Newark local tax guide
Who pays Newark's local tax
People working inside Newark have 1.75% withheld, whether they live in the city, in Heath, Granville, or out in the townships. Newark residents owe 1.75% on all wages, and every resident 18 or older must register with the tax office and file an annual return regardless of income. For residents who work in another taxing city, Newark's withholding guidance allows only a partial credit for the other city's tax, so a resident commuting to Columbus pays Columbus in full and still owes Newark a balance.
How Newark's income tax works
Newark, a city of about 50,000, levies a flat 1.75% on wages, commissions, and business net profit. The Income Tax Office, now on the second floor of 15 N. 3rd Street downtown, administers it directly; Newark is not part of RITA or CCA.
City leaders asked voters for the first increase in more than two decades in November 2025, and the measure failed, so 1.75% remains the rate for 2026.
The base is gross qualifying wages, essentially Medicare wages, so traditional 401(k) deferrals do not lower it.
Worked example: $75,000 in Newark
A single filer earning $75,000 at a Newark job pays $7,670 in federal income tax, $1,288 in Ohio tax, $4,650 in Social Security, and $1,088 in Medicare. Newark's 1.75% adds $1,313. Take-home pay is $58,992 a year, or about $4,916 a month.
With no municipal tax that worker would keep $60,304, so Newark costs $1,313. A Columbus job at the same salary costs $1,875 in city tax, which is $562 more than a Newark job.
For Newark residents who commute west, the Columbus tax is withheld first. Newark's partial credit then leaves part of the Newark tax still due, so the combined city tax is higher than either city's rate alone.
Withholding for residents who work elsewhere
Newark's employer instructions give a useful option: an employer that withholds tax for another city can also withhold the Newark balance for a resident employee at a reduced rate. If your employer is in Columbus, Heath, or another taxing city, ask payroll to set this up so the Newark bill is paid through the year.
If nothing is withheld for Newark, the full balance is due by the April filing deadline with your Newark return.
How Newark compares with other Ohio cities
Newark's 1.75% is among the lowest of the Ohio cities on this site, below Cincinnati's 1.8% and above only Lima and Lakewood at 1.5%. Columbus and the other 2.5% cities charge $1,875 at $75,000, and Youngstown's 2.75% charges $2,063.
Within central Ohio, Dublin charges 2%, or $1,500 at the same salary, which is $187 more than Newark.
Tips for Newark paychecks
Ask for Newark withholding at your work city
If you live in Newark and work elsewhere, your employer can withhold the Newark balance on top of the work-city tax.
Register and file at 18
Newark requires every resident 18 or older to register with the tax office and file a return each year, even with no income.
Weigh the commute
A Columbus job costs a Newark resident the full Columbus tax plus part of the Newark tax, more than either city alone.