Wisconsin taxes individual income with four progressive brackets from 3.50% up to 7.65%. Unlike many states, Wisconsin uses a sliding standard deduction that shrinks as income rises. This free calculator applies the 2024 brackets and deduction to estimate your Wisconsin income tax.
How it works
Wisconsin income tax follows a graduated formula:
- Start from your Wisconsin income (federal AGI is a close approximation for most wage earners).
- Subtract the standard deduction. Wisconsin’s deduction is unusual: it is largest for low earners and phases down to zero as income climbs. This tool uses the maximum as a starting point.
- Apply the four brackets — 3.50%, 4.40%, 5.30%, and 7.65% — where each rate hits only the income in its band.
Your effective rate stays well under 7.65% because the top rate only touches income above the highest threshold.
Example
A single filer with $70,000 income and the maximum standard deduction ($13,230) has $56,770 taxable. The first $14,320 is taxed at 3.50%, the next band at 4.40%, and the remainder at 5.30%, for roughly $2,560 of Wisconsin tax — an effective rate near 3.7%.
Notes
This estimate covers Wisconsin state income tax only — not federal tax, FICA, or credits like the Wisconsin Earned Income Credit. The standard deduction phases out at higher incomes, so high earners should lower or disable it for accuracy. Bracket thresholds are indexed each year.