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Louisville Paycheck Calculator (2026)

Last reviewed: April 20, 2026

Louisville/Jefferson County levies a 2.28% occupational license tax on wages earned within the metro. It applies to residents and to non-residents who work in the metro, withheld at the source. Combined with Kentucky's 4% flat state tax, a Louisville Metro worker sees roughly 6.28% in state plus local income tax. Kentucky has no State Disability Insurance program funded by employee payroll. Louisville's occupational license tax is one of the larger municipal employee-side wage taxes in the country, comparable in size to Detroit's city income tax. This calculator estimates 2026 take-home pay for a Louisville Metro worker after federal tax, FICA, Kentucky state tax, and the occupational license rate. It supports pre-tax 401(k) and HSA deductions.

$85,000 single filer take-home comparison

Louisville

$63,300

Kentucky (no city tax)

$65,200

Texas (no income tax)

$68,600

Louisville take-home is -$1,900 vs the state-only figure and -$5,300 vs the no-income-tax baseline.

Louisville local tax breakdown

Local bracket schedule applied by the calculator for 2026.

Taxable IncomeRate
$0+2.28%

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Louisville paycheck FAQ

What is an occupational license tax and how is it different from a city income tax?
Functionally, Kentucky's occupational license tax is the local equivalent of a city income tax: a percentage of wages withheld at the source for work performed within the city or county. The label differs from a city income tax, but the paycheck effect is similar.
Do non-residents who work in Louisville Metro owe the same rate as residents?
Yes. Louisville Metro's occupational license tax applies at the same rate to residents and to non-residents who work within the metro. Withholding is based on where the work is performed, not where the worker lives.
How does Louisville's local tax compare to Lexington-Fayette?
Lexington-Fayette levies a similar occupational license tax at roughly 2.25%, very close to Louisville's 2.28%. Combined with the state 4% flat rate, a wage earner in either Kentucky metro sees roughly the same total state plus local income tax burden.
Does Kentucky have State Disability Insurance?
No. Kentucky does not run a State Disability Insurance program funded by employee payroll. Workers who want short-term disability coverage typically obtain it through their employer or a private policy.

See also

Run the full Kentucky paycheck calculatorCompare to Lexington, Kentucky paycheck calculatorCompare to Bowling Green, Kentucky paycheck calculatorCompare to Covington, Kentucky paycheck calculatorCompare to Owensboro paycheck calculatorCompare to Florence, Kentucky paycheck calculatorCompare to Henderson County, Kentucky paycheck calculatorCompare to Hopkinsville paycheck calculatorCompare to Frankfort, Kentucky paycheck calculatorCompare to Elizabethtown, Kentucky paycheck calculatorBrowse all city paycheck calculatorsBrowse paycheck calculators by statePaycheck and tax glossaryHow we calculate paycheck taxes

Reviewed

How This Page Is Reviewed

The Louisville paycheck page is reviewed against primary federal, state, and city sources before each major tax-year update. Source links below are the references used to validate brackets, wage bases, and supported local taxes.

Reviewed by

PaycheckCalc Research Desk

Last reviewed

2026-04-20