2026 · Colorado
Colorado severance pay tax
Federal 22% plus Colorado's regular withholding. But that's withholding, not your tax. This works out what you owe.
Colorado layoff at a glance
| State tax on severance | Regular withholding tables |
| State income tax | Flat 4.0% |
| Unemployment weekly max | $884 for up to 26 weeks |
| Unemployment taxed by Colorado? | Yes |
How Colorado withholds on severance
Colorado has no single flat supplemental rate, severance is withheld using the regular tables, so the amount tracks your bracket. 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.
Colorado taxes income at a flat 4.0%, which is the rate that applies to severance whichever way it's withheld. If you also claim unemployment, Colorado pays up to $884 a week for up to 26 weeks, and taxes it on the state return. That's the Colorado layoff picture in one place, the severance tax here, the unemployment on its own Colorado page.
Worked example: $40,000 severance in Colorado
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 |
| Colorado withholding | −$1,600 |
| Net check | $26,540 |
| What it costs in tax | $12,810 |
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 Colorado unemployment on top
Colorado sizes your weekly check off your recent wages, up to $884 a week, one of the more generous in the country (6th of 51). There is no separate dependent add-on. Duration 13-26; max $884 eff 2026-07-01 (supersedes $844).
| Weekly benefit range | $25 - $884 |
| How the amount is set | Off your recent wages |
| Maximum duration | 26 weeks (13-26; max $884 eff 2026-07-01 (supersedes $844)) |
| Waiting week | Yes, one unpaid week |
| Dependent allowance | None |
| Taxed by Colorado | Yes |
Stacked together, that $40,000 severance nets about $26,540 and Colorado's unemployment can add up to $22,984 over 26 weeks, about 12 months of a $4,000 budget before you need a paycheck. File through Colorado Department of Labor and Employment; nail down the exact figure in the runway calculator.
Questions about Colorado severance tax
Is severance taxed higher in Colorado?
No. It's withheld at a flat 22% federally and by Colorado's regular tables, but it's taxed as ordinary income at your normal rates. The worked example on this page shows the gap in dollars: on a $40,000 severance, $8,800 of federal tax is withheld up front while the severance actually costs about $12,810 in tax for that filer. Whichever direction the gap runs, it settles up at filing, a refund if too much was taken, a bill to plan for if too little.
Does Colorado tax my severance?
Yes, Colorado taxes severance as wages. Colorado has no single flat supplemental rate, severance is withheld using the regular tables, so the amount tracks your bracket.
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). The crossover sits where your marginal rate passes 22%: below it, every severance dollar was over-withheld and comes back; above it, the flat rate quietly under-collects and the difference lands on your return as a balance due. For the $40,000 example on this page with $60,000 of other income, the calculator's verdict is printed under the worked example. Enter your numbers above to see which way it goes for you.
Your Colorado layoff toolkit
- Colorado unemployment benefits weekly amount and duration
- Runway calculator how long your money lasts
- Colorado paycheck calculator take-home at your next job
- Colorado 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.