Utah paycheck taxes at a glance
| Income tax on wages | Flat 4.45% |
|---|---|
| Minimum wage (2026) | $7.25 an hour (Utah's minimum wage matches the federal rate) |
Example: a $99,300 salary in Utah
The median household income in Utah is about $99,311 (2025 data). Here's what one earner with that salary, paid every two weeks, filing single with no pre-tax deductions, would see on each paycheck in 2026:
| Gross pay | $3,819.23 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | −$500.62 |
| Social Security | −$236.79 |
| Medicare | −$55.38 |
| Utah income tax | −$169.96 |
| Take-home pay | $2,856.49 |
That's $74,269 a year in take-home pay, or 25.2% of gross pay going to taxes.
Take-home pay by salary in Utah
Single filer, paid biweekly, standard W-4, no pre-tax deductions:
| Salary | Per paycheck | Per year | State taxes | Total tax rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $1,277.80 | $33,223 | $1,097 | 16.9% |
| $60,000 | $1,851.64 | $48,143 | $2,247 | 19.8% |
| $80,000 | $2,373.57 | $61,713 | $3,397 | 22.9% |
| $100,000 | $2,874.23 | $74,730 | $4,450 | 25.3% |
| $150,000 | $4,119.85 | $107,116 | $6,675 | 28.6% |
| $200,000 | $5,385.65 | $140,027 | $8,900 | 30% |
What changed for 2026
- Senate Bill 60 cut the individual income tax rate from 4.5% to 4.45%. It took effect May 6, 2026, and applies to the entire 2026 tax year.
Utah pay rules worth knowing
- Employers must pay at least twice a month, though employees on a yearly salary can be paid monthly.
- If your employer ends your employment, all unpaid wages are due within 24 hours. If you resign and don't have a written contract for a set term, final wages are due on the next regular payday.
A flat tax with a shrinking credit
Utah’s income tax looks simple: 4.45% of your state taxable income. The detail that matters for a paycheck is the taxpayer tax credit, which takes the place of a standard deduction and personal exemptions. It’s the sum of:
- 6% of the standard deduction you claim on your federal return (or 6% of your federal itemized deductions, not counting state and local income taxes), and
- 6% of Utah’s exemption amount for each qualifying dependent.
The credit then shrinks by $0.013 for each dollar of state taxable income above a threshold that depends on filing status. The joint-filer threshold is always twice the single-filer amount, and both are adjusted for inflation each year. The calculator uses the most recent thresholds published, from 2025, because the 2026 figures weren’t available.
In practice, low earners pay little or no Utah tax, while the credit fades out across middle incomes. In this calculator, a single filer with no dependents earning $100,000 has no credit left, so the full 4.45% applies to every dollar.
The 2026 rate cut
In the 2026 legislative session, SB 60 lowered the rate from 4.5% to 4.45% and made it retroactive to January 1, 2026. The same bill cut the corporate rate to 4.45%, keeping individual and corporate rates matched.
Because the law took effect in May, some employers may have withheld at the old rate for part of the year. The difference is 0.05 percentage points, so it’s small, and it’s reconciled when you file your 2026 Utah return.
Dependents and filing status
Utah’s credit is tied to the federal standard deduction and to the number of qualifying dependents you claim. Larger families get a bigger credit and keep part of it at higher incomes. Enter your children and other dependents in the calculator to see the effect. If you’re married, try both filing statuses, since the joint threshold for the phase-out is double the single one.
Planning tools
Utah’s minimum wage is the federal $7.25. The salary calculator converts any hourly rate to annual pay, and the income tax calculator estimates your full-year federal tax.
Estimates only. Your employer’s payroll system and your W-4 determine your actual paycheck.
How we calculate: The taxpayer credit phase-out thresholds and dependent exemption use 2025 amounts (2026 indexing not yet published).
Sources
- U.S. Department of Labor: State minimum wage laws
- U.S. Department of Labor: State payday requirements
- Utah Code 34-28-5: Separation from payroll
- Census Bureau: Household Income in States and Metropolitan Areas, 2025
- le.utah.gov
- le.utah.gov
- IRS Publication 15-T (federal withholding)
Frequently asked questions
Does Utah have a standard deduction?
Not as such. Utah taxes all of your state taxable income at 4.45%, then subtracts a nonrefundable taxpayer credit. The credit is 6% of the standard deduction you take on your federal return (or 6% of your itemized deductions, minus state and local income taxes), plus 6% of a per-dependent exemption amount.
Why does my Utah tax rise faster than 4.45% as I earn more?
Once your state taxable income passes the phase-out threshold, the taxpayer credit shrinks by 1.3 cents for every extra dollar. Until the credit is gone, each additional dollar you earn costs about 5.75 cents in Utah tax (4.45% plus the 1.3% credit reduction). After the credit is used up, the rate drops back to 4.45%.
Do pre-tax 401(k) contributions lower my Utah tax?
Yes. Utah's tax starts from federal adjusted gross income, so traditional 401(k) deferrals and pre-tax health premiums reduce the income Utah taxes. Because they also lower the income used for the credit phase-out, the savings can exceed 4.45% if you're in the phase-out range.
Does Utah have its own minimum wage?
Utah's minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, the same as the federal rate. State law doesn't cover jobs that are already subject to the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, so most workers rely on the federal minimum.
Facts verified November 6, 2026. Estimates only; your employer's payroll system and your W-4 determine your actual withholding.