The Texas tax picture
Texas has never taxed wages, and since 2019 its constitution has banned a personal income tax outright unless voters approve one. For your paycheck that means the state line is a true zero: everything withheld is federal — income tax, Social Security and Medicare.
The money comes from elsewhere instead. Texas leans on sales taxes and, at the local level, on property taxes that rank among the higher in the country. A Texas salary stretches further per dollar earned, but homeowners feel the difference in the property-tax bill rather than the pay stub.
take-home = gross − federal income tax − Social Security − Medicare − $0 Texas taxWorked example · $2,500 biweekly paycheck in Texas
- Federal income tax: $5,620 for the year, from the published 2026 brackets.
- Social Security and Medicare: $4,973 — charged on gross wages everywhere in the country.
- Texas state income tax: $0 — a verified zero, sourced below, not an estimate.
- Net per paycheck: $2,092.60, from $65,000 of annualised gross.
Comparing from here
The same paycheck in Florida, Washington or Tennessee nets the same federal result — the differences live in each state's other taxes, which their pages explain. For Texas itself, the Texas salary calculator zooms out to the full year, and the main paycheck calculator lets you model any state. The mechanics behind every line are in the gross pay vs. net pay guide.
What’s included, and what isn’t
Every figure this calculator produces is an estimate. Here is exactly what it accounts for, and what it does not.
What’s included
- Federal income tax, using the published brackets and standard deduction for your filing status.
- Employee Social Security at 6.2%, capped at the annual wage base.
- Employee Medicare at 1.45%, plus Additional Medicare Tax where it applies.
- Any pre-tax contributions you enter, applied to federal taxable income only.
- State income tax for the nine states that levy none on wages — a verified zero, not an omission.
- Conversion between your pay period and the annual figures payroll works from.
What’s not included
- State income tax outside the states listed as levying none on wages.
- County, city and other local income taxes.
- Tax credits, itemised deductions and above-the-line adjustments.
- Employer benefits, insurance premiums and post-tax deductions.
- Form W-4 adjustments such as dependants, other income or extra withholding.
- Bonuses, commission and overtime, which payroll often withholds at a separate supplemental rate.
- Multiple jobs, a working spouse's income, and mid-year pay changes.
What this calculator assumes
- Uses the federal standard deduction for the selected filing status and tax year.
- Assumes W-2 employment at one job for the full calendar year.
- Pre-tax contributions reduce federal taxable income but not Social Security or Medicare wages.
- Social Security stops at the $184,500 wage base for 2026.
- Additional Medicare Tax follows the employer withholding rule: a flat $200,000 of wages, regardless of filing status.
- Assumes every paycheck in the year is the same size, which is what makes an annualised estimate meaningful.
- Models what an employer withholds, not your final tax return. The two can differ.
Sources
Every rate and threshold above is transcribed from a primary source and re-checked on the date shown.
Frequently asked questions
Does Texas have a state income tax?
No. Texas levies no personal income tax on wages or salaries, and a 2019 constitutional amendment means one cannot be introduced without a statewide vote. The state figure in this calculator is a verified zero, not an omission.
Why is my Texas paycheck still taxed, then?
Federal taxes apply everywhere. Federal income tax, Social Security (6.2%) and Medicare (1.45%) come out of a Texas paycheck exactly as they would in any state — only the state income tax line is zero.
Do any Texas cities charge a local income tax?
No. Unlike states such as Ohio or Pennsylvania, no Texas city or county levies a wage tax. Take-home pay from this calculator is the same in Houston, Dallas or El Paso.
How does Texas pay for services without an income tax?
Mainly through sales taxes collected statewide and property taxes raised locally for schools and services. That trade-off is worth knowing if you are moving here: the pay stub improves, while housing costs carry more of the tax load.
Why is so much still withheld from my Texas paycheck?
Because withholding is mostly federal everywhere. Federal income tax follows your W-4, and Social Security and Medicare are flat percentages of gross pay — none of which Texas controls. The state's contribution is what is missing: the state income tax line other states add is a verified zero here.