District of Columbia Paycheck Calculator
Figure basis: Official DC Office of Tax and RevenueThis District of Columbia paycheck calculator estimates your take-home pay after the taxes withheld from a typical wage. Enter your gross pay, choose how often you are paid (weekly, every two weeks, twice a month or monthly) and select your filing status to see a full breakdown of every deduction and your net pay. The estimate combines four withholdings: federal income tax, calculated with the 2026 Internal Revenue Service annualised percentage method; Social Security at 6.2% up to the 2026 wage base of $184,500.00; Medicare at 1.45% on all wages; and District of Columbia state income tax withholding, applied with the brackets published by the DC Office of Tax and Revenue for tax year 2026. Results update as you type and the page link captures your inputs so you can save or share a calculation. This estimate covers federal withholding, FICA and state income tax only; State Disability Insurance where a state levies it, and any city or county local income tax, are not included and are noted separately. Use it to check a payslip, compare an offer, or plan a pre-tax contribution.
A $5,000 biweekly paycheck (single filer) in District of Columbia is about $3,850.81 take-home, after federal income tax $766.69, Social Security $310.00, Medicare $72.50 and District of Columbia income tax $0.00.
How the District of Columbia paycheck calculation works
annual gross = gross per period x pay periods per year
federal withholding = IRS Pub 15-T annualised percentage method, de-annualised
Social Security = min(annual gross, $184,500.00) x 6.2% / periods
Medicare = annual gross x 1.45% / periods
state withholding = District of Columbia income tax on annual gross / periods
take-home = gross per period - federal - Social Security - Medicare - state
Worked example
A single filer paid $5,000.00 every two weeks (26 pay periods a year) in District of Columbia, for 2026:
- Annual gross = $5,000.00 x 26 = $130,000.00
- Federal income tax withheld this period = $766.69
- Social Security = $310.00; Medicare = $72.50
- District of Columbia income tax withheld = $0.00
- Take-home = $5,000.00 - $766.69 - $310.00 - $72.50 - $0.00 = $3,850.81
What DC income tax does to your take-home pay
On a District paycheck you see two layers of tax before your net: the federal side (income tax withholding plus Social Security and Medicare) and DC income tax withheld on top. DC does not use a flat rate; it withholds against a seven-step schedule that runs from 4% on the first $10,000 of taxable income to 10.75% above $1,000,000, and the same brackets apply whether you file single or jointly. The band most salaries fall into is the 8.5% rate covering taxable income from $60,001 to $250,000, so a mid-career professional in the District gives up a meaningful slice to the state line that a worker in a no-income-tax state never sees.
DC also sets its own standard deduction, having decoupled from the federal figure for tax year 2025. For 2026 that is $16,100 for a single filer and $32,200 for a married couple filing jointly, and the withholding tables build it in, so your taxable wage base is smaller than your gross.
The detail that changes some paychecks entirely is reciprocity. DC holds agreements with Maryland and Virginia, so if you commute into the District from either state, DC tax should not be withheld at all: you pay only your home state. Confirm your employer has you coded to the right jurisdiction, because a wrong setup usually means waiting until you file to get it back. This estimate covers federal tax, FICA and DC withholding only.
District of Columbia paycheck calculator: frequently asked questions
How much is take-home pay on a $5,000 biweekly paycheck in District of Columbia?
A single filer earning $5,000 every two weeks in District of Columbia keeps about $3,850.81 after federal income tax withholding ($766.69), Social Security ($310.00), Medicare ($72.50) and District of Columbia state income tax withholding ($0.00). Enter your own gross pay, pay frequency and filing status above for your figure.
Does District of Columbia have a state income tax withheld from paychecks?
Yes. District of Columbia income tax is withheld from wages in addition to federal income tax and FICA. This calculator applies the District of Columbia brackets published by the DC Office of Tax and Revenue (tax year 2026) using the annualised method.
What FICA taxes are withheld from a District of Columbia paycheck?
Social Security is withheld at 6.2% on wages up to the 2026 wage base of $184,500.00, and Medicare at 1.45% on all wages, with an additional 0.9% Medicare tax on wages above the filing-status threshold. These are federal taxes that apply to wages in every state.
Does this District of Columbia paycheck estimate include SDI or local taxes?
No. This estimate covers federal income tax withholding, Social Security, Medicare and District of Columbia state income tax withholding. State Disability Insurance (SDI), where a state levies it, and any city or county local income taxes are not included; check your state and local authorities for those.
Official sources
- Federal income tax withholding and standard deduction (tax year 2026): US Internal Revenue Service, as at Jun 12, 2026.
- Social Security wage base and FICA rates (2026): US Social Security Administration and IRS Topic 751, as at Jun 12, 2026.
- District of Columbia income tax brackets (tax year 2026): DC Office of Tax and Revenue, as at Jul 16, 2026.
Reviewed by the CalculatorHub team, edited by James Graham, 25 June 2026. See our methodology. General information, not financial or tax advice. State Disability Insurance and local income taxes are not included.