Arkansas Paycheck Calculator
Estimate your Arkansas take-home pay. Arkansas uses a 5-bracket progressive income tax with rates from 0% to 3.9% (Act 1 of 2024 Second Extraordinary Session). The first $5,500 of taxable income is exempt for single filers (and MFJ — Arkansas uses the same brackets for both). Top rate is 3.9%, kicking in at $25,700. Standard deduction is $2,470 single / $4,940 MFJ. Arkansas applies a $29 personal tax credit per exemption (subtracted directly from tax, not income — so single = $29, MFJ = $58). No local income tax in Little Rock, Fayetteville, or anywhere else.
How to use this calculator
- Type your gross pay per paycheck — what you earn before any tax or deduction comes out.
- Pick your pay frequency (biweekly is the default — it's the most common).
- Set your federal filing status (Single or Married Filing Jointly).
- If you contribute to a traditional 401(k), enter the percentage. Add any pre-tax health or HSA deductions per paycheck.
- The result updates as you go. Use Share link to send your numbers to someone else without retyping them.
A real example: a $60,000 salary in Little Rock
Say you take a $60,000-a-year job in Little Rock, paid every two weeks, single, no 401(k). That's $2,307.69 gross per paycheck. The math goes like this for the year:
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Gross pay | $60,000.00 |
| Federal income tax (after the $16,100 federal standard deduction) | −$5,020.00 |
| Social Security (6.2% up to $184,500) | −$3,720.00 |
| Medicare (1.45%) | −$870.00 |
| Arkansas state tax (5 brackets; $2,470 SD; less $29 personal credit) | −$1,803.37 |
| Take-home for the year | $48,586.63 |
| Take-home per biweekly check | $1,868.72 |
About 18% of your gross goes to federal, FICA, and Arkansas state tax combined — one of the lowest combined burdens in the country. Arkansas's effective state rate at $60k single is 3.0%, well below the 3.9% headline. The first $5,500 of taxable income is at 0%, then 2% to $11,000, 3% to $15,700, 3.4% to $25,700, and 3.9% above — with the $29 personal credit subtracted at the end. Arkansas's 2024 reform (Act 1, Second Extraordinary Session) dropped the top rate from 4.4% to 3.9% in just a few years.
Now add a 5% traditional 401(k) and $200/month in pre-tax health premiums on a $120,000 salary, married, paid monthly: gross $10,000/mo, $500 to the 401(k), $200 to health. Arkansas follows federal — both pre-tax items reduce AR taxable income. The MFJ SD is $4,940 and the personal credit doubles to $58. Tax for the year runs about $3,762, and your monthly take-home lands around $7,640.
How a Arkansas paycheck is calculated
Arkansas uses 5 progressive brackets (same for single and MFJ — no marriage relief), with a small SD and a $29 personal tax credit applied at the end:
A few Arkansas-specific details worth knowing:
- 3.9% is the current top rate — a 3.7% reduction is pending. Arkansas's S1 (2026 1st Extra Session) reduced the top individual rate to 3.7%. The effective date isn't clearly stated, and current Arkansas DFA 2026 withholding tables still use 3.9%. We're using 3.9% (matching current withholding) — your actual annual tax may be slightly lower if the 3.7% applies retroactively to TY2026.
- Brackets are the same for single and MFJ. Unusual: many progressive states (Maine, Oregon, Massachusetts, etc.) widen MFJ brackets to give marriage relief. Arkansas does NOT — the same $5,500/$11,000/$15,700/$25,700 thresholds apply regardless of filing status. MFJ filers get larger SD ($4,940 vs $2,470) and double personal credit ($58 vs $29), but identical bracket thresholds.
- $29 personal tax CREDIT — not a deduction. This is subtracted from your computed tax, not from your taxable income. So $29 × number of exemptions reduces tax dollar-for-dollar. Standard exemptions: 1 for self, plus 1 for spouse if MFJ. Each dependent adds another $29 credit (not modeled here).
- No local income tax anywhere. Little Rock, Fayetteville, Springdale, Fort Smith, Jonesboro, North Little Rock — none collect income tax. Arkansas is one of about 35 states without any local wage tax.
- 401(k) and pre-tax both reduce AR tax. Arkansas follows federal treatment for traditional 401(k) and Section 125 items.
- SD is small ($2,470) but rate structure is generous. Compared to states like Maine ($15,300 SD) or Idaho ($16,100 SD), Arkansas's $2,470 SD looks tiny. But Arkansas compensates with a 0% bracket for the first $5,500 and very low rates throughout — total effective burden is similar.
- Social Security fully exempt. Arkansas also offers a $6,000 deduction per taxpayer on military, federal, and state pension income. Distributions from IRAs and 401(k)s for age 59½+: $6,000 deduction per taxpayer. Combined with the moderate rate structure, Arkansas is moderately retirement-friendly.
What Arkansas paychecks look like at common salaries (single, no 401k)
| Annual salary | Federal tax | FICA | Arkansas tax | Net per year | Net per biweekly check |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $2,620.00 | $3,060.00 | $1,023.37 | $33,296.63 | $1,280.64 |
| $50,000 | $3,820.00 | $3,825.00 | $1,413.37 | $40,941.63 | $1,574.68 |
| $60,000 | $5,020.00 | $4,590.00 | $1,803.37 | $48,586.63 | $1,868.72 |
| $75,000 | $7,670.00 | $5,737.50 | $2,388.37 | $59,204.13 | $2,277.08 |
| $100,000 | $13,170.00 | $7,650.00 | $3,363.37 | $75,816.63 | $2,916.02 |
| $150,000 | $24,734.00 | $11,475.00 | $5,313.37 | $108,477.63 | $4,172.22 |
Numbers above use 2026 federal rates and Arkansas's progressive brackets, single filer, no 401(k) or pre-tax deductions. Your actual withholding will differ based on your Arkansas W-4.
Tips to take home more
- Max out pre-tax benefits first. Health insurance, HSA, and FSA dollars reduce both your federal tax and FICA — that's a roughly 22–28% discount on those expenses for most people.
- A 401(k) is real money, not a deduction. A 5% contribution on $60k is $3,000 the IRS doesn't see right now. You're not losing it — you're moving it.
- Check your W-4 if your refund or bill is large. A big refund means you overpaid all year; a big bill means you underpaid. Either way, the IRS withholding estimator at irs.gov/W4App helps fix it.
- Track the Social Security cap. If you'll cross $184,500 this year, your last few checks will be noticeably bigger for SS. (Medicare and SDI keep going on every dollar.)
- Live in Arkansas, work remotely for an out-of-state employer? Arkansas taxes residents on all income regardless of where it's earned. Check your paystub — out-of-state employers don't always withhold Arkansas tax correctly.
Frequently asked questions
What is Arkansas's state income tax rate in 2026?
Arkansas uses a 5-bracket progressive income tax for TY2026 with rates of 0%, 2%, 3%, 3.4%, and 3.9%. Brackets: 0% on first $5,500; 2% on $5,501-$11,000; 3% on $11,001-$15,700; 3.4% on $15,701-$25,700; 3.9% on $25,701+. The same brackets apply to single and MFJ filers. A pending reduction (S1 2026 1st Extra Session) lowers the top to 3.7% — effective date uncertain; current withholding uses 3.9%.
How much of a $60,000 salary do you take home in Arkansas?
A single filer earning $60,000 in Arkansas with no pre-tax deductions takes home roughly $48,587 a year, or about $1,869 every two weeks. That's $5,020 federal, $4,590 FICA, and $1,803 Arkansas state tax (5 brackets on $57,530 after the $2,470 SD, minus the $29 personal credit). No local income tax in Arkansas.
What is the Arkansas standard deduction and personal credit for 2026?
Standard deduction: $2,470 single / $4,940 MFJ (inflation-adjusted annually). Personal tax CREDIT: $29 per exemption (1 for self single; 2 for self + spouse MFJ = $58 total; +$29 per dependent). HB 1066 proposed raising the SD to $4,400 in 2026 but did NOT pass during the 2025 Regular Session.
Does Little Rock or Fayetteville have a local income tax?
No. Arkansas does NOT allow cities or counties to levy income taxes on wages. Little Rock, Fayetteville, Springdale, Fort Smith, Jonesboro, North Little Rock, and every other Arkansas city collect zero income tax. The state's 0-3.9% progressive rate is your total income tax burden.
Why are Arkansas brackets the same for single and married filers?
Arkansas does not provide MFJ bracket relief — historically the tax structure was simple and the state instead provides modest relief through a larger MFJ standard deduction ($4,940 vs $2,470 single) and a doubled personal credit ($58 vs $29 single). Some progressive states (Maine, Oregon, Massachusetts) widen MFJ brackets to 2× single — Arkansas does not. This is a quirk of Arkansas's tax code.