Nanny tax & paycheck calculator
Pick your state and how you pay. See their take-home pay, what you withhold, and your employer taxes, with the forms you'll have to file. Uses 2026 federal and state rules.
Weekly gross
$1,000
$52,000/yr
Their take-home
$880
$45,747/yr
Your employer taxes
$117
$6,105/yr
Total cost to you
$1,117
$58,105/yr
Each paycheck
| Hours worked 40 h × $25.00. | $1,000.00 |
| Social Security 6.2% of gross wages. | −$62.00 |
| Medicare 1.45% of gross wages; no wage cap. | −$14.50 |
| CO Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI) 0.44% employee premium on the first $184,500.00. | −$4.40 |
| Colorado income tax Colorado DR 0004 percentage method: annualized wages $52,000.00, less standard deduction $5,500.00, → $46,500.00 taxable at flat 4.40% = $2,046.00/yr ÷ 52 periods. | −$39.35 |
| Take-home pay | $879.75 |
What you pay on top
| Social Security (employer) Employer match, same base as the employee share. | $62.00 |
| Medicare (employer) Employer match. | $14.50 |
| Federal unemployment (FUTA) 6.0% less a 5.4% credit for paying state unemployment tax on time, on the first $7,000.00 of wages each year. | $6.00 |
| Colorado unemployment tax 3.05% on the first $30,600.00 of wages each year (Quarterly wage and premium report (MyUI Employer+), quarterly). Using the new-employer rate; replace with your rate notice. | $30.50 |
| CO Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI) (employer) 0.44% employer premium. | $4.40 |
What you'll have to file in Colorado
- Register with Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE), Unemployment Insurance Division once you pay $1,000 or more in wages paid to one or more workers in a private home during a calendar quarter (cdle domestic-employer liability rule); file Quarterly wage and premium report (MyUI Employer+) quarterly.
- Colorado income tax: withholding is voluntary for household employers.
- CO Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI): employee premium withheld each payday.
- W-2 to your nanny and W-3 to the SSA by Jan 31; Schedule H with your Form 1040.
- Minimum wage $15.16/h; paid sick leave is required. Workers' comp: CDLE DWC: every Colorado employer with one or more employees must carry workers' compensation insurance (commercial carrier or Pinnacol Assurance). The Workers' Compensation Act excludes domestic/maintenance work for a private homeowner that is not full-time (generally fewer than 40 hours per week and fewer than 5 days per week) — confirm the part-time exclusion with the Division before relying on it.
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Estimates for planning only, from the published 2026 rules for your state. Not tax advice. CareTab does not file or pay anything for you.