California charges 1-13.3% state income tax. Use the tax refund estimator pre-loaded with California rates.
Open Tax Refund Estimator →In California, you may receive refunds at both the federal and state level. Your state refund depends on how your employer's graduated withholding compared to your actual California tax liability. Common reasons for a state refund include credits, deductions, or withholding calibrated for a higher income than you actually earned. Use this estimator to project both your federal and California state refund amounts.
California uses a graduated income tax with brackets ranging from 1-13.3%. Lower income is taxed at lower rates, with the 13.3% top rate applying only to income in the highest bracket. This progressive structure means your effective state tax rate is always lower than the top marginal rate. California does not have local income taxes, so the state graduated rate is the total state-level income tax burden.
The table below shows what you actually keep at five salary levels in California, accounting for federal tax, FICA, and California's graduated (1-13.3%) state tax.
See how California compares to other West states. Each link takes you to the tax refund estimator landing page for that state.
For a comprehensive breakdown of California’s tax structure, salary comparisons, cost-of-living analysis, and more, visit the full California take-home pay page.