How it works
Enter your pay and what’s on your W-4 to see each paycheck after taxes in Michigan. 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%).
Michigan withholds a flat 4.25% of your yearly wages after subtracting $5,900 for each exemption claimed on Form MI-W4.
Traditional 401(k) and 403(b) contributions lower your federal and Michigan income tax but not Social Security and Medicare. Pre-tax health insurance and HSA payroll contributions lower all of them.
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 − Michigan withholding − local tax − pre-tax deductions
Michigan cities with an income tax
Twenty-four Michigan cities levy an income tax: residents pay it on all wages and nonresidents on wages earned in the city, usually at half the resident rate. Pick your city above to include it. Each exemption you claim reduces the wages the city taxes by the amount shown.
| City | Resident | Nonresident | Exemption |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albion | 1% | 0.5% | $600 |
| Battle Creek | 1% | 0.5% | $750 |
| Big Rapids | 1% | 0.5% | $600 |
| Detroit | 2.4% | 1.2% | $600 |
| East Lansing | 1% | 0.5% | $600 |
| Flint | 1% | 0.5% | $600 |
| Grand Rapids | 1.5% | 0.75% | $600 |
| Hamtramck | 1% | 0.5% | $600 |
| Highland Park | 2% | 1% | $600 |
| Jackson | 1% | 0.5% | $600 |
| Lansing | 1% | 0.5% | $600 |
| Lapeer | 1% | 0.5% | $600 |
| Muskegon | 1% | 0.5% | $600 |
| Pontiac | 1% | 0.5% | $600 |
| Port Huron | 1% | 0.5% | $600 |
| Portland | 1% | 0.5% | $1,000 |
| Saginaw | 1.5% | 0.75% | $750 |
| Springfield | 1% | 0.5% | $750 |
| Walker | 1% | 0.5% | $600 |
Rates and exemptions come from each city’s income tax office. Benton Harbor, Grayling, Hudson, Ionia and Muskegon Heights also levy a city income tax; we couldn’t confirm their current figures from the cities themselves, so choose “Another city” and enter the rate from your pay stub or the city’s tax office.
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
- USDA National Finance Center, Michigan State Income Tax Withholding (2026 formula: $5,900 per exemption, 4.25%)
- Michigan Department of Treasury, 2026 Withholding Tax Forms (Form 446, 2026 Michigan Income Tax Withholding Guide)
- Michigan Department of Treasury, calendar year withholding rates and exemption amounts
Questions people ask
How much Michigan income tax comes out of a $60,000 salary?
About $88.43 per paycheck, or $2,299 a year, for a single filer paid every two weeks with the default allowances. Take-home pay comes to about $1,849.64 per paycheck after federal tax, Social Security and Medicare as well.
Does Michigan have local income taxes?
Twenty-four Michigan cities levy an income tax: residents pay it on all wages and nonresidents on wages earned in the city, usually at half the resident rate. Choose yours in the calculator to include it.
What is a Michigan withholding exemption worth in 2026?
Each one subtracts $5,900 from your yearly wages before Michigan tax is figured, which lowers state withholding by up to $251 a year at the 4.25% top rate, less in lower brackets.
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.