How it works
The calculator takes your gross pay for one pay period, subtracts the pre-tax deductions you entered, and works out each tax on its own line. Federal income tax follows the percentage method in IRS Publication 15-T (2026), Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods, using your W-4 entries. Social Security is 6.2% of wages up to $184,500 for the year (SSA; IRS Publication 15 (2026)). Medicare is 1.45% of all wages, plus Additional Medicare Tax of 0.9% on wages over $200,000 (IRS Publication 15 (2026)).
New York State income tax follows the exact calculation method in New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, NYS-50-T-NYS (2026), New York State, New York City, and Yonkers Withholding Tables and Methods. Your yearly wages, less the New York deduction for your IT-2104 filing status and $1,000 for each allowance, are taxed across the state's graduated brackets from 3.9% to 11.7%.
New York has two local income taxes that employers withhold, both from the same NYS-50-T-NYS (2026) publication:
- New York City: residents of the five boroughs pay city income tax at graduated rates from 2.05% to 4.25%. People who work in the city but live outside it do not pay New York City income tax.
- Yonkers: residents pay a surcharge of 16.75% of their net New York State tax. People who work in Yonkers but live elsewhere pay a nonresident earnings tax of 0.5% of wages earned there.
Two state payroll programs also come out of a New York paycheck. Disability benefits (SDI) are 0.5% of wages, up to $0.60 a week (New York State Workers' Compensation Board, 2026). Paid Family Leave is 0.432% of wages, up to $411.91 for the year (New York State Department of Financial Services, 2026). Some employers pay part or all of the SDI share themselves; the calculator shows the most an employer may take from your pay.
Not included: the Metropolitan Commuter Transportation Mobility Tax, which is paid by employers and the self-employed rather than withheld from wages; employer-paid unemployment insurance; after-tax deductions; garnishments; bonuses and other supplemental wages; and any refund or balance due when you file. Your employer's payroll may round differently or use the NYS-50-T wage bracket tables instead of the exact method.
Worked example
Take a $75,000 salary paid biweekly, filing single on both the W-4 and the IT-2104 with no allowances, for someone who lives in Brooklyn. Gross pay is $75,000 divided by 26 paychecks, which is $2,884.62. Federal withholding under Pub 15-T is $295.00, Social Security is $178.85 and Medicare is $41.83. New York State withholding is $134.05, and because Brooklyn is part of New York City, city withholding adds $102.33. SDI is $1.20 and Paid Family Leave is $12.46. Take-home pay is $2,118.90 per paycheck. The same salary for someone living in Albany drops the city line, for take-home pay of $2,221.23.
Frequently asked questions
How much is taken out of a paycheck in New York?
A New York paycheck has federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, New York State income tax, SDI and Paid Family Leave withheld, plus New York City or Yonkers tax if you live there. In the Brooklyn example above the total comes to 26.5% of gross pay.
Do I pay New York City tax if I work in NYC but live in New Jersey or Long Island?
No. New York City income tax is withheld only from city residents, so a commuter who lives outside the five boroughs has no city tax line (New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, NYS-50-T-NYS (2026)).
What are SDI and PFL on a New York pay stub?
SDI is the employee share of New York disability benefits, 0.5% of wages up to $0.60 a week. PFL is Paid Family Leave, 0.432% of wages up to $411.91 for 2026 (New York State Department of Financial Services).
What is the Yonkers tax on a paycheck?
Yonkers residents pay a surcharge of 16.75% of their New York State tax, and nonresidents who work in Yonkers pay 0.5% of the wages earned there (NYS-50-T-NYS (2026)).
What is the IT-2104?
Form IT-2104 is New York's Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate, used for state, New York City and Yonkers withholding. The calculator takes its filing status and allowances separately from your federal W-4.