States with no income tax: your real take-home pay (2026)
Nine U.S. states levy no income tax on wages. Living in one doesn't make you tax-free — federal income tax and FICA still apply — but it can add thousands to your annual take-home. On a $75,000 salary (single filer), a no-tax state keeps $3,903 more per year than California and $3,520 more than New York.
📅 Updated for the 2026 tax year · built from primary IRS & state sources
The 9 states with no income tax
New Hampshire is included: it taxes no earned wages (its interest-and-dividends tax was fully repealed for 2026). Washington has no wage income tax.
Take-home pay: no-tax state vs California vs New York
Annual take-home after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, and state income tax — single filer, 2026. “Saving” is the extra you keep in a no-income-tax state.
| Salary | No-tax state | California | vs CA | New York | vs NY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $34,320 | $33,064 | +$1,256 | $32,725 | +$1,595 |
| $60,000 | $50,390 | $47,817 | +$2,573 | $47,695 | +$2,695 |
| $75,000 | $61,593 | $57,690 | +$3,903 | $58,073 | +$3,520 |
| $100,000 | $79,180 | $72,672 | +$6,508 | $74,228 | +$4,952 |
| $150,000 | $113,791 | $101,983 | +$11,808 | $105,839 | +$7,952 |
| $250,000 | $183,182 | $160,774 | +$22,408 | $169,004 | +$14,178 |
Figures assume a single filer taking the standard deduction, no 401(k) deferral, and no local income tax (e.g. NYC residents owe additional city tax, so a real New Yorker keeps even less). See our methodology for sources and assumptions.
“No income tax” doesn't mean “no taxes”
States have to raise revenue somehow. No-income-tax states often lean on higher sales tax (Tennessee and Washington have some of the highest combined rates in the country) or property tax (Texas and New Hampshire are notably high). Federal income tax and FICA are unchanged wherever you live. The take-home figures above are the wage-tax picture only — weigh cost of living and these other taxes before relocating for a paycheck.
Check your own number
Run any salary or hourly wage through our take-home pay calculators — or embed this comparison on your site.