Virginia · 2026
Virginia paycheck calculator
Virginia paycheck calculator for 2026. See your real take-home pay for 2026. Enter your salary, filing status and state, and this works out federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare (FICA), and state income tax, then shows what actually lands in your account. Your paycheck is built in layers: the federal government taxes your income above the standard deduction using graduated brackets, FICA takes a fixed percentage for Social Security and Medicare, and your state adds its own income tax, or none at all. Because each layer follows different rules, two people on the same salary in different states can take home noticeably different amounts. Use this to check a job offer across state lines, plan around a raise, or understand why your net pay sits well below your gross.
How Virginia tax affects your pay
Virginia uses a graduated income tax whose top rate begins at a strikingly low income level, so almost every full-time worker reaches the top bracket. The brackets have not been updated for inflation in many years, which quietly pulls more income into the top band over time. That makes Virginia behave much like a flat tax in practice despite its graduated form. Federal government employment and defence contracting in the northern suburbs produce many of the higher incomes the tax reaches. The long-frozen thresholds are a defining and unusual feature of the Virginia schedule.
Virginia uses a graduated state income tax with 4 bands, running from 2% to 5.75%, and the top 5.75% rate applies only to taxable income above $17,000. A state standard deduction of $8,750 is applied before the brackets. Because the lower bands tax the first slice of income at smaller rates, your effective state rate is lower than the headline top rate.
Four-bracket schedule, same for all filing statuses; top rate 5.75% over $17,000. Standard deduction increased to $8,750 single for tax year 2025 (per enacted budget / tax.virginia.gov). Sales tax: Virginia's state-level rate is 5.3% (4.3% state plus a mandatory 1% statewide local add-on), per Virginia Tax.
This estimate combines federal income tax, FICA and Virginia state income tax. It excludes city and county income taxes, pre-tax deductions such as 401(k) contributions and health premiums, and tax credits, all of which can change your real take-home pay.
For how the federal income tax and FICA layers are worked out, see the Paycheck calculator.
Frequently asked questions
What are the Virginia income tax brackets?+
Virginia uses a graduated income tax with 4 bands from 2% to 5.75%, after a state standard deduction of $8,750. Only the income inside each band is taxed at that band's rate, so your effective rate is lower than the top one.
What is the sales tax in Virginia?+
Virginia's statewide sales tax is 5.3%, with local rates often added on top. It is separate from the income tax taken from your wages.
Does this include local or city income taxes in Virginia?+
No. This covers federal income tax, FICA and Virginia state income tax only. Some cities and counties charge a separate local income tax that is not included here.
What is taken out of a Virginia paycheck?+
Federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare (FICA at 7.65% up to the wage base), and Virginia state income tax. Pre-tax items such as 401(k) contributions and health premiums lower taxable pay and are not assumed here.
What is distinctive about Virginia tax?+
Virginia uses a graduated income tax whose top rate begins at a strikingly low income level, so almost every full-time worker reaches the top bracket. The brackets have not been updated for inflation in many years, which quietly pulls more income into the top band over time. That makes Virginia behave much like a flat tax in practice despite its graduated form. Federal government employment and defence contracting in the northern suburbs produce many of the higher incomes the tax reaches. The long-frozen thresholds are a defining and unusual feature of the Virginia schedule.
Anything specific to Virginia I should know?+
Four-bracket schedule, same for all filing statuses; top rate 5.75% over $17,000. Standard deduction increased to $8,750 single for tax year 2025 (per enacted budget / tax.virginia.gov). Sales tax: Virginia's state-level rate is 5.3% (4.3% state plus a mandatory 1% statewide local add-on), per Virginia Tax.
Sources
Last updated: 2026 tax year
This is an estimate for general guidance, not financial or tax advice. 2026 federal and FICA figures. Federal + FICA + state income tax only; excludes local taxes, pre-tax deductions and credits. State married-jointly figures are an approximation: the state single standard deduction and bracket thresholds are doubled, which matches conforming states but may differ where a state sets its own joint schedule. Confirm with the official sources before making decisions.
Built and maintained by Vikas Dulgunde, a software engineer building money and tax tools. Figures come from the official sources above; see our editorial standards.