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The Daily Insight

What payroll taxes do employers pay in Kentucky?

Author

Sarah Duran

Published Apr 11, 2026

All businesses in Kentucky must pay State Unemployment Tax Act (SUTA) taxes. The current wage base is $10,800 and rates range from 0.3% to 9.0%. All new employers in Kentucky will pay a SUTA rate of 2.7% for their first year.

What is the withholding tax in Kentucky?

5%
Overview of Kentucky Taxes Kentucky has a flat income tax of 5%. That rate ranks slightly below the national average. At the same time, cities and counties may impose their own income taxes, to bring the total income tax to 7.50% in some areas.

How is Kentucky withholding tax calculated?

Annual wages minus the Kentucky standard deduction equals annual Kentucky wages. Compute tax on wages using the 5% Kentucky flat tax rate to determine gross annual Kentucky tax. Divide the gross annual Kentucky tax by the number of annual pay periods to determine the Kentucky withholding tax for the pay period.

Does Kentucky have state withholding tax?

Form K–4—Kentucky Withholding Certificate Kentucky recently enacted a new flat 5% income tax rate. The new Form K-4 is only required to be completed by an individual declaring exemption status or by an individual requesting additional withholding per pay period. All prior Form K- 4s are obsolete.

How do I pay my Kentucky withholding tax?

Effective May 5, 2020, Kentucky’s tax law requires employers filing on a twice monthly and monthly frequency to electronically file and pay the income tax withheld for periods beginning on or after January 1, 2021. (103 KAR 18:150) To register and file online, please visit wraps.ky.gov.

What Payroll Taxes Does an employer pay?

Current FICA tax rates The current tax rate for social security is 6.2% for the employer and 6.2% for the employee, or 12.4% total. The current rate for Medicare is 1.45% for the employer and 1.45% for the employee, or 2.9% total. Combined, the FICA tax rate is 15.3% of the employees wages.

What is the percentage of taxes taken out of a paycheck in Kentucky?

Kentucky imposes a flat income tax of 5%. The tax rate is the same no matter what filing status you use. Aside from state and federal taxes, many Kentucky residents are subject to local taxes, which are called occupational taxes.

Is Kentucky a mandatory withholding state?

​​​​​Kentucky Revised Statute Chapter 141 requires employers to withhold income tax for both residents and nonresidents employees (unless exempted by law). Employers must withhold the income tax of the employees receiving “wages” as defined in Section 3401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code.

How do I pay my payroll taxes in Kentucky?

Electronic payment: Choose to pay directly from your bank account or by credit card. Service provider fees may apply. Tax Payment Solution (TPS) Register for EFT payments and pay EFT Debits online.

Do employers pay taxes on employees?

No, employers do not pay income taxes for their employees. Employees are solely responsible for income tax payments, which employers must withhold.

What taxes are employers required to withhold from employees?

The Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) is the federal law requiring you to withhold three separate taxes from the wages you pay your employees. FICA is comprised of the following taxes: 6.2 percent Social Security tax; 1.45 percent Medicare tax (the “regular” Medicare tax); and.

What is the estimated tax rate for Kentucky?

The Kentucky use tax should be paid for items bought tax-free over the internet, bought while traveling, or transported into Kentucky from a state with a lower sales tax rate. The Kentucky use tax rate is 6%, the same as the regular Kentucky sales tax. Including local taxes, the Kentucky use tax can be as high as 0.000%.

What is the corporate income tax in Kentucky?

Kentucky’s corporation income tax is based on a series of marginal tax rates; the specific breakdown is as follows: taxable net income up to $50,000 taxed at 4% taxable net income over $50,000 up to $100,000 taxed at 5%; and taxable net income over $100,000 taxed at 6%.

Can I require my employer to withhold taxes?

Generally, withholding is not required by household/domestic employers. However, such employers still need to withhold Social Security tax from their employees. For more information about these requirements, contact the IRS at (800) 829-1040.

Which employees are exempt from tax withholding?

Student employees. Generally,individuals employed by a school,college or university where they are also pursuing a course of study do not have to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes

  • Nonimmigrant and nonresident aliens.
  • Family employees.
  • Employees of foreign governments.
  • Government employees.
  • Household employees.
  • Considerations.