Maine's income tax runs from 5.8% to 7.15% across three brackets, and because it pairs that with a generous standard deduction that matches the federal amount, the effective rate for a typical worker lands in the middle.
Maine has no local income tax, so the state schedule is the whole picture. Here is how the three brackets work on your paycheck, especially next to no-tax New Hampshire. See your exact take-home with the free Maine paycheck calculator.
How Maine's income tax works
Maine uses three brackets: 5.8% up to $26,800, 6.75% up to $63,450, and 7.15% above that (single filer). It applies after a standard deduction equal to the federal amount ($15,750 single / $31,500 married for 2025), which shields a big slice of income. There is no local income tax.
Because the brackets are wide and the deduction is large, a middle-income worker's marginal rate is 6.75% but the effective rate is meaningfully lower.
| Taxable income | Rate |
|---|---|
| $0 – $26,800 | 5.8% |
| $26,800 – $63,450 | 6.75% |
| Over $63,450 | 7.15% |
Your take-home on a $65,000 salary in Maine
Here is how a $65,000 salary breaks down for a single filer, using 2025 federal and FICA figures alongside Maine's three brackets from 5.8% to 7.15%.
| Item | Annual |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax | $5,246 |
| FICA (Social Security + Medicare) | $4,973 |
| Maine income tax | $3,070 |
| Take-home pay | $51,712 |
| Percent of gross kept | 79.6% |
On a $65,000 salary a single filer owes about $3,070 in Maine income tax, an effective rate near 4.7% after the federal-sized deduction, and keeps roughly $51,712, or 79.6% of gross. That is noticeably less than across the border in New Hampshire, which has no income tax, a gap many Maine residents feel acutely. Compare with New Hampshire.
A federal-sized deduction softens the mid brackets
Maine's rates look high at a glance, but the federal-matching standard deduction (over $15,000 for a single filer) does a lot of work, so the effective rate for a typical salary is well below the 6.75% marginal figure.
Maine does not tax Social Security and offers a pension-income deduction, so retirees generally pay less than the rates that apply to wages.
How to keep more of your Maine paycheck
Because Maine starts from a federal-style base, a traditional 401(k) and HSA lower your Maine and federal taxable income together (and the HSA also avoids FICA), the cleanest way to trim a mid-rate state bill.