Kentucky Income Tax Brackets 2026
What are the Kentucky income tax brackets for 2026?
Kentucky has no bracket ladder in 2026: one flat rate of 3.5% applies to state taxable income, after a standard deduction of $3,360 single ($3,360 married filing jointly) and any personal exemption. On a $75,000 salary, a single filer pays $2,507 of Kentucky income tax.
Kentucky keeps its 2026 income tax simple: a flat 3.5% rate on taxable income, with a standard deduction of $3,360 for single filers and $3,360 for married filing jointly.
Updated October 29, 2026
Kentucky brackets for single filers, 2026
Rates apply to Kentucky taxable income: gross pay minus the standard deduction and any personal exemption. In Kentucky the schedule fills from the bottom up: the single rate of 3.5% applies across taxable income, with no higher bracket waiting at any salary.
| Taxable income (single) | Rate |
|---|---|
| $0 and up | 3.5% |
Kentucky brackets for married filing jointly, 2026
| Taxable income (joint) | Rate |
|---|---|
| $0 and up | 3.5% |
Standard deduction and exemption in Kentucky
The 2026 standard deduction is $3,360 for single filers and $3,360 for married filing jointly. In Kentucky, that means the first $3,360 of a single filer's pay is taxed at zero before the schedule even starts.
Worked example: the brackets on a $75,000 salary
A single filer earning $75,000 in Kentucky first removes the standard deduction, leaving $71,640 of taxable income. Each bracket then takes its slice:
| Bracket range | Income in bracket | Rate | Tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0 and up | $71,640 | 3.5% | $2,507 |
Total Kentucky income tax: $2,507, an effective rate of 3.34% of gross pay. The marginal rate, the rate on the next dollar Kentucky taxes, is 3.5%; a raise that crosses into that bracket pays 3.5% only on the dollars above the line, never on the whole salary.
Kentucky income tax on common salaries (single filer)
| Gross salary | Kentucky income tax | Effective rate | Marginal rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $1,282 | 3.21% | 3.5% |
| $50,000 | $1,632 | 3.26% | 3.5% |
| $75,000 | $2,507 | 3.34% | 3.5% |
| $100,000 | $3,382 | 3.38% | 3.5% |
| $150,000 | $5,132 | 3.42% | 3.5% |
How Kentucky compares with other states
How Kentucky compares: on a $75,000 salary, the $2,507 a single filer pays ranks 30th highest among the 42 states and districts that tax wages in 2026, just behind Connecticut at $2,550 and just ahead of Vermont at $2,490.
A flat rate makes the marginal math unusually clean: every extra $1,000 of taxable income in Kentucky adds exactly $35 of tax, no matter which end of the pay scale it lands on. A single filer's Kentucky tax bill passes $1,000 at a gross salary of about $31,931, once the standard deduction has done its work.
To turn these figures into an actual paycheck, use the Kentucky income tax calculator for any salary, or the Kentucky take-home pay calculator to see the same salary after federal tax and FICA as well. Per pay period, the paycheck calculator breaks the Kentucky result down further, and the state tax brackets hub lines up all 50 states and DC side by side.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Kentucky income tax rate in 2026?
Kentucky charges a flat 3.5% on state taxable income in 2026. There are no graduated brackets: the same rate applies from the first taxable dollar to the last.
What is the standard deduction in Kentucky for 2026?
The standard deduction is $3,360 for single filers and $3,360 for married filing jointly.
How much Kentucky income tax is owed on $75,000?
A single filer earning $75,000 pays $2,507 of Kentucky income tax for 2026 in this model, an effective rate of 3.34% of gross pay.
Does Kentucky have local income taxes on top of the state rate?
Some states and cities add local income taxes. This page models the state tax only; check whether your city or county in Kentucky levies its own wage tax.