2026 · Alaska
Alaska severance pay tax
Federal tax takes its 22% cut, but Alaska takes nothing. And pays up to $370 a week in unemployment. Here's the real number.
Counts toward the $184,500 Social Security cap.
Wages, new job, spouse, sets your real tax rate.
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Alaska layoff at a glance
| State tax on severance | None, no state income tax |
| State income tax | None |
| Unemployment weekly max | $370 for up to 26 weeks |
| Unemployment taxed by Alaska? | No |
How Alaska withholds on severance
Alaska has no state income tax, so none of your severance is withheld for the state, a real edge over high-tax states. On top of that, the federal government withholds a flat 22% (37% over $1 million) and FICA, 6.2% Social Security up to the $184,500 wage base plus 1.45% Medicare.
Alaska has no state income tax at all, so neither your severance nor your unemployment faces a state levy, a group of just nine states. If you also claim unemployment, Alaska pays up to $370 a week for up to 26 weeks, and does not tax it. That's the Alaska layoff picture in one place, the severance tax here, the unemployment on its own Alaska page.
Worked example: $40,000 severance in Alaska
A single filer, $40,000 severance paid separately, with $60,000 of other 2026 income:
| Federal withholding (22%) | −$8,800 |
| FICA (Social Security + Medicare) | −$3,060 |
| Alaska withholding | $0 |
| Net check | $28,140 |
| What it actually costs in tax | $11,210 |
Over-withheld by about $650, expect roughly that back as a refund at filing. The withholding is a fixed rate; your actual tax is your marginal rate on the severance stacked on your other income.
Stacking Alaska unemployment on top
Alaska sizes your weekly check off your total annual wages, up to $370 a week, among the lowest in the country (40th of 51). It adds $24 per dependent on top. Duration range 16-26, indexed to earnings ratio.
| Weekly benefit range | $56 - $370 |
| How the amount is set | Off your total annual wages |
| Maximum duration | 26 weeks (range 16-26, indexed to earnings ratio) |
| Waiting week | Yes, one unpaid week |
| Dependent allowance | $24 per dependent |
| Taxed by Alaska | No |
Stacked together, that $40,000 severance nets about $28,140 and Alaska's unemployment can add up to $9,620 over 26 weeks, about 9 months of a $4,000 budget before you need a paycheck. File through Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development; nail down the exact figure in the runway calculator.
Questions about Alaska severance tax
Is severance taxed higher in Alaska?
No. It's withheld at a flat 22% federally and Alaska takes no state tax at all, but it's taxed as ordinary income at your normal rates. You settle up at filing.
Does Alaska tax my severance?
No, Alaska has no state income tax, so your severance keeps its full value at the state level (federal tax and FICA still apply).
Will I get a refund or owe more?
It depends on your bracket. The flat 22% over-withholds for lower earners (refund) and under-withholds for those in the 32 to 37% brackets (set aside the difference). Enter your numbers above to see which way it goes for you.
Your Alaska layoff toolkit
- Alaska unemployment benefits weekly amount and duration
- Runway calculator how long your money lasts
- Alaska paycheck calculator take-home at your next job
- Alaska 1099 tax if you go freelance
An estimate for the 2026 tax year. State supplemental figures from the verified dataset, last verified 2026-07-24. Nothing you enter is stored. Not tax advice.