Florida vs Texas taxes

The same paycheck in both states

A Florida payslip and a Texas payslip carry the same three deductions, all federal: income tax, Social Security and Medicare. Neither state withholds anything, and federal tax does not depend on which state you live in. So the two columns above match to the cent at every salary.

On $75,000 a single filer keeps $61,593 in either state. The rest, $7,670 of federal income tax and $5,738 of Social Security and Medicare, would be taken wherever you lived. A married couple filing jointly on $150,000 keeps $123,185 in either.

Why neither is likely to change

Both states have written the absence of an income tax into their constitutions, which makes it more durable than a low rate. Florida’s Article VII, Section 5 prohibits a personal income tax. Texas has required voter approval for one since 1993, and in 2019 voters approved Proposition 4, which prohibits it outright. In both, adding an income tax would take a constitutional amendment, not a vote of the legislature.

The payroll side matches too. Each state’s unemployment insurance is funded by employers, so it never appears on a payslip, and neither runs a disability or paid family leave program of the kind California or Washington deduct from wages.

Where the two states do differ

With income tax out of the picture, both states raise their money elsewhere, mostly through sales tax and local property tax. Texas leans on property tax to carry most of the load. Florida draws a share of its sales tax from visitors, and it gives homeowners two protections on a primary residence: a homestead exemption that lowers its taxable value, and the Save Our Homes cap, which limits how fast the assessed value of a homesteaded home can rise each year.

None of that is in the figures above, and for anyone choosing between the two it is where the real difference lies. If you are buying, the property tax bill on the particular home, and the sales tax where you will shop, decide which state costs you less.

After you stop working

The match holds in retirement. Neither state taxes pensions, 401(k) or IRA withdrawals, Social Security benefits or investment income. If you are moving to either from a state that does tax income, the question that matters is how cleanly you leave the old one; the Florida calculator page explains what makes a change of residency stick.

Questions people ask

Do you take home more in Florida or Texas on $75,000?

Neither: a single filer on $75,000 takes home the same in both in 2026.

Is the difference the same at every salary?

Yes. Take-home pay is identical at every salary: neither takes anything from wages beyond federal tax, Social Security and Medicare, which are the same everywhere.

Does any city or county in Florida or Texas levy an income tax?

No. No Florida county or city levies one, and no Texas city does either. The figures on this page hold in Miami, Tampa and Orlando exactly as they do in Houston, Dallas and Austin.

Do I file a state tax return in either state?

No. Neither Florida nor Texas has a personal income tax return. You file the federal return only, and moving from one state to the other mid-year does not create a part-year state return either.

Is unemployment insurance deducted from pay in either state?

No. Texas unemployment insurance is paid by employers, and the Texas Workforce Commission says it is not deducted from employee wages. Florida's version, called reemployment assistance, is employer-funded too. Neither state runs a disability or paid family leave program funded from wages.

What this comparison covers

Income tax and payroll deductions on wages: federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare, state income tax, every state payroll deduction. It does not compare sales tax, property tax, housing or the cost of living, which can outweigh the difference in take-home pay. Figures assume the standard deduction, no dependents and no pre-tax retirement contributions. See how we calculate.