Pennsylvania (PA) State Tax

What is state tax?

State income tax is a tax assessed by a state on income earned during the tax year either while living or working within the state. State income taxes, which vary by state, are a percentage of money that you pay to the state government based on the income you make at your job.

Similar to federal taxes, it is self-assessed and often based on a percentage you pay the state government on your income. Some states have a flat tax rate or no tax at all, even.

Who pays PA state tax?

Just like the federal government, most states impose an income tax on your earnings if you have a sufficient connection to the state (i.e. you live or work in the state).

So, if you earn income connected to the state, you must pay PA income taxes. As a traditional W-2 employee, your PA taxes will be withheld on each paycheck automatically. You will see this on your paycheck, near or next to the federal taxes.

If you work remotely, you should pay taxes to the state in which the work is performed. Employers will generally also pay taxes on wages paid to these workers to the same state, even if the employer has no physical presence in that state. However, some states may require that workers are taxed based on their employer’s location.

How do you pay PA income tax?

You can pay PA income tax the following ways:

+ Via electronic funds transfer from your bank account or by using a credit or debit card.

+ Via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT): Pay Pennsylvania taxes directly through your personal savings or checking account through the department’s e-Services Center.

+ Credit or Debit Card Payments: Visit www.officialpayments.com or call, toll-free, at 1-800-272-9829.

How much should you pay in PA state tax?

View this information at PA state tax rates.

When are PA tax returns due?

The state tax deadlines often coincide with the federal tax deadline.

How do you check if you paid PA state taxes?

If you want to make sure your state taxes were paid, contact the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue to see if your payment was received. The contact information is as follows: https://revenue-pa.custhelp.com/.

Deducting PA income taxes

If you pay PA income tax, the IRS allows you to claim a deduction on your federal tax return for them. You can claim a state income tax deduction if you itemize deductions on your federal return.

To determine if you should itemize your deductions, add up your calendar-year deductible expenses, including your state income tax expense, to see if they are greater than the standard deduction amount for your filing status.

Due to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, state and local tax deductions, including state income taxes, are limited to $10,000 per year.

More PA tax help

Understanding your tax obligation is important. What’s even more important is how to deduct PA tax from your federal taxes as an itemized deduction. (See more information about the SALT Deduction.)

So, get help with H&R Block Virtual! With this service, we’ll match you with a tax pro with Pennsylvania tax expertise. Then, you will upload your tax documents, and our tax pros will do the rest! We can help with your PA taxes, including federal deductions for paying state taxes.

Prefer a different way to file? No problem – you can find Pennsylvania state tax expertise with all of our ways to file taxes.