Rhode Island Take-Home Pay Calculator

Rhode Island uses three brackets for every filing status: 3.75% on taxable income up to $82,050, 4.75% from $82,050 to $186,450, and 5.99% above $186,450. The thresholds are adjusted for inflation each year, and unlike most states, they are the same for single and joint filers.

Before applying the rates, a single filer subtracts a standard deduction of $11,200 and a personal exemption of $5,250, and the state indexes both for inflation each year. Married couples filing jointly subtract $22,400 plus $5,250 for each spouse. Both the deduction and the exemption phase out for very high incomes, which is why the state's effective rate rises faster at the top.

Rhode Island starts from federal adjusted gross income, so traditional 401(k), 403(b), and HSA deferrals made through payroll lower Rhode Island tax along with federal tax.

A single filer earning $75,000 subtracts the $11,200 standard deduction and $5,250 exemption, leaving $58,550 of Rhode Island taxable income. All of it falls in the 3.75% bracket, so state tax is $2,196, an effective rate of 2.93%.

The federal share is bigger. The $16,100 federal standard deduction is larger than Rhode Island's $11,200, and federal tax on the remaining $58,900 works out to $7,670 across the 10%, 12%, and 22% brackets ($12,400, $38,000, and $8,500 of income respectively). Subtract $4,650 for Social Security and $1,088 for Medicare, and a Rhode Island paycheck nets $59,396 for the year, close to $4,950 a month. The Rhode Island $75,000 salary page shows the per-paycheck split.

At $150,000 the second bracket comes into play. Taxable income of $133,550 is taxed at 3.75% on the first $82,050 ($3,077) and 4.75% on the next $51,500 ($2,446), for $5,523 in state tax, or 3.68% of salary.

Rhode Island has no city or town income tax, so a paycheck from Providence, Warwick, or Newport shows the same state withholding. What Rhode Island workers do see is a Temporary Disability Insurance deduction, which also funds Temporary Caregiver Insurance for paid family leave. Rhode Island created the country's first state disability insurance program in 1942.

TDI is paid entirely by employees, as a percentage of wages up to an annual cap set by the Department of Labor and Training. Our take-home figures exclude it, so expect your real paycheck to be a little lower than the numbers on this page. It applies to people who work in Rhode Island, including Massachusetts and Connecticut residents.

Rhode Island employers withhold state tax using Form RI W-4, which is separate from the federal W-4. File a new one after marriage, a birth, or when a second job or spouse's income could push your household into the 4.75% bracket.

Rhode Island has no reciprocity agreements, and cross-border commuting is common in a state this small. A Rhode Island resident who works in Boston or Attleboro pays Massachusetts tax on those wages, then claims a credit on the Rhode Island return for tax paid to another state. Because Massachusetts takes more at most incomes, the credit often wipes out the Rhode Island tax on that pay.

Going the other way, a Massachusetts or Connecticut resident working in Providence owes Rhode Island nonresident tax and claims a credit at home. Remote workers generally owe Rhode Island only for days physically worked in the state, so keep a calendar if you split time.

At $75,000, Rhode Island ranks 15th of 51 for take-home pay, ahead of both neighbors. A single filer keeps $1,234 more than in Massachusetts, with its flat 5% rate, and $1,429 more than in Connecticut. At $150,000 Rhode Island slips to 21st, as more income reaches the 4.75% bracket.

Against a state with no income tax, Rhode Island costs a $75,000 earner $2,196 a year. For commuters choosing between a home in Pawtucket or East Providence and one across the Massachusetts line, see Massachusetts vs Rhode Island.