Quick answer
Illinois paycheck basics
Illinois taxes wages at a flat 4.95%, the same rate for every filing status and income level. What changes the amount withheld from an Illinois paycheck is the number of allowances on Form IL-W-4. Each basic allowance, for yourself, a spouse you can claim as a dependent and each dependent, shields $2,925 of annual pay from withholding, and each additional allowance, for being 65 or older, being blind, or for extra deductions, shields another $1,000.
If you never gave your employer an IL-W-4, Illinois tax is withheld on your entire pay with no allowances at all, so a completed form usually means a bigger paycheck. This calculator uses the Illinois Department of Revenue's own automated payroll formula for 2026, together with federal withholding, Social Security and Medicare, to estimate Illinois take-home pay for salaried and hourly workers.
How Illinois taxes your paycheck
For 2026 the Illinois Department of Revenue's withholding booklet, IL-700-T, sets the rate at 4.95% and the exemption allowance at $2,925. Its automated payroll method works one paycheck at a time: add up $2,925 for each allowance on line 1 of your IL-W-4 and $1,000 for each allowance on line 2, divide by the number of pay periods in the year, subtract that from the period's wages, and withhold 4.95% of the rest, plus any extra amount you asked for on line 3. For example, a worker paid $800 a week with two allowances on each line has $150.96 of exemptions and $32.13 withheld. Illinois withholding applies to the same compensation federal withholding does, so traditional 401(k) deferrals and pretax insurance premiums lower it, while bonuses, overtime and commissions are taxed at the same flat 4.95%. Residents of Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan and Wisconsin who work in Illinois can use Form W-5-NR to see whether they are exempt.
| Filing status | Rate |
|---|---|
| All filing statuses | 4.95% |
Worked example
A $60,000 salary in Illinois, single, paid biweekly
- Annual salary:
- $60,000
- Filing status:
- Single
- Pay frequency:
- Biweekly (26 paychecks/year)
- Deductions:
- None
- State:
- Illinois
- Salary: +$2,307.69
- Federal income tax: −$193.08
- Social Security: −$143.08
- Medicare: −$33.46
- Illinois income tax: −$114.23
Net pay per paycheck: $1,823.84
Computed with Illinois's default withholding certificate (no allowances, no extra withholding) and no pre-tax or post-tax deductions. Your own paycheck will differ with different elections.
Take-home pay by salary in Illinois
Net pay at five common salaries, biweekly, with no bonus, tips or deductions — computed the same way as the worked example above, for Single and Married Filing Jointly.
| Annual salary | Single — per paycheck | Single — annual | MFJ — per paycheck | MFJ — annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $1,243.85 | $32,340.10 | $1,314.62 | $34,180.12 |
| $60,000 | $1,823.84 | $47,419.84 | $1,907.69 | $49,599.94 |
| $80,000 | $2,351.91 | $61,149.66 | $2,487.68 | $64,679.68 |
| $100,000 | $2,855.00 | $74,230.00 | $3,067.69 | $79,759.94 |
| $150,000 | $4,091.00 | $106,366.00 | $4,452.31 | $115,760.06 |
How to use this calculator
- Enter your pay. Choose salary or hourly, fill in the amount and hours, and pick how often you are paid.
- Fill in your federal Form W-4. Filing status, the Step 2 checkbox, and Steps 3 and 4 if they apply to you.
- Fill in your IL-W-4. The calculator only shows the fields Illinois actually asks for.
- Add any deductions. Traditional or Roth 401(k), health premiums, HSA, FSA, or other pre-tax and post-tax amounts taken from your pay.
- Read your results. Net pay per paycheck, the full breakdown by category, and any warnings about your specific numbers.
Formulas used
Net pay = gross pay − pre-tax deductions − federal tax − FICA − Illinois income tax − state payroll programs − local tax − post-tax deductions.
Illinois vs. neighboring states
Net pay on a $75,000 salary, single, paid biweekly, in Illinois compared with its bordering states.
| State | Net pay per paycheck | Net pay annual | Difference vs. Illinois (annual) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | $2,226.15 | $57,879.90 | — |
| Wisconsin | $2,227.88 | $57,924.88 | +$44.98 |
| Missouri | $2,268.94 | $58,992.44 | +$1,112.54 |
Frequently asked questions
How is federal income tax withheld from my paycheck calculated?+
Employers use the IRS Publication 15-T percentage method with the elections on your Form W-4: filing status, whether Step 2 is checked, Step 3 credits, and any Step 4 adjustments. That produces an amount to withhold each pay period before Social Security, Medicare, and any state or local tax are applied.
What is FICA and why is it withheld on every paycheck?+
FICA is Social Security tax (6.2% of wages up to the annual Social Security wage base) plus Medicare tax (1.45% of all wages, with an extra 0.9% on wages above $200,000 in a year). Both are withheld on every US paycheck regardless of which state you work in, because they fund federal programs rather than a state one.
Is the result on this calculator the same as my actual paycheck?+
It is an estimate for planning, not a substitute for your pay stub. Your actual withholding depends on the exact elections on file with your employer, your specific pay dates, and any mid-year changes to your deductions — the calculator applies the published federal and state formulas to the numbers you enter.
What is the Illinois state income tax rate for 2026?+
A flat 4.95% of taxable income for every filing status. The Department of Revenue's 2026 withholding booklet uses 4.95% with an exemption allowance of $2,925.
How is Illinois withholding calculated?+
Your employer adds $2,925 for each allowance on line 1 of your IL-W-4 and $1,000 for each allowance on line 2, divides by the number of pay periods, subtracts the result from your wages for the period, and withholds 4.95% of what is left. The Department's own example: $800 a week with two allowances on each line gives $32.13.
How many allowances should I claim on the Illinois W-4?+
Line 1 allows one for yourself if no one else can claim you as a dependent, one for your spouse if you can claim your spouse as a dependent, and one for each dependent you will claim on your return. Line 2 adds one for being 65 or older, one for being legally blind (and the same for your spouse), plus one for every $1,000 of deductions beyond the standard ones. You can claim fewer to have more withheld.
What happens if I don't fill out an IL-W-4?+
Your employer must withhold Illinois income tax on your entire pay without any exemptions. On a $60,000 salary paid biweekly that is about $114.23 per paycheck, compared with about $108.66 if you claim one basic allowance.
How are bonuses taxed in Illinois?+
At the same flat 4.95%. Illinois treats bonuses, overtime and commissions as compensation like regular wages. Federal withholding on a bonus is usually the flat 22% supplemental rate.
Does Illinois tax 401(k) contributions?+
Not when they go in. Illinois withholding applies to the compensation that federal withholding applies to, so traditional 401(k) deferrals and pretax health premiums reduce your Illinois withholding. Roth 401(k) contributions do not.
I live in Wisconsin but work in Illinois. Is Illinois tax withheld?+
Residents of Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan and Wisconsin who work in Illinois can file Form W-5-NR, Employee's Statement of Nonresidence in Illinois, with their employer to see whether they are exempt from Illinois withholding. Your home state's tax then applies instead.
Are there local income taxes in Illinois?+
No local income tax is withheld from Illinois paychecks, and Illinois has no employee-paid state disability or paid leave deduction, so the flat state income tax is the only Illinois line on your pay stub.
What is the minimum wage in Illinois in 2026?+
$15.00 an hour statewide, according to the U.S. Department of Labor's state minimum wage table. Some local governments, such as the City of Chicago, set a higher local minimum wage.
Sources
- Illinois Department of Revenue — 2026 Booklet IL-700-T, Illinois Withholding Tax Tables
- Illinois Department of Revenue — Form IL-W-4, Employee's and other Payee's Illinois Withholding Allowance Certificate
- Illinois Department of Revenue — Publication 130, Who is Required to Withhold Illinois Income Tax
- U.S. Department of Labor — State Minimum Wage Laws
- IRS Publication 15-T (2026), Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods
- IRS Publication 15 (2026), Employer's Tax Guide
- Social Security Administration — 2026 COLA Fact Sheet