Find out how much money you will owe California when you file state taxes

California is one of the highest taxing states in the country. So it makes sense for Californians to plan ahead and see how much money the state is going to take instead of getting surprised by a big bill next winter.

California’s marginal tax rates for 2013 are as follows. Note that different rates apply to those filing as single and to married couples filing a joint return.

Single Tax Rates

Income Bracket	Tax Rate
$0 – $7,123	1%
$7,124 – $16,889	2%
$16,890 – $26,656	4%
$26,657 – $37,004	6%
$37,005 – $46,765	8%
$46,766 – $999,999	9.3%
$1,000,000+	10.3%

 

Married Filing Jointly Tax Rates

Income Bracket	Tax Rate
$0 – $14,427	1%
$14,248 – $33,779	2%
$33,780 – $53,313	4%
$53,314 – $74,009	6%
$74,010 – $93,531	8%
$93,532 – $1,999,999	9.3%
$2,000,000+	10.3%

Like the federal system, each of these rates applies only to your income that falls within that specific bracket. Your top rate does not apply to all of your income.

For example, if you make $40,000, you only have to pay 8% on the $2,995 that falls above that bracket’s $37,005 threshold. You would pay 1% on your first $7,123 of income, 2% on the next $9,765, etc.

California has some of the most complicated state taxes in the nation. Thankfully, when you file with RapidTax, all this math is taken care of for you automatically.

Photo via Mike Behnken on Flickr.