How to use the Iowa paycheck calculator
- 1 Enter your pay and choose whether it is a yearly salary or an hourly wage (with hours a week).
- 2 Choose how often you are paid and your filing status.
- 3 Enter your children under 17 and your 401(k) contribution.
- 4 Read your take-home pay per paycheck and every deduction.
Worked example
A single Iowa worker earning $60,000 a year, paid every two weeks, with 5% to a 401(k). From each $2,307.69 check: $115.38 of 401(k), $179.23 of federal income tax and $176.54 of Social Security and Medicare, and $58.24 of Iowa tax (3.8% of $40,900 federal taxable income, less the $40 credit). Take-home pay is $1,778.30.
Getting more from a Iowa paycheck
- Check your pay stub against the calculator once a year.
- Raise your 401(k) to cut federal and state tax.
- Update your W-4 after marriage, a child or a raise.
- Budget for the school surtax: it is paid with your return.
Compare with the Illinois Paycheck Calculator, the Minnesota Paycheck Calculator and convert hourly pay with the Hourly to Salary Calculator.
Features
Flat 3.8%
On federal taxable income.
Exemption credits
$40 per person and dependent.
Salary or hourly
Enter a yearly salary or an hourly wage.
When to use it
Des Moines job offers
Compare offers by take-home pay. Convert hourly pay with the Hourly to Salary Calculator.
Moving to Illinois or Nebraska
Compare with the Illinois Paycheck Calculator.
Overtime
Work out time and a half with the Overtime Calculator.
Retirement saving
See your 401(k) growth with the 401(k) Calculator.
Related Pay and Salary tasks
Frequently asked questions
How much is taken out of an Iowa paycheck?
On a $60,000 salary paid every two weeks with 5% to a 401(k), about $58 of Iowa tax comes out of each check, plus $179 of federal tax and $177 of Social Security and Medicare.
What is the Iowa income tax rate for 2026?
A flat 3.8% on all taxable income, the same as 2025. Before the reforms, Iowa's top rate was 8.53% in 2022.
Does Iowa use the federal standard deduction?
Yes. Since 2023 the Iowa return starts from federal taxable income, so the federal standard deduction or itemized deductions already apply.
What are Iowa exemption credits?
A $40 credit for you, your spouse and each dependent, subtracted from your Iowa tax.
What is the Iowa school district surtax?
Most Iowa school districts add a surtax equal to a percentage of your state income tax. It is paid with your annual return, not withheld from pay, so it is not included here.
What is Form IA W-4?
Iowa's withholding certificate. For 2026 it uses a dollar withholding allowance rather than a count of allowances.
Does Iowa tax retirement income?
No for most retirees: Iowa exempts retirement income for people 55 or older, and Social Security is not taxed.
Do I pay Iowa tax if I live in Illinois?
No. Iowa and Illinois have a reciprocal agreement, so Illinois residents working in Iowa pay tax to Illinois.
Do 401(k) contributions lower Iowa tax?
Yes. Traditional 401(k) contributions are excluded from Iowa taxable wages as well as federal. They do not reduce Social Security or Medicare.
How is federal tax worked out here?
Your yearly pay minus 401(k) contributions and the $16,100 federal standard deduction ($32,200 joint) is taxed at the 2026 brackets, then $2,200 is subtracted for each child under 17.
Is this my exact paycheck?
It is a close estimate. Employers use official withholding tables, and other deductions such as health insurance, HSA or union dues change your check.
Results are estimates based on the official rates linked above. Confirm important figures with the issuing authority or a qualified adviser before you act on them.
Built and reviewed by Hamza Farooq, founder and lead developer
· Last updated
· How we check our tools
· Report a problem