How to use the georgia paycheck calculator
- Enter gross pay for one check and pick the pay frequency.
- Pick your Georgia G-4 status. It is separate from the federal W-4 status below.
- Enter dependents from the G-4 (zero if you filed none).
- Add 401(k) and health premiums per check, then any W-4 entries.
- Read net pay and each line withheld.
What Georgia takes from a paycheck
Georgia has one payroll deduction for an employee: state income tax. There is no state disability or paid leave premium, so the Georgia line is the only state line on the stub. For 2026 it is 4.99% of annual wages after a standard deduction and $5,000 for each dependent. On a $2,800 biweekly check with a $140 pre-tax 401(k) deferral this georgia paycheck calculator shows $103.95 of state tax and $2,096.27 of take-home pay. For other states and custom percentages, see the general paycheck calculator.
2026 rate cut and when it took effect
Georgia cut its income tax rate during 2026 (House Bill 463, signed on May 11, 2026). The Department of Revenue's Employer's Withholding Tax Guide, revised September 2026, says employers must keep withholding at 5.19% before the change and may begin withholding at 4.99% starting May 11, 2026. It lists the 2026 standard deductions as $30,000 for married filing jointly and $15,000 for single, head of household and married filing separate, and the dependent deduction as $5,000, up from $4,000. This page uses the current formula. A check withheld before May 11 used 5.19% and will not match this page.
The three Georgia filing statuses
- S or H: single or head of household, $15,000 standard deduction.
- M: married filing jointly where only one spouse works, $30,000.
- N: married filing separately, or married filing jointly where both spouses work, $15,000.
Your federal W-4 status does not change the Georgia result at all.
Worked example: one earner, two dependents
A married employee on status M is paid $4,200 every two weeks, with no 401(k) deferral and two dependents. Annual wages are $109,200. Subtract $30,000 and $10,000 for the two dependents: $69,200. At 4.99% that is $3,453.08 a year, or $132.81 a paycheck. Federal withholding on the check is $336.31 and net pay is $3,409.58.
Method and sources
State rule: Georgia Department of Revenue, Employer's Withholding Tax Guide 2026 (revised September 2026), read in full on 2026-11-05 from a web.archive.org copy of the dor.georgia.gov PDF: flat 4.99% from May 11, 2026 (5.19% before), and the percentage method of Table E, which subtracts a per-period standard deduction ($30,000 a year married filing jointly with one earner, $15,000 for the other statuses) and a per-period dependent allowance ($5,000 a year), then multiplies by 4.99%. The per-period amounts in Table E are the annual amounts divided by the pay periods and rounded to cents (for example $1,153.85 and $192.31 biweekly), and this page uses them. The guide's own example, $2,000 semimonthly with one dependent, gives $27.03, which is one of the tests. The USDA National Finance Center bulletin NFC-26-1784643404 (July 21, 2026) restates the same formula for federal employees. Federal income tax follows IRS Publication 15-T (2026), Worksheet 1A, annual percentage method. Social Security is 6.2% up to the $184,500 wage base and Medicare is 1.45% plus 0.9% over $200,000 of wages. The formulas are covered by the repository's automated tests. One worked case: $2,660 of taxable wages every two weeks, less the $576.92 biweekly single deduction from Table E, is $2,083.08, and 4.99% of that is $103.95 a check. What it leaves out: the G-4 exemption, extra withholding requested on the G-4, supplemental wage rates and garnishments. This is a withholding estimate for one paycheck, not a payroll quote or tax advice. Your employer's payroll system and your final tax return decide the real figures. Constants to refresh each January: rate, both standard deductions, dependent allowance, Social Security wage base.
Worked examples
| Example | Input | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Georgia example | Gross pay this period ($): 2800; Pay frequency: biweekly; Federal filing status (W-4 Step 1c): single; Georgia G-4 filing status: single; Georgia dependents and additional allowances: 0; Pre-tax 401(k) per pay period ($): 140; Health and other section 125 premiums per period ($): 0; W-4 Step 2 box checked (two jobs)?: no; W-4 Step 3 credits, per year ($): 0; W-4 Step 4(a) other income, per year ($): 0; W-4 Step 4(b) deductions, per year ($): 0; W-4 Step 4(c) extra withholding per period ($): 0; Wages already paid this year ($): 0 | Gross pay this period: $2,800.00; Pre-tax deductions: $140.00; Federal income tax withholding: $245.58; Social Security (6.2%): $173.60; Medicare (1.45%): $40.60; Georgia income tax: $103.95; Net pay this period: $2,096.27; Net pay per year: $54,503.02; Total withheld as % of gross: 20.13% |
| Married, one earner, two dependents | Gross pay this period ($): 4200; Pay frequency: biweekly; Federal filing status (W-4 Step 1c): mfj; Georgia G-4 filing status: married1; Georgia dependents and additional allowances: 2; Pre-tax 401(k) per pay period ($): 0; Health and other section 125 premiums per period ($): 0; W-4 Step 2 box checked (two jobs)?: no; W-4 Step 3 credits, per year ($): 0; W-4 Step 4(a) other income, per year ($): 0; W-4 Step 4(b) deductions, per year ($): 0; W-4 Step 4(c) extra withholding per period ($): 0; Wages already paid this year ($): 0 | Gross pay this period: $4,200.00; Pre-tax deductions: $0.00; Federal income tax withholding: $336.31; Social Security (6.2%): $260.40; Medicare (1.45%): $60.90; Georgia income tax: $132.81; Net pay this period: $3,409.58; Net pay per year: $88,649.08; Total withheld as % of gross: 18.82% |
| Weekly pay with health premium | Gross pay this period ($): 1100; Pay frequency: weekly; Federal filing status (W-4 Step 1c): single; Georgia G-4 filing status: married2; Georgia dependents and additional allowances: 1; Pre-tax 401(k) per pay period ($): 55; Health and other section 125 premiums per period ($): 40; W-4 Step 2 box checked (two jobs)?: no; W-4 Step 3 credits, per year ($): 0; W-4 Step 4(a) other income, per year ($): 0; W-4 Step 4(b) deductions, per year ($): 0; W-4 Step 4(c) extra withholding per period ($): 0; Wages already paid this year ($): 0 | Gross pay this period: $1,100.00; Pre-tax deductions: $95.00; Federal income tax withholding: $78.68; Social Security (6.2%): $65.72; Medicare (1.45%): $15.37; Georgia income tax: $30.96; Net pay this period: $814.27; Net pay per year: $42,342.04; Total withheld as % of gross: 17.34% |
FAQ
What is the Georgia income tax withholding rate in 2026?
4.99% of annual wages after the standard deduction and dependent allowances, for wages paid from May 11, 2026. Earlier 2026 pay was withheld at 5.19%.
What is the Georgia standard deduction for withholding?
$15,000 for single, head of household, married filing separately or married where both spouses work, and $30,000 for married filing jointly where only one spouse works.
How much is a Georgia dependent worth for withholding?
$5,000 of annual wages per dependent or additional allowance on the G-4, which lowers the annual tax by about $250 at 4.99%.
Does Georgia take state disability or paid family leave from my pay?
No. Income tax is the only Georgia state deduction modelled here, and the federal Social Security and Medicare lines are separate.
Does my federal W-4 filing status change Georgia withholding?
No. Georgia uses the status on its own G-4 form, so the federal status only affects the federal line.
Is my 401(k) deferral taxed by Georgia?
Traditional 401(k) deferrals and section 125 premiums are taken out of wages before Georgia withholding is worked out.