Introduction
If you live in New York City, you get hit with an extra income tax. It is not huge, but it is another chunk of money leaving your paycheck. A lot of people do not realize it exists until they file their first tax return after moving to the city.
Here is how it works for 2026.
How Much Does NYC Take?
The city tax is progressive. The more you make, the higher the rate, but the brackets are pretty low. Once you make over $50,000 as a single person, you are paying the top rate.
For a single person in 2026:
- First $12,000: 3.078%
- Next $13,000: 3.762%
- Next $25,000: 3.819%
- Anything over $50,000: 3.876%
For a married couple filing jointly:
- First $21,600: 3.078%
- Next $23,400: 3.762%
- Next $45,000: 3.819%
- Anything over $90,000: 3.876%
Head of household falls somewhere in between.
So if you are single and making $100,000, the city takes about $3,750. If you are married and making the same, about $3,650.
What Does That Look Like With State Tax?
New York State takes its cut first. For a single person making $100,000, state tax runs around $4,800 to $5,200 depending on deductions. Add city tax on top, and you are looking at roughly $8,500 to $9,000 in state and local taxes combined.
That is before federal. So a solid chunk of your paycheck is gone before it ever hits your bank account.
Do I Pay City Tax If I Commute?
No. This is where people get confused.
If you live in New Jersey, Connecticut, or Westchester and commute into the city for work, you do not pay NYC income tax. You pay tax to the state where you live. You might owe New York State tax if your employer is in New York, but the city tax does not apply.
The city tax is for residents only. If you have an apartment in Manhattan but spend most of your time somewhere else, New York has rules about that. If you are in the city for more than 183 days a year, they consider you a resident and expect you to pay.
Did Anything Change for 2026?
The city rates themselves did not change. They have been the same for a while.
But the federal SALT cap is gone as of 2026. For the last several years, you could only deduct up to $10,000 of state and local taxes on your federal return. That limit expired. Now you can deduct the full amount of what you pay to New York State and New York City, plus your property taxes, if you itemize.
If you are in the 24 percent federal bracket and pay $4,000 in city tax, deducting that on your federal return saves you about $960. So the effective cost of the city tax drops.
The catch is you have to itemize. If you take the standard deduction, the SALT cap going away does nothing for you.
What If I Live in Yonkers?
Yonkers is its own thing. Residents pay a flat 1 percent on top of New York State tax. No brackets. Just a straight 1 percent.
If you work in Yonkers but live somewhere else, you pay a commuter tax of 0.5 percent.
So if you are comparing living in the Bronx versus Yonkers, the tax difference is real. Yonkers takes a flat percentage. NYC takes a progressive cut that tops out at 3.876 percent.
NYC income tax is an extra 3 to 4 percent on top of what you already pay to the state. For most people, that means a few thousand dollars a year.
The good news for 2026 is that you can deduct the full amount on your federal return if you itemize. That brings the real cost down.
If you are thinking about moving into the city or out of it, pay attention to the residency rules. The city is aggressive about tracking who lives here. If you are here more than half the year, they will expect their cut.
