Arkansas Paycheck & Salary Calculator
Paid $52,000 a year every two weeks in Arkansas, you take home $1,635.58 of each $2,000.00 paycheck. The state's 2026 formula withholds $55.27 of it for Arkansas.
Last reviewed
Your Arkansas paycheck
Take-home pay
$1,635.58
Arkansas tax
$55.27
Federal tax
$156.15
Every two weeks you take home $1,635.58 of your $2,000.00 paycheck, after $364.42 of taxes.
Arkansas withholds $55.27: the formula's $1,437 for the year with 1 exemption, divided over 26 paychecks.
On the formula, $1,000 more of yearly wages would add $37 to Arkansas's tax for the year.
A year of 26 such paychecks takes home $42,525.08 and withholds $1,437.02 for Arkansas, $0.02 more than the formula's $1,437 for the year, as each paycheck rounds to the cent.
Your pay and your forms
- $2,000.00 × 26 = $52,000.00 of yearly wages
- $52,000.00 − $2,470 = $49,530.00, looked up as $49,550
- $49,550 × 3.70% − $367.16 = $1,466.19 → $1,466
- $1,466 − 1 × $29 = $1,437 for the year
- $1,437 ÷ 26 = $55.27
Arkansas tax on each next $1,000 of yearly wages
Your paycheck and your year, line by line
| Pay stub line | This paycheck | The year | Form W-2 box |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $2,000.00 | $52,000.00 | none |
| Traditional 401(k) | $0.00 | $0.00 | 12 |
| Section 125 deductions | $0.00 | $0.00 | none |
| Federal income tax | $156.15 | $4,059.90 | 2 |
| Social Security | $124.00 | $3,224.00 | 4 |
| Medicare | $29.00 | $754.00 | 6 |
| Arkansas income tax | $55.27 | $1,437.02 | 15 to 20 |
| Take-home pay | $1,635.58 | $42,525.08 | none |
On Form W-2, a year like this shows $4,059.90 of federal tax in box 2, $3,224.00 in box 4 and $754.00 in box 6.
The wages each tax is figured on
| Wages | This paycheck | The year | Form W-2 box |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal income tax wages | $2,000.00 | $52,000.00 | 1 |
| Arkansas wages | $2,000.00 | $52,000.00 | 15 to 20 |
| Social Security wages | $2,000.00 | $52,000.00 | 3 |
| Medicare wages | $2,000.00 | $52,000.00 | 5 |
With no pre-tax deductions, box 1 and the Arkansas wages are your whole $52,000.00 of gross pay.
Arkansas's three ways to withhold from your pay
| Certificate | Per paycheck | The year | For total income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Form AR4EC, 1 exemption (yours) | $55.27 | $1,437.02 | Anyone |
| Form AR4EC, line 5 | above the table | above the table | Income from $14,644 to $17,500 |
| Form AR4ECSP | $0.00 | $0.00 | Income up to $14,643 |
For Single with no dependents, the low-income table ends at a paycheck of $673.08, below yours, so line 5 has no row for it.
The formula's Arkansas tax at yearly wages up to $150,000
Show the 32 rows behind the chart
| Yearly wages ($) | Arkansas tax for the year | Tax on the next $1,000 |
|---|
With 1 exemption, the formula's tax for the year is $0 below $9,570 of yearly wages, and $1,000 more adds the most, $137, from $97,170 to $99,169.99 of yearly wages.
Arkansas take-home pay at other salaries
| Yearly salary | Arkansas tax per paycheck | All taxes per paycheck | Take-home per paycheck | Take-home for the year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $20,000 | $10.77 | $84.61 | $684.62 | $17,800.12 |
| $30,000 | $23.96 | $166.85 | $987.00 | $25,662.00 |
| $40,000 | $38.19 | $256.65 | $1,281.81 | $33,327.06 |
| $52,000 (yours) | $55.27 | $364.42 | $1,635.58 | $42,525.08 |
| $60,000 | $66.65 | $436.27 | $1,871.42 | $48,656.92 |
| $75,000 | $88.00 | $603.68 | $2,280.94 | $59,304.44 |
| $100,000 | $134.23 | $935.00 | $2,911.15 | $75,689.90 |
| $150,000 | $205.77 | $1,598.42 | $4,170.81 | $108,441.06 |
Arkansas takes 1.4% of the paycheck at $20,000 and 3.6% at $150,000, with every other entry as it is.
How Arkansas withholding is worked out
Your employer works out Arkansas tax from the certificate you filed with them. For Form AR4EC, the Department of Finance and Administration's 2026 formula has six steps. Its first step turns one paycheck into a year: "Multiply the Period Gross Pay by the number of pay periods per year to arrive at the annual gross pay." So $2,000.00 every two weeks is $52,000.00 a year.
Next it takes off a $2,470 standard deduction, the same for every filing status. Below $100,001 it looks up what is left at the middle of its $100 range, so $49,530.00 is looked up as $49,550. It applies the bracket's rate, takes off the bracket's adjustment and rounds to the dollar. That gives $1,466 on the default pay.
Each exemption on line 3 of Form AR4EC then takes $29 off the year's tax, so one exemption leaves $1,437. The last step divides that by your paychecks: $1,437 over 26 is $55.27, rounded to the cent. The worked sheet above shows each step with your own numbers.
Federal tax follows Worksheet 1A of IRS Publication 15-T for 2026, with the Form W-4 entries you give. Social Security takes 6.2% of your pay up to $184,500 for the year, and Medicare takes 1.45%. Publication 15 tells employers that "you must withhold a 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax from wages you pay to an employee in excess of $200,000 in a calendar year."
Where Arkansas's 3.70% top rate works like 13.70%
The formula's bracket table has 29 rows of $100 each, from $94,701 to $97,600 of net taxable income. The first has a $369.90 adjustment, and each row after it takes $10.00 less off the tax. So in this stretch each $100 of income adds $13.70 of tax before rounding: $3.70 at the 3.70% rate and $10.00 of lost adjustment.
With one exemption, the formula's tax for the year is $3,107 on $97,170 of yearly wages and $3,504 on $100,070. That is $397 more on $2,900 of pay. The $2,900 below the stretch add only $105. The chart above marks where your wages fall.
Low incomes: line 5 of Form AR4EC, and Form AR4ECSP
With one exemption, the formula starts to withhold at $9,570 of yearly wages. Two other certificates change that. Line 5 of Form AR4EC reads "I qualify for the low-income tax rates." The DFA's Low Income Tax Tables cover the same incomes, so this page uses them when you check line 5.
Form AR4ECSP goes further, for lower incomes. A single filer signs that "my gross income from all sources will not exceed $14,643.00." The DFA's instructions for employers say the form "is used to exempt withholding from employee’s wages," so nothing is taken. The table of three ways above works out each one for your pay.
Why section 125 deductions save more than a 401(k)
Arkansas leaves both out of your taxable wages. Its instructions for employers say such amounts "should not be included in an employee’s wages and are not subject to withholding." Federal income tax leaves them out too. Only section 125 deductions, such as health premiums taken before tax, also escape Social Security and Medicare.
On the default $2,000.00 paycheck, $100.00 to a 401(k) lowers take-home pay by $84.31. The same $100.00 of section 125 premiums lowers it by $76.66. The $7.65 gap is the 7.65% of Social Security and Medicare.
The withholding formulas
annual wages = (gross − 401(k) − section 125) × pay periods net taxable = annual wages − $2,470; below $100,001 it is looked up at the middle of its $100 range gross tax = looked-up income × bracket rate − bracket adjustment, rounded to the dollar Arkansas withholding = (gross tax − $29 × exemptions) ÷ pay periods, to the cent, + line 4 with line 5: the low-income table's amount for the paycheck's wages and your dependents, + line 4 federal = Publication 15-T (2026) Worksheet 1A; Social Security = 6.2% up to $184,500; Medicare = 1.45%, + 0.9% over $200,000 take-home = gross − pre-tax deductions − Arkansas − federal − Social Security − Medicare
Worked examples
The DFA's own example. Gary is paid $2,127 a month and claims 2 exemptions. $2,127 × 12 = $25,524, less $2,470 is $23,054, looked up as $23,050. At 3.40% that is $783.70, less $287.97 is $495.73, rounded to $496. Less 2 × $29 leaves $438, and $438 ÷ 12 is $36.50 a month. This page gives the same $36.50.
A low income. A $15,000 salary paid every two weeks is $576.92 a paycheck. The formula, with one exemption, withholds $4.77. With line 5 checked, Single with no dependents, the low-income table's row for $573.09 to $576.92 withholds $1.80. Over the year that is $46.80 instead of $124.02.
Check your pay stub, Form AR4EC and Form W-2
Your stub's Arkansas line should match this page to the cent if your employer uses the formula. The DFA's instructions for employers say "There are two methods for computing Arkansas withholding tax." The other is its printed tables. Their row for a paycheck of at least $1,999 but less than $2,003 every two weeks shows $55.28 with one exemption, a cent above the formula's $55.27.
The fields of this page follow Form AR4EC: line 2 is your dependents, line 3 your exemptions, line 4 an extra amount and line 5 the low-income box. If you file none, the form says your employer "must withhold state income tax from your wages without exemptions or dependents." On the default paycheck that costs $1.11 more each time.
At the end of the year the stub's lines add up on Form W-2. The IRS instructions for box 1 say "do not include elective deferrals (such as employee contributions to a section 401(k) or 403(b) plan)". The Social Security and Medicare wages in boxes 3 and 5 still count them. For boxes 15 to 20, the instructions say "Use these boxes to report state and local income tax information." The table of your year above fills in each box.
When your pay works differently
Bonuses and commissions
For a bonus paid with your regular wages, the DFA's instructions for employers say "Deduct 3.7% of the bonus or commission for state income tax." When the bonus is shown as its own amount, one federal method Publication 15 lists is "Withhold a flat 22% (no other percentage allowed)." On a $1,000 bonus that is $37.00 for Arkansas and $220.00 federal. Below the Social Security wage base, with $62.00 of Social Security and $14.50 of Medicare, you keep $666.50. The bonus tax calculator works out other amounts.
Two jobs at once
Claim your exemptions with one employer only. The DFA's instructions for employers say "the employee should claim no exemptions or dependents on any other exemption certificate." On a $2,000.00 paycheck, no exemptions raise Arkansas tax from $55.27 to $56.38. Checking the Step 2 box on the federal Form W-4 raises federal tax from $156.15 to $270.19. The federal paycheck calculator tests other W-4 entries.
If you work partly outside Arkansas
If you live in another state, Arkansas taxes only your days of work in Arkansas. The DFA's instructions for employers say "only wages for services performed within the State are subject to withholding." The share is your working days in Arkansas over all your working days. With 100 of 250 days in Arkansas, $800.00 of a $2,000.00 paycheck is Arkansas wages. Entered as one paycheck, that gives $11.81 of Arkansas tax.
If you live in Texarkana
The DFA's instructions for employers say "Ark. Code Ann. § 26-52-604 provides for a border city exemption for residents of Texarkana, Arkansas and Texarkana, Texas." A resident inside the city limits of Texarkana, Arkansas owes no Arkansas income tax. A resident of Texarkana, Texas owes none on wages earned in Texarkana, Arkansas. You claim it on the Texarkana certificate, which the instructions call AR-TX-4EC. On the default pay it keeps $1,437.02 a year.
Very high pay: the Social Security wage base
Publication 15 says "The social security wage base limit is $184,500." On a $208,000 salary paid every two weeks, your wages reach it in paycheck 24. Later paychecks have no Social Security, so paycheck 25 takes home $6,109.00, against $5,613.00 at first. Additional Medicare Tax starts in paycheck 26. On the return, the IRS's Topic no. 560 sets "$250,000 for married filing jointly," so a couple whose wages together stay under that gets it back.
A small dip at $102,471
From $100,001 of net taxable income, the formula looks up the exact dollar figure instead of the middle of a $100 range. So $102,471 of yearly wages, one dollar more than $102,470, owes $3,591 for the year instead of $3,593. Above that point the formula's tax rises again with your pay.
Assumptions and limits
- Every paycheck in the year is the same. The year columns add up that many paychecks from January 1, with Social Security stopping at the wage base.
- Step 3 of the formula says to round the year's tax, and its example rounds $495.73 to $496. This page rounds 50 cents up.
- From $100,001 of net taxable income, this page looks up the whole dollars and drops the cents.
- With line 5 checked, a paycheck above the last row of its low-income table is withheld by the formula. The tables print no daily table, so this page asks for another pay period there.
- Form AR4ECSP's income limits are shown, not enforced. Your employer withholds nothing once you file it.
- The federal and Arkansas lines are rounded to the cent. Publication 15-T also lets an employer round to the dollar.
- Bonuses paid on their own, local taxes and other deductions after tax are not included.
- This page takes a salary up to $100,000,000, a paycheck up to $10,000,000 and up to 99 exemptions.
These figures are estimates for learning and planning, not financial, tax, legal or investment advice. Terms of use.
What to do with your result
Compare the take-home figure with your pay stub. A cent off may mean your employer uses the DFA's printed tables. More than that points at line 3 of your Form AR4EC, where one exemption is worth $1.11 a paycheck on the default pay. The federal paycheck calculator checks the federal line with the same W-4. The IRS's Tax Withholding Estimator page says "Check your withholding every January to make sure it’s correct for the year."
If your income for the year will stay at or under $14,643 and you file Single, ask your employer for Form AR4ECSP. On a $14,000 salary it keeps the $94.12 the formula withholds over the year. The Arkansas income tax calculator shows what you owe on your return.
If your plan offers both, put health premiums through section 125 before you raise a 401(k). On the default pay, $2,600.00 a year of section 125 premiums keeps $198.90 more of your pay than the same amount in a 401(k). The 401(k) calculator projects what the 401(k) grows to.
Before you accept a raise that takes your yearly wages past $97,170, run it through the pay raise calculator. In the stretch above, a raise loses more of each dollar to Arkansas than anywhere else on the chart.
Arkansas paycheck questions
How much is $60,000 a year after taxes in Arkansas?
Paid every two weeks, as a single filer with one exemption, $60,000 is a $2,307.69 paycheck. Arkansas takes $66.65, federal tax $193.08 and Social Security and Medicare $176.54. You take home $1,871.42 a paycheck, $48,656.92 a year. The salary calculator sets it beside a state with no income tax.
How much is $15 an hour after taxes in Arkansas?
At 40 hours a week, $15 an hour is $31,200 a year, or $1,200.00 every two weeks. Arkansas takes $25.69 and federal tax $60.15, so you take home $1,022.36 a paycheck. That is $26,581.36 for the year.
What is the Arkansas withholding tax rate for 2026?
The DFA's instructions for employers say "The current withholding tax rate is 3.7%." That is the top rate. The formula's brackets run 0.00%, 2.00%, 3.00%, 3.40% and 3.70%, after a $2,470 standard deduction.
How much Arkansas tax comes out of a bonus?
When a bonus is paid with your regular wages, your employer takes a flat 3.70% for Arkansas. On a $5,000 bonus that is $185.00, and the federal flat 22% method takes $1,100.00 more.
How many exemptions should I claim on Form AR4EC?
One for yourself, two if you claim your spouse or file as head of household, and one for each dependent. Each is a $29 credit a year, $1.11 a paycheck on the default pay. On a second job, claim none.
Who can file Form AR4ECSP?
A single filer whose income from all sources will not pass $14,643. Married couples and heads of household have limits from $20,820 to $29,722, by dependents. A married couple with one dependent and a $24,000 salary keeps the $358.02 a year the formula would withhold.
Why is my Arkansas withholding a cent off from this calculator?
Your employer may use the DFA's printed tables instead of the formula. For a $2,000 paycheck every two weeks with one exemption, the tables show $55.28 and the formula $55.27. Both are allowed.
Sources
- Arkansas DFA, Withholding Tax Formula Method, effective January 1, 2026 (page modified May 29, 2026)
- Arkansas DFA, Withholding Tax Low Income Tax Tables, effective January 1, 2026 (page modified May 29, 2026)
- Arkansas DFA, Withholding Tax Regular Income Tax Tables, effective January 1, 2026 (page modified May 29, 2026)
- Arkansas DFA, Withholding Tax Employer’s Instructions, effective January 1, 2026 (page modified May 29, 2026)
- Arkansas DFA, Form AR4EC, Employee’s Withholding Exemption Certificate (form dated Dec 4, 2025)
- Arkansas DFA, Form AR4ECSP, Employee’s Special Withholding Exemption Certificate (form dated Dec 4, 2025)
- IRS, Publication 15-T (2026), Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods (page reviewed Apr 30, 2026)
- IRS, Publication 15 (2026), Employer’s Tax Guide (page reviewed Apr 30, 2026)
- IRS, Publication 15-B (2026), Employer’s Tax Guide to Fringe Benefits (page reviewed Apr 30, 2026)
- IRS, General Instructions for Forms W-2 and W-3 (2026) (page reviewed Apr 30, 2026)
- IRS, Topic no. 560, Additional Medicare Tax (page reviewed Oct 9, 2026)
- IRS, Tax Withholding Estimator (page reviewed Jun 27, 2026)
More on Arkansas from sister sites
FastWages publishes wage data and the minimum wage for Arkansas.
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