Paycheck Calculator Arizona
Arizona now runs the lowest flat income tax in America: 2.5%, with a standard deduction that matches the federal one. On a $75,000 salary, a single filer takes home about $60,120 a year in 2026 — thousands more than the same job pays after tax in California. Enter your salary below and see the split.
Arizona's 2026 tax structure
Arizona finished a multi-year flattening in 2023 and now taxes all income at a single 2.5% rate. The standard deduction is set to mirror the federal amount, so for 2026 it is $16,100 for a single filer and $32,200 for a couple filing jointly — unusually generous for a state, and the main reason Arizona's effective rate lands so low.
| Component | 2026 figure |
|---|---|
| Rate on wages and salary | 2.5% flat |
| Standard deduction (single) | $16,100 (mirrors federal) |
| Standard deduction (joint) | $32,200 (mirrors federal) |
| Local income taxes | None — no city or county wage tax |
Take-home pay at common Arizona salaries
Single filer, no 401(k) or health premiums, 2026 figures:
| Salary | Federal tax | FICA | AZ tax | Take-home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $3,820 | $3,825 | $848 | $41,508 |
| $75,000 | $7,670 | $5,738 | $1,473 | $60,120 |
| $100,000 | $13,170 | $7,650 | $2,098 | $77,083 |
| $150,000 | $24,734 | $11,475 | $3,348 | $110,444 |
What makes an Arizona paycheck different
Start with the withholding itself. Arizona is one of the few states where you choose your own withholding rate on Form A-4, picking from a menu of percentages of your federal withholding instead of claiming allowances. Pick too low a percentage on your first day and nothing looks wrong until April, when a state balance comes due. The calculator's number assumes your withholding matches your actual liability; your A-4 choice decides how smoothly you get there.
The second difference is where Arizona gets its money instead. The state leans on the transaction privilege tax — its version of a sales tax — and on property taxes, rather than wages. Combined state and local sales tax rates in the Phoenix and Tucson metros commonly run above 8%, so part of the paycheck advantage is quietly handed back at the register. It is still a good trade for most workers, but it is a trade.
Third, simplicity compounds. Because the standard deduction mirrors the federal one and the rate is a single flat number, your Arizona tax is one of the easiest in the country to estimate: subtract what the feds subtract, multiply by 0.025. On a $75,000 salary that produces $1,473 — against $4,604 of income tax plus $1,235 of SDI on the same salary in California. That gap, repeated every year, is the engine behind the steady stream of California license plates in Scottsdale parking lots.
Mistakes Arizona workers make
- Guessing low on Form A-4. Arizona lets you pick a withholding percentage, and picking the smallest one feels like a raise. It is a loan from your future self — the 2.5% is owed either way, plus underpayment interest if the gap is large.
- Comparing gross offers across state lines. A $90,000 offer in Los Angeles and a $90,000 offer in Phoenix are not the same pay. Run both through the state calculators before negotiating; the Arizona job is worth several thousand more after tax.
- Forgetting the sales-tax side of the ledger. Arizona's low wage tax pairs with above-average sales taxes. New arrivals who budget only from the paycheck overestimate their cushion for the first few months.
An example you can check
Take a $75,000 salary, single filer, no 401(k). Federal tax comes to $7,670. Social Security takes $4,650 and Medicare $1,088. Arizona tax is 2.5% of ($75,000 − $16,100) = $1,473. Take-home: $60,120 a year, $2,312.31 every two weeks.
File jointly on a $95,000 household salary: federal tax $7,040, FICA $7,268, state tax just $1,570 thanks to the doubled deduction, take-home $79,123, or $3,043.17 per check. Now add a 6% 401(k) and $3,000 of health premiums to the single $75,000 case. Federal tax falls to $6,020, state tax to $1,285, and you keep $54,687 while banking $4,500 for retirement. Watch what barely moved: FICA. Your 401(k) dodges income tax, never payroll tax.
Frequently asked questions
What is Arizona's income tax rate in 2026?
How much state tax does Arizona take on $100,000?
What is Form A-4 and why does my withholding look wrong?
Does Arizona tax retirement income?
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Sources & methodology
The 2026 federal and Arizona figures in this calculator come from official tax sources — the Arizona Department of Revenue's individual income tax highlights, covering the 2.5% rate and standard deduction amounts — and are documented on our methodology page. To see where each line lands on a real stub, read how to read your pay stub and what is taken from your gross pay.