Tennessee Paycheck Calculator
Figure basis: Official Tennessee Department of RevenueThis Tennessee 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 no state income tax, because Tennessee does not levy one. 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 Tennessee is about $3,850.81 take-home, after federal income tax $766.69, Social Security $310.00, Medicare $72.50 (no state income tax).
How the Tennessee 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 = 0 (no Tennessee income tax)
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 Tennessee, 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
- Tennessee income tax = $0.00 (no state income tax)
- Take-home = $5,000.00 - $766.69 - $310.00 - $72.50 - $0.00 = $3,850.81
A Tennessee paycheck now shows only federal deductions
Tennessee has never taxed wages or salaries, and since the Hall Income Tax on interest and dividends was fully repealed for tax years beginning on or after 1 January 2021, the state taxes no personal income at all. That means a Tennessee paycheck has no state withholding line: the deductions from your gross pay are limited to federal income tax, Social Security, and Medicare. The take-home figure above is gross pay less those federal items only, with no state return to file and no state tax on wages, investment income, pensions, or 401(k) and IRA withdrawals.
The Hall tax is worth remembering because it made Tennessee a partial-income-tax state until recently: the rate fell one percentage point a year from 6% starting in 2016 until it hit zero. A worker today feels none of it, but the phase-out is why older guidance sometimes still describes Tennessee as taxing investment income.
What replaces that revenue is a heavier sales tax. Tennessee's state rate is 7%, among the highest in the country, and local jurisdictions can add up to 2.75%, pushing some combined rates to 9.75%. Groceries get a reduced 4% state rate, but most spending pays the full amount. None of that touches your paycheck, so the state line here is zero; for the fuller cost-of-living picture, weigh the sales tax against the wages this calculator leaves untaxed by the state.
Tennessee paycheck calculator: frequently asked questions
How much is take-home pay on a $5,000 biweekly paycheck in Tennessee?
A single filer earning $5,000 every two weeks in Tennessee keeps about $3,850.81 after federal income tax withholding ($766.69), Social Security ($310.00), Medicare ($72.50) (Tennessee has no state income tax). Enter your own gross pay, pay frequency and filing status above for your figure.
Does Tennessee have a state income tax withheld from paychecks?
No. Tennessee levies no state income tax, so no state income tax is withheld from your paycheck. Federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare are still withheld.
What FICA taxes are withheld from a Tennessee 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 Tennessee paycheck estimate include SDI or local taxes?
No. This estimate covers federal income tax withholding, Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax. 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.
- Tennessee no income tax confirmation: Tennessee Department of Revenue, as at Jun 12, 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.