Free Tennessee Paycheck Calculator — Take-Home Pay 2026

How to use

1. Enter your annual gross salary — total pay before any deductions.
2. Pick your filing status. Single, married filing jointly and head of household each get a different standard deduction and bracket set.
3. Choose your pay frequency — biweekly is the most common in the US — and add any 401(k) contribution percentage.
4. Click Calculate My Tennessee Paycheck to see your federal tax, FICA, $0 Tennessee state tax and take-home pay per check.

How it works

A Tennessee paycheck has only three deductions: federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare (together, FICA). There is no state income tax line at all — Tennessee repealed the Hall income tax on interest and dividends on 1 January 2021, and the state constitution now bars a tax on earned income. Federal tax is marginal: the $16,100 standard deduction for single filers (2026) comes off first, then the seven brackets apply — 10% to $12,400, 12% to $50,400, 22% to $105,700, 24% to $201,775, 32% to $256,225, 35% to $640,600 and 37% above (IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32). Each rate touches only the income inside its band, so your effective rate is always lower than your top bracket. The New York paycheck calculator shows the contrast — the same salary there loses thousands to state and city tax.

FICA is flat but capped. Social Security takes 6.2% of wages up to the 2026 wage base of $184,500; earnings above that pay no more Social Security tax for the year. Medicare takes 1.45% of all wages, plus an additional 0.9% on wages over $200,000 for single filers ($250,000 married filing jointly). Your employer matches both amounts behind the scenes — the 6.2% and 1.45% you see are only your half. A pre-tax 401(k) contribution lowers both your taxable income and your FICA wages, so it cuts the tax bill twice; the 2026 employee contribution limit is $24,500 (under 50), with a $8,000 catch-up for those 50 and over.

The Tennessee trade-off is not on the paycheck but at the till. Tennessee has one of the highest combined sales tax rates in the US — a 7% state rate plus local rates averaging about 2.5%, for a combined average near 9.5% — while property taxes are comparatively low and groceries are taxed at a reduced 4% state rate. So a Tennessee worker keeps more of each paycheck than a worker in California or New York, but pays more on everyday purchases. For a full picture of what your pay buys, run the rent-vs-buy calculator for Nashville or Memphis housing, or the Social Security benefit estimator to see what those FICA deductions buy you at 62, 67 or 70.

Worked example

The 2026 federal tax brackets at a glance

Sources: IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32 (2026 brackets and standard deduction); Social Security Administration — 2026 wage base $184,500; Tennessee Department of Revenue — no state income tax on wages (Hall tax repealed 1 January 2021).

Frequently asked questions

Does Tennessee have a state income tax?

No. Tennessee levies no state income tax on wages — the Hall income tax on interest and dividends was fully repealed on 1 January 2021, and the state constitution now prohibits a tax on earned income. Your Tennessee paycheck is reduced only by federal income tax and FICA (Social Security + Medicare). Tennessee is one of nine states with no tax on wage income, alongside Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Texas, Washington and Wyoming.

How much federal tax do I pay on a $65,000 salary in Tennessee in 2026?

A single filer on $65,000 in 2026 pays $5,620 of federal income tax. The $16,100 standard deduction leaves $48,900 of taxable income: $12,400 at 10% ($1,240) plus $36,500 at 12% ($4,380). Add Social Security of $4,030 (6.2%) and Medicare of $942.50 (1.45%), and total deductions are $10,592.50 — a take-home of $54,407.50 a year, or $2,092.60 every two weeks. Tennessee state tax is $0.

What is the 2026 standard deduction?

For tax year 2026 the standard deduction is $16,100 for single filers and married filing separately, $32,200 for married filing jointly and $24,150 for heads of household, per IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32. It is subtracted from gross income before the tax brackets apply — the reason a $65,000 salary is never taxed as $65,000 of taxable income.

What is the Social Security wage base for 2026?

The Social Security wage base for 2026 is $184,500. You pay the 6.2% Social Security tax only on wages up to that amount; earnings above it are exempt from Social Security tax (but not from Medicare). Medicare tax of 1.45% applies to all wages, plus an additional 0.9% on wages over $200,000 for single filers ($250,000 married filing jointly).

How are the 2026 federal tax brackets structured?

Seven marginal rates apply in 2026: 10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35% and 37%. For a single filer the bands are: 10% to $12,400 of taxable income, 12% to $50,400, 22% to $105,700, 24% to $201,775, 32% to $256,225, 35% to $640,600 and 37% above. The rates are marginal — each rate applies only to the income inside its band, so your effective rate is always lower than your top bracket.

Is overtime taxed at a higher rate in Tennessee?

No — overtime is taxed at the same marginal rates as regular pay; there is no special overtime tax rate. What changes is withholding: your employer's payroll system annualises a big overtime paycheck, which can push that check into a higher bracket for withholding purposes, so more tax is withheld from that check. The extra withholding is refunded when you file your return if your actual annual income does not reach that bracket.

Does Tennessee tax remote workers who live in another state?

Tennessee itself taxes no wages, so a Tennessee employer withholds no state tax from your pay. But if you live in another state, that state may tax the income — most states tax their residents on worldwide income. If you live in Tennessee and work remotely for an employer in a state with an income tax, some states (such as New York under its convenience-of-the-employer rule) may still try to tax that income; check the other state's rules.

What other taxes do Tennessee workers pay?

Tennessee has no state income tax, but it has one of the highest combined sales tax rates in the US — a 7% state rate plus local rates that average about 2.5%, for a combined average near 9.5%. Property taxes are comparatively low, and the state has no tax on groceries at the state level beyond the reduced 4% food rate. Your paycheck deductions are therefore small, but everyday purchases carry more tax than in most states.

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