California runs a graduated state income tax in 2026, with rates from 1% up to 13.3% depending on how much you earn, on top of federal income tax and FICA. Single filers get a standard deduction of $5,540. Use the calculators below to see your exact 2026 take-home pay in California, check the sales tax on a purchase, and estimate a mortgage payment with California property taxes factored in.
State Paycheck Calculator 2026
Estimate take-home pay after federal tax, FICA and your state’s income tax for the 2026 tax year.
How it works: the 2026 federal standard deduction ($16,100 single, $32,200 married filing jointly) comes off your salary first, then the 2026 federal brackets (10%–37%). FICA is applied properly: 6.2% Social Security on the first $184,500 of wages (2026 wage base), 1.45% Medicare on all wages, plus 0.9% additional Medicare on wages above $200,000 single / $250,000 married filing jointly. State tax applies each state’s own standard deduction/exemptions, then its brackets or flat rate. Local income taxes are not included — many cities and counties (e.g. New York City, Philadelphia, most of Ohio, Maryland counties, Indiana counties, Kentucky) levy their own payroll taxes on top of the state tax.
California sales tax calculator
The statewide base sales tax rate in California is 7.25% in 2026. Cities and counties can add their own local tax on top of the base rate — enter any local add-on below to see the full tax and total price.
Sales Tax Calculator 2026
Estimate the sales tax and total price using each state’s base rate (2026), plus any local add-on.
State base rates are the 2026 state-level rates (local add-ons excluded). Actual combined rates vary widely by city and county — many localities add 1–5%. Five states have no statewide sales tax (Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon), though some localities still levy local taxes.
Mortgage calculator for California homes
The average effective property tax rate in California is about 0.7% of a home’s value per year. When you use the mortgage calculator below, enter roughly that percentage of the home price in the yearly property tax field for a realistic California monthly payment.
Mortgage Payment Calculator
Work out your monthly principal & interest payment, total interest and the true total cost of your loan.
How it works: your loan amount (price minus down payment) is repaid in equal monthly instalments using the standard amortisation formula, so early payments are mostly interest and later ones mostly principal. Property tax and insurance, if entered, are simply spread evenly across each month. Your actual rate and payment will depend on your lender, credit profile and the deal you choose.
Ten brackets. A top rate of 13.3%, the highest in America. And on a $75,000 salary, California still only takes $2,787.85 in income tax — because you never get anywhere near that top rate. What actually stings at this income isn’t the famous bracket chart at all. It’s a quieter 1.3% payroll tax sitting further down your pay stub, and it doesn’t care about brackets.
Income tax in California in 2026
Ten brackets, the most in the country:
- 1% on taxable income from $0 to $11,079
- 2% on taxable income from $11,079 to $26,264
- 4% on taxable income from $26,264 to $41,452
- 6% on taxable income from $41,452 to $57,542
- 8% on taxable income from $57,542 to $72,724
- 9.3% on taxable income from $72,724 to $371,479
- 10.3% on taxable income from $371,479 to $445,771
- 11.3% on taxable income from $445,771 to $742,953
- 12.3% on taxable income from $742,953 to $1,000,000
- 13.3% on taxable income over $1,000,000
That 13.3% includes a 1% Mental Health Services Tax on income over $1 million. It’s the highest top rate in the US, and it makes headlines. What doesn’t make headlines: the standard deduction is only $5,540 for a single filer — small for such a high-cost state — and the personal exemption is a $153 credit off your tax, not a deduction off your income.
One note on the numbers above: the bracket thresholds are the latest published, 2025 inflation-adjusted figures, and California’s 2026 inflation adjustment may shift the dollar thresholds slightly. The rates themselves aren’t in question; the exact cut-off points might move a little.
Cross the state line into Arizona and you’d pay a flat 2.50% instead. Same desert sun, very different tax code.
Worked example: $75,000 salary, single filer
Step 1: Subtract the $5,540 standard deduction from $75,000. State taxable income is $69,460.
Step 2: Work up the brackets — 1%, 2%, 4%, 6% and a slice at 8% — then subtract the $153 exemption credit. California income tax comes to $2,787.85, an effective income-tax rate of about 3.7% of gross pay.
Step 3: Federal income tax, after the $16,100 federal standard deduction, is $7,670.00.
Step 4: FICA is $5,737.50 — Social Security $4,650.00 and Medicare $1,087.50.
Step 5: Take-home pay is $58,804.65 a year, roughly $2,261.72 every two weeks.
Now the extra. California employees also pay CA SDI — State Disability Insurance — at 1.3% on all wages, with no cap. On $75,000 that’s another $975 a year out of your paycheck. SDI isn’t part of the calculator’s state income tax figure above, so your real take-home will be about $975 lower than the headline number. Budget for it.
Sales tax in California
California’s state base rate is 7.25% — the highest state rate in the US. A $1,000 purchase carries $72.50 in state tax alone.
Then come the district taxes. Cities and counties add their own, pushing many places to 9%, 10% or beyond. Two shoppers buying the same $1,000 item in different California cities can pay noticeably different totals, and neither of them pays just 7.25%.
Property tax in California
The average effective property tax rate is 0.70%, a statewide average. On a $300,000 home that’s about $2,100 a year.
But averages hide the California story: Proposition 13. It caps assessed-value growth at 2% a year, so your taxable value tracks what you paid, not what your home is worth now. Own your house for twenty years in a hot market and you’ll pay a fraction of what the new buyer next door pays for an identical home. New buyers carry modern prices — and modern tax bills.
Frequently asked questions
What is CA SDI and why is it on my pay stub?
It’s California State Disability Insurance, a 1.3% payroll tax on all your wages with no earnings cap. It funds state disability and paid family leave programs. On a $75,000 salary it’s $975 a year, on top of income tax — and it’s not included in the calculator’s state tax figure.
Will I actually pay 13.3% in California?
Only on income over $1 million, and that rate includes the 1% Mental Health Services Tax. At $75,000 your effective California income-tax rate is about 3.7%, because the lower brackets do most of the work.
Why is California’s standard deduction so small?
It’s just how California’s code is built: a $5,540 standard deduction and a $153 exemption credit, versus the $16,100 federal standard deduction. More of your income stays taxable at the state level here than in most states.
How does Proposition 13 affect my property tax?
Your assessed value can only rise 2% a year under Prop 13, no matter how fast market prices climb. Buy recently and your bill reflects today’s prices; buy decades ago and it almost certainly doesn’t.
Are the 2026 brackets final?
The thresholds shown are the latest published, 2025 inflation-adjusted figures. California’s 2026 adjustment may nudge the dollar cut-offs slightly, though the rates stay the same.
Don’t guess with California numbers — put your real salary in the paycheck calculator at the top of this page, then run the sales tax calculator for your city and the mortgage calculator for the home you’re eyeing.
This calculator is for guidance only and isn’t financial advice.