Connecticut payroll taxes, 2026
Connecticut withholds income tax from state tables with rates from 2% to 6.99%, takes a 0.5% CT Paid Leave contribution from employees, and charges employers unemployment tax on the first $27,000 of wages.
Income tax withholding
Connecticut’s income tax has seven rates from 2% to 6.99%, with the top rate applying above $500,000 for single filers. The paycheck withholding does not use a single rate: employers use the DRS withholding tables (TPG-211, 2026 Withholding Calculation Rules) keyed to the employee’s CT-W4 code. The state says the 2026 rules and tables are unchanged from 2025.
This site’s Connecticut paycheck calculator estimates the statutory tax from the bracket table and phases out the personal exemption, so it is a labeled estimate and can differ from a stub that uses the withholding table. Connecticut is not a reciprocity state in the calculator.
CT Paid Leave
The CT Paid Leave Authority kept the employee contribution at 0.5% for 2026, capped at the Social Security wage base (this calculator uses $184,500 for 2026; confirm the current figure with the Authority or SSA). Employers withhold it from pay. On a $60,000 salary that is $300 for the year, and the paycheck calculator includes the line. Source: CT Paid Leave contributions.
Unemployment tax (SUI)
For 2026 the taxable wage base is $27,000 per employee. The new-employer rate is 1.9%. The Department of Labor reports contribution rates from 1.1% to 9.9%, which includes the fund solvency tax, per its 2026 unemployment tax rate page. This is an employer cost and does not appear as a deduction on the employee’s check.
Local tax and the minimum wage
The calculator applies no city or county wage tax in Connecticut, and we did not find a local wage tax there; confirm with the Department of Revenue Services if you work in an unusual situation. Connecticut’s minimum wage is $16.94 an hour from January 1, 2026: see the Connecticut minimum wage. Use the Connecticut hourly to salary calculator to turn a wage into a salary. Checked October 19, 2026.
| Salary | Biweekly net | State tax and programs per year | Net per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $1,261.35 | $1,525.00 | $32,794 |
| $60,000 | $1,828.45 | $2,850.00 | $47,539 |
| $80,000 | $2,348.46 | $4,050.00 | $61,059 |
| $100,000 | $2,843.46 | $5,249.99 | $73,929 |
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Questions
How is Connecticut income tax withheld?
From the Department of Revenue Services withholding tables. There is no percentage method: employers annualize wages, pick the withholding code (A, B, C, D, or F) from the employee’s CT-W4, apply the 2026 tables, and adjust for the CT-W4 lines 2 and 3. The 2026 tables are unchanged from 2025.
What if an employee does not file a CT-W4?
The employer withholds at a flat 6.99% with no allowance for exemption, per the DRS Employer’s Tax Guide (IP 2026(1)).
What is the CT Paid Leave contribution?
0.5% of wages up to the Social Security wage base, withheld from employees. The CT Paid Leave Authority kept it at 0.5% for 2026. The program is funded by employee contributions. Confirm remittance dates and the current wage base with the Authority.
What is the Connecticut unemployment wage base for 2026?
$27,000 per employee, up from $26,100, according to the Department of Labor’s 2026 notice. The new-employer rate falls from 2.2% to 1.9%, and contribution rates run from 1.1% to 9.9% including the fund solvency tax. These are employer taxes; confirm your own rate on your Department of Labor notice.
Is a bonus taxed differently in Connecticut?
If it is paid with regular wages, the employer computes tax on the combined amount. If it is paid separately, the method depends on whether tax was withheld from regular wages. Check IP 2026(1) for the separate-payment rule.