How it works
Enter your pay and what’s on your W-4 to see each paycheck after taxes in Delaware. Federal income tax is figured with the IRS percentage method for 2026, the same tables payroll software uses, plus Social Security (6.2%) and Medicare (1.45%).
Delaware withholds at graduated rates from 2.2% to 6.6% of your yearly wages after subtracting a standard deduction of $3,250 for single filers. The first $2,000 of single filers’ taxable wages is taxed at 0%. A credit of $110 for each exemption you claim then comes off the tax. Your paycheck also shows Delaware Paid Leave, which is withheld for state programs.
The City of Wilmington levies an earned income (wage) tax on residents and on nonresidents working in the city; state law caps it at 1.25 percent. The city's own website returned HTTP 403, so the current rate was not confirmed from the city.
Withholding is an estimate of your tax, paid as you go. Whether you get a refund depends on your full-year income, deductions and credits; the tax refund calculator estimates that. To compare states, use the paycheck calculator.
Formula
Take-home = gross pay − federal withholding − Social Security − Medicare − Delaware withholding − local tax − state payroll programs − pre-tax deductions
Sources
- IRS Publication 15-T (2026), Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods: percentage method tables
- IRS Publication 15 (2026), Employer’s Tax Guide: social security wage base and Medicare
- Delaware Division of Revenue - Employer's Guide, Withholding Regulations and Instructions (Section 17, Withholding Methods Based on Annualized Wages)
- Delaware Code Title 19, Chapter 37 (Healthy Delaware Families Act - paid leave)
- Delaware DOL Paid Leave Small Business FAQs
- Delaware Code Title 22, Chapter 9 (Municipal User Tax)
- IRS Publication 15 (2026) (social security wage base)
Questions people ask
How much Delaware income tax comes out of a $60,000 salary?
About $102.04 per paycheck, or $2,653 a year, for a single filer paid every two weeks with the default allowances. Take-home pay comes to about $1,826.80 per paycheck after federal tax, Social Security and Medicare as well.
Does Delaware have local income taxes?
The City of Wilmington levies an earned income (wage) tax on residents and on nonresidents working in the city; state law caps it at 1.25 percent. The city's own website returned HTTP 403, so the current rate was not confirmed from the city. Enter your local rate in the calculator to include it.
What is a Delaware withholding exemption worth in 2026?
Each one is a $110 credit against your yearly Delaware withholding.
Why is my real paycheck different?
Employers round to the cent or dollar, some benefits change which wages are taxed, and bonuses are often withheld at a flat supplemental rate. Social Security also stops for the year once your wages pass $184,500. Use your pay stub to check, and this page to see how a change would affect it.