Virginia Paycheck Calculator (2026)

How Virginia taxes income

Virginia taxes income progressively across 4 brackets, from 2.00% on the first dollars to 5.75% above $17,000.

The headline top rate is the number people quote, but it is not what most people pay. At $60,000 of taxable income the effective Virginia rate is about 5.32%; at $150,000 it is 5.58%. Only income above $17,000 is taxed at the top rate.

One quirk worth flagging: Virginia's top bracket starts at just $17,000, which is low enough that most full-time workers reach the highest rate. In practice the system behaves close to a flat tax of 5.75% for anyone earning a typical salary.

What actually reaches your account

To make it concrete: $50,000 gross leaves roughly $38,558 after federal, FICA and $2,618 of Virginia tax; $80,000 gross leaves roughly $59,138 after federal, FICA and $4,343 of Virginia tax; $120,000 gross leaves roughly $84,978 after federal, FICA and $6,643 of Virginia tax. Single filer, standard deduction, no retirement contributions. Adding a 401(k) reduces state and federal tax together, so real take-home for a saver runs higher than shown.

Cost of living matters as much as the tax rate. Virginia runs about 3% above the national average, so $80,000 here has the purchasing power of roughly $77,670 at national-average prices. A lower-tax state with higher housing costs can leave you worse off in real terms.