Iowa charges 3.8% flat state income tax. Use the tax refund estimator pre-loaded with Iowa rates.
Open Tax Refund Estimator →In Iowa, you may receive refunds at both the federal and state level. Your state refund depends on how your employer's flat 3.8% withholding compared to your actual Iowa 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 Iowa state refund amounts.
Iowa levies a flat 3.8% state income tax on all taxable income regardless of how much you earn. This makes tax planning straightforward: for every additional dollar you earn, 3.8 cents goes to Iowa. Iowa does not impose local income taxes, so the 3.8% flat rate is the only state-level income tax you owe.
The table below shows what you actually keep at five salary levels in Iowa, accounting for federal tax, FICA, and Iowa's flat 3.8% state tax.
See how Iowa compares to other Midwest states. Each link takes you to the tax refund estimator landing page for that state.
For a comprehensive breakdown of Iowa’s tax structure, salary comparisons, cost-of-living analysis, and more, visit the full Iowa take-home pay page.