Connecticut payroll tax rates
Unemployment tax, income tax withholding, minimum wage and paid leave in Connecticut, each with its effective date and the agency page it comes from.
Unemployment insurance
Checked on October 5, 2026.
Income tax withholding
| Item | Value | Effective | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agency | Connecticut Department of Revenue Services (DRS) (opens in a new tab) | DRS, 2026 Withholding Tax Information (opens in a new tab) | |
| Withholding rates | 2% to 6.99% | DRS, IP 2026(1), Connecticut Employer's Tax Guide, Circular CT (PDF) (opens in a new tab) | |
| Supplemental wages | Aggregate method only | DRS, IP 2026(1), Connecticut Employer's Tax Guide, Circular CT (PDF) (opens in a new tab) | |
| Reciprocity | None | DRS, 2026 Withholding Tax Information (opens in a new tab) | |
| Employee's withholding form | Form CT-W4 | DRS, IP 2026(1), Connecticut Employer's Tax Guide, Circular CT (PDF) (opens in a new tab) | |
| Local income taxes | No | CT General Assembly, Office of Legislative Research, Local Income and Sales Taxes, 2019-R-0132 (PDF) (opens in a new tab) |
Checked on October 5, 2026.
Minimum wage
| Item | Value | Effective | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum wage | $16.94 | Office of the Governor, Minimum wage will increase to $16.94 on January 1, 2026 (opens in a new tab) | |
| Next change | $17.48 | Office of the Governor, Minimum wage will increase to $17.48 on January 1, 2027 (opens in a new tab) | |
| Tipped employees, cash wage | $6.38 | CTDOL, DOL-79 Minimum Wage: Restaurant and Hotel Workers, 2026 (PDF) (opens in a new tab) | |
| Rises with inflation | Yes | Office of the Governor, Minimum wage will increase to $16.94 on January 1, 2026 (opens in a new tab) | |
| Local rates | One statewide rate; no city or town minimum wages. CTDOL publishes a single statewide schedule and lists no local rates. | CTDOL, Wage and Workplace Standards Division (opens in a new tab) |
Checked on October 5, 2026.
Paid family and medical leave
CT Paid Leave
| Item | Value | Effective | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agency | CT Paid Leave Authority (opens in a new tab) | CT Paid Leave Authority, Contributions (opens in a new tab) | |
| Status | Contributing | CT Paid Leave Authority, Contributions (opens in a new tab) | |
| Total rate | 0.5% | CT Paid Leave Authority, Contributions (opens in a new tab) | |
| Employee share | 0.5% | CT Paid Leave Authority, Contributions (opens in a new tab) | |
| Employer share | None | CT Paid Leave Authority, I am an Employer (opens in a new tab) | |
| Wage cap | $184,500 | C.G.S. 31-49g(b)(1) (Connecticut General Statutes, chapter 557) (opens in a new tab) | |
| Small employers | None | CT Paid Leave Authority, Coverage and Eligibility (opens in a new tab) |
Checked on October 5, 2026.
Workers' compensation
| Item | Value | Effective | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Required | From the first employee | CT Workers' Compensation Commission, About workers' compensation insurance (opens in a new tab) | |
| State fund | None; private insurers | CT Workers' Compensation Commission, About workers' compensation insurance (opens in a new tab) |
Checked on October 5, 2026.
What a paycheck costs the employer in Connecticut
Employer taxes and contributions on one employee's pay in Connecticut, per check and for the year, at the rates a new employer pays. State rates are the ones on this page; federal rates are the ones on the federal payroll tax rates page.
- Employer taxes and contributions per check
- $234.24
- First check of the year
- Cost per check
- $2,541.93
- Pay included, first check
- Cost per year
- $65,145.00
- Pay included
Later checks cost less once pay passes a wage base: the year's last check costs $2,484.23, pay included.
| Item | Rate | First check | Per year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Social Security, employer share | 6.2% on the first $184,500 | $143.08 | $3,720.00 | IRS, Publication 15 (2026), Employer's Tax Guide (opens in a new tab) |
| Medicare, employer share | 1.45% of all pay | $33.46 | $870.00 | IRS, Publication 15 (2026), Employer's Tax Guide (opens in a new tab) |
| Federal unemployment (FUTA) | 0.6% on the first $7,000After the full 5.4% credit. Employers in a credit reduction state pay more. | $13.85None after check 4 | $42.00 | IRS, Publication 15 (2026), Employer's Tax Guide (opens in a new tab) |
| Connecticut unemployment | 1.9% on the first $27,0001.9% in 2026: the higher of 1% or the state's five-year benefit cost rate | $43.85None after check 12 | $513.00 | CTDOL, Information on Unemployment Tax Rate for Calendar Year 2026 (opens in a new tab) |
| Employer taxes and contributions | $234.24 | $5,145.00 | ||
| Pay | $2,307.69 | $60,000.00 | ||
| Pay plus employer costs | $2,541.93 | $65,145.00 |
Checked on October 5, 2026. Paid by employees alone, so left out: CT Paid Leave. Shows one employee's pay for a full calendar year, every check at the rates in force on October 13, 2026, with all pay subject to these taxes, the new employer rates and the full employer shares the law sets. An employer may choose to pay an employee's share too. Benefits and other costs are not included.
Common questions
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Rates in other states
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Sources
The agency page or document behind each figure, as checked.
- CTDOL, Unemployment Insurance Tax (opens in a new tab)
- CTDOL, Information on Unemployment Tax Rate for Calendar Year 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- CTDOL, Employer Guide to Unemployment Insurance (updated April 23, 2026, PDF) (opens in a new tab)
- CTDOL, What are the Tax Rates and Taxable Wage Base? (opens in a new tab)
- US DOL OUI, FUTA Credit Reductions (opens in a new tab)
- DRS, 2026 Withholding Tax Information (opens in a new tab)
- DRS, IP 2026(1), Connecticut Employer's Tax Guide, Circular CT (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
- CT General Assembly, Office of Legislative Research, Local Income and Sales Taxes, 2019-R-0132 (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
- Office of the Governor, Minimum wage will increase to $16.94 on January 1, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- Office of the Governor, Minimum wage will increase to $17.48 on January 1, 2027 (opens in a new tab)
- CTDOL, DOL-79 Minimum Wage: Restaurant and Hotel Workers, 2026 (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
- CTDOL, Wage and Workplace Standards Division (opens in a new tab)
- CT Paid Leave Authority, Contributions (opens in a new tab)
- CT Paid Leave Authority, I am an Employer (opens in a new tab)
- C.G.S. 31-49g(b)(1) (Connecticut General Statutes, chapter 557) (opens in a new tab)
- CT Paid Leave Authority, Coverage and Eligibility (opens in a new tab)
- CT Workers' Compensation Commission, About workers' compensation insurance (opens in a new tab)
- IRS, Publication 15 (2026), Employer's Tax Guide (opens in a new tab)
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm current requirements with the relevant agency or your advisor. You remain responsible for your employment taxes.