Overview of Massachusetts Taxes
Massachusetts has a progressive state income tax system that ranges from 5% to 9%. That goes for both earned income (wages, salary, commissions) and unearned income (interest and dividends). While the state levies a 5% tax on income up to $1 million, income over $1 million is taxed at 9%. No Massachusetts cities charge their own local income tax.
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Massachusetts Paycheck Calculator
Massachusetts Paycheck Quick Facts
- Massachusetts income tax rate: 5.00% - 9.00%
- Median household income: $96,505 (U.S. Census Bureau)
- Number of cities that have local income taxes: 0
How Your Massachusetts Paycheck Works
The size of your paycheck will depend, of course, on your salary or wages. But it will also depend on your marital status, your pay frequency and any deductions from your earnings. One thing that doesn’t change, no matter where you live in the country, is FICA tax withholding. That’s the 6.2% for Social Security taxes and 1.45% for Medicare taxes that your employer withholds from every paycheck.
Meanwhile, you may owe a Medicare surcharge if your income is high enough. If your filing status is single, head of household of qualifying widow(er), earnings in excess of $200,000 are subject to the 0.9% Medicare surtax, not matched by your employer. This threshold is $250,000 if you're married and file jointly or $125,000 if you're married and file separately.
Income tax returns must be filed every spring, but income taxes are also paid all year round. This is done by authorizing employers to withhold money from employees' paychecks to put toward income taxes. When you fill out a W-4 form, you indicate your marital status, state whether you’re exempt from income tax withholding and more. Your employer then uses that information to calculate how much to withhold from your earnings every pay period. This is why you need to fill out a W-4 whenever you start a new job. You should also fill one out anytime your filing status changes or you experience a big life change, like having a child.
In recent years, the IRS has adjusted the guidelines surrounding the Form W-4. The revised form no longer asks you to list total allowances. Instead, it features a five-step process that lets you enter personal information, claim dependents and indicate any additional income or jobs. These revisions primarily affect those adjusting their withholdings or changing jobs.
If you put money in a 401(k), a health savings account (HSA) or a flexible spending account (FSA), that money will be taken from your earnings before taxes are applied, lowering your taxable income and saving you money in the process. The same is often true for the money you pay toward the premiums for employer-sponsored health, life and disability insurance.
In Massachusetts, your employer will withhold money from your paychecks to put toward your state income taxes. You can fill out Form M-4 and give it to your employer to indicate withholding exemptions.
The M-4 is like the W-4, but for Massachusetts state taxes. As on the W-4, you can indicate on your M-4 that you’d like your employer to withhold an additional amount of money. Like the W-4, the M-4 can be revised and filed again at any point during the year if your situation changes (for example, if you gain a dependent). But if your information is the same on both your M-4 and W-4, you don’t have to fill out the former. You can just give your employer your W-4 and leave it at that.
If you earn money in Massachusetts, your employer will withhold state income taxes from your earnings, regardless of whether or not you are a Massachusetts resident. To report your Massachusetts income (and to be eligible for a refund from the Massachusetts Department of Revenue) you must file a non-resident income tax return in Massachusetts.
If you’re a Massachusetts resident, but you work for a company in another state that doesn’t do business in Massachusetts or have a Massachusetts office, your employer may or may not withhold Massachusetts income tax payments from your paychecks. It’s up to you to negotiate this with your employer. If your employer doesn’t withhold for Massachusetts taxes, you will have to pay those taxes in a lump sum at tax time or make estimated tax payments to the state (using form Form 1-ES).
With estimated taxes, you need to pay taxes quarterly based on how much you expect to make over the course of the year. The payment dates for Massachusetts estimated taxes are April 15, June 15, Sep. 15 and Jan. 15. If you work in another state and your employer does business or has offices in Massachusetts, your employer will withhold money from your paycheck to cover the taxes in the state where you work (if that state has income taxes). Your employer will subtract that amount from the amount due in Massachusetts state taxes and withhold the difference to cover your Massachusetts liability, too.
A financial advisor can help you understand how taxes fit into your overall financial goals. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to three vetted financial advisors who serve your area, and you can have a free introductory call with your advisor matches to decide which one you feel is right for you. If you’re ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.
How You Can Affect Your Massachusetts Paycheck
If you got slammed with a big tax bill last year, you have a couple of options to prevent it happening again. You can file a new W-4 or M-4 and request a specific dollar amount of additional withholding from each paycheck. Both forms have a line where you can write in an additional dollar amount to withhold from each paycheck. If you aren’t sure how much to withhold, use our paycheck calculator to find your tax liability.
If you’re already living well within your budget, consider increasing your contributions to tax-advantaged accounts like a 401(k), HSA or FSA. Your contributions will come out of your earnings before payroll taxes are applied. If your company has an HR department, you can schedule a meeting to discuss your options. You may also be able to shelter money from taxes by enrolling in a commuter benefits program or by authorizing payroll deductions for contributions to a 529 college savings plan.
For those looking to move to Massachusetts, our Massachusetts mortgage guide is a good place to learn about getting a mortgage in the Bay State. It lays out the important information about rates and the different kinds of loans you will be deciding between.
