The 9 states with no income tax on wages in 2026
Which US states don't tax wages in 2026, how much more you take home there, and the payroll charges some of them still make.
Nine states don’t tax wages in 2026: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming. If you live and work in one of them, the only income taxes on your paycheck are federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare.
How much more you take home
Here’s a single person on $75,000 a year, taking the standard deduction:
| State | State tax and payroll charges | Take-home pay |
|---|---|---|
| Texas, Florida, Nevada, Tennessee | $0 | $61,592.50 |
| Washington | $1,040.37 | $60,552.13 |
| Ohio | $1,280.13 | $60,312.38 |
| Illinois | $3,567.71 | $58,024.79 |
| California | $3,749.57 | $57,842.93 |
| New York (outside NYC) | $3,808.20 | $57,784.30 |
On this salary, living in Texas instead of California leaves you $3,749.57 a year better off, about $144 a paycheck if you’re paid every two weeks. The gap grows with income: state tax rates in California climb to 13.3% on very high incomes.
“No income tax” doesn’t always mean no deductions
- Washington has no income tax on wages, but employees pay into two state programmes: Paid Family and Medical Leave (0.8072% of wages up to $184,500 in 2026) and WA Cares long-term care (0.58% of all wages). Washington also taxes large capital gains.
- Alaska takes a small unemployment insurance contribution (0.5% of wages up to $54,200).
- New Hampshire used to tax interest and dividends; that tax was repealed from 2025.
Living in one state, working in another
Income tax generally follows where you work as well as where you live. If you live in a no-tax state but work in a state with income tax, that state can usually tax your wages there. Remote workers and commuters should check the rules for both states.
Is a no-tax state cheaper overall?
Not always. States without an income tax raise money in other ways, often through higher sales or property taxes, and housing costs vary hugely between and within states. Compare your take-home pay with the US paycheck calculator, then look at rent or mortgage costs and sales tax in the places you’re considering.
Paycheck calculators for the no-tax states
Figures use 2026 federal rates and the Tax Foundation’s 2026 state income tax data, checked against state agencies.