholding with federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare to show your take-home pay.
How Georgia taxes your paycheck
Georgia taxes income at a single flat rate, 4.99% for 2026. Employers withhold it with the Department of Revenue's percentage method: start from the pay period's taxable wages, subtract the standard deduction for the period, subtract the dependent allowance for each allowance claimed on Form G-4, and multiply what is left by the rate. From May 11, 2026 the annual amounts are a $15,000 standard deduction for single filers, heads of household and married people filing separately, $30,000 for married couples filing jointly with one spouse working, and $5,000 per allowance; married couples who both work use the $15,000 amount. Before May 11 the tables used 5.19%, $12,000 and $24,000, and $4,000 per allowance. On a biweekly paycheck the new standard deduction is $576.92 for a single filer. Bonuses are withheld at the flat rate in effect when they are paid. Contributions to a traditional 401(k) are subtracted before Georgia tax is figured, and Georgia follows the federal treatment of pretax health and HSA contributions.
| Filing status | Rate |
|---|---|
| All filing statuses | 4.99% |
Worked example
A $60,000 salary in Georgia, single, paid biweekly
- Annual salary:
- $60,000
- Filing status:
- Single
- Pay frequency:
- Biweekly (26 paychecks/year)
- Deductions:
- None
- State:
- Georgia
- Salary: +$2,307.69
- Federal income tax: −$193.08
- Social Security: −$143.08
- Medicare: −$33.46
- Georgia income tax: −$86.37
Net pay per paycheck: $1,851.70
Computed with Georgia's default withholding certificate (no allowances, no extra withholding) and no pre-tax or post-tax deductions. Your own paycheck will differ with different elections.
Take-home pay by salary in Georgia
Net pay at five common salaries, biweekly, with no bonus, tips or deductions — computed the same way as the worked example above, for Single and Married Filing Jointly.
| Annual salary | Single — per paycheck | Single — annual | MFJ — per paycheck | MFJ — annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $1,272.02 | $33,072.52 | $1,342.79 | $34,912.54 |
| $60,000 | $1,851.70 | $48,144.20 | $1,935.55 | $50,324.30 |
| $80,000 | $2,379.47 | $61,866.22 | $2,515.24 | $65,396.24 |
| $100,000 | $2,882.25 | $74,938.50 | $3,094.94 | $80,468.44 |
| $150,000 | $4,117.48 | $107,054.48 | $4,478.79 | $116,448.54 |
How to use this calculator
- Enter your pay. Choose salary or hourly, fill in the amount and hours, and pick how often you are paid.
- Fill in your federal Form W-4. Filing status, the Step 2 checkbox, and Steps 3 and 4 if they apply to you.
- Fill in your G-4. The calculator only shows the fields Georgia actually asks for.
- Add any deductions. Traditional or Roth 401(k), health premiums, HSA, FSA, or other pre-tax and post-tax amounts taken from your pay.
- Read your results. Net pay per paycheck, the full breakdown by category, and any warnings about your specific numbers.
Formulas used
Net pay = gross pay − pre-tax deductions − federal tax − FICA − Georgia income tax − state payroll programs − local tax − post-tax deductions.
Georgia vs. neighboring states
Net pay on a $75,000 salary, single, paid biweekly, in Georgia compared with its bordering states.
| State | Net pay per paycheck | Net pay annual | Difference vs. Georgia (annual) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | $2,253.79 | $58,598.54 | — |
| Florida | $2,368.94 | $61,592.44 | +$2,993.90 |
| Alabama | $2,248.69 | $58,465.94 | −$132.60 |
| Tennessee | $2,368.94 | $61,592.44 | +$2,993.90 |
| North Carolina | $2,270.94 | $59,044.44 | +$445.90 |
| South Carolina | $2,221.10 | $57,748.60 | −$849.94 |
Frequently asked questions
How is federal income tax withheld from my paycheck calculated?+
Employers use the IRS Publication 15-T percentage method with the elections on your Form W-4: filing status, whether Step 2 is checked, Step 3 credits, and any Step 4 adjustments. That produces an amount to withhold each pay period before Social Security, Medicare, and any state or local tax are applied.
What is FICA and why is it withheld on every paycheck?+
FICA is Social Security tax (6.2% of wages up to the annual Social Security wage base) plus Medicare tax (1.45% of all wages, with an extra 0.9% on wages above $200,000 in a year). Both are withheld on every US paycheck regardless of which state you work in, because they fund federal programs rather than a state one.
Is the result on this calculator the same as my actual paycheck?+
It is an estimate for planning, not a substitute for your pay stub. Your actual withholding depends on the exact elections on file with your employer, your specific pay dates, and any mid-year changes to your deductions — the calculator applies the published federal and state formulas to the numbers you enter.
What is the Georgia state income tax rate for 2026?+
A flat 4.99%. House Bill 463 lowered the rate from 5.19%, retroactive to January 1, 2026, and applies the same rate to every filing status.
Why did my Georgia withholding change in May 2026?+
House Bill 463 was signed on May 11, 2026. The Department of Revenue told employers to keep withholding at 5.19% with the old deductions before that date and allowed them to use the new 4.99% tables, with the larger standard deduction and $5,000 dependent allowance, starting May 11. Paychecks after the switch are smaller in Georgia tax for most workers.
Will I get back the extra Georgia tax withheld before May 11?+
The 4.99% rate and larger deductions apply to the whole 2026 tax year, so tax withheld at the old rate earlier in the year counts toward your 2026 liability. Any excess comes back as a refund when you file your 2026 Georgia return; employers did not have to re-figure earlier paychecks.
How is Georgia withholding calculated?+
With the percentage method: taxable wages for the period, minus the period's standard deduction, minus the dependent allowance times the allowances on your G-4, multiplied by 4.99%. For a single employee paid $60,000 a year biweekly with no allowances, that is ($2,307.69 − $576.92) × 4.99% = about $86.37 per paycheck.
Which letter should I choose on Form G-4?+
A for single, B for married filing separately or married filing jointly with both spouses working, C for married filing jointly with only one spouse working, and D for head of household. B uses the same standard deduction as single, so two earners do not each claim the full married deduction.
How are bonuses taxed in Georgia?+
The Department of Revenue says bonuses and other compensation are withheld at the income tax rate in effect when they are paid: 5.19% before May 11, 2026 and 4.99% from then on. Federal withholding on a bonus is usually the flat 22% supplemental rate.
Does Georgia tax 401(k) contributions?+
No. Georgia follows the federal rules for qualified 401(k), profit-sharing and deferred compensation plans, so traditional contributions come out of wages before Georgia tax is calculated.
What if I never filled out a Georgia G-4?+
Your employer can use the elections on your federal W-4 if it has enough information. Otherwise it must withhold as if you are single with zero allowances, which usually takes more tax than you owe if you have dependents.
Does Georgia have local income taxes?+
No. Georgia cities and counties do not withhold income tax from wages, so the only state-level tax on a Georgia paycheck is the flat state income tax.
What is the minimum wage in Georgia?+
Georgia's own minimum wage is $5.15 an hour, but employers covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, which is most of them, must pay the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour.
Sources
- Georgia Department of Revenue — Employer's Withholding Tax Guide 2026 (revised June 2026)
- Georgia Department of Revenue — Employer's Withholding Tax Guide 2026 (revised December 2025)
- Georgia Department of Revenue — Form G-4, Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate
- Georgia Department of Revenue — Withholding Tax (for Employers)
- U.S. Department of Labor — State Minimum Wage Laws
- IRS Publication 15-T (2026), Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods
- IRS Publication 15 (2026), Employer's Tax Guide
- Social Security Administration — 2026 COLA Fact Sheet