New York Nanny Tax Calculator

How does the calculator estimate New York nanny taxes?

It adds up everything you owe as the employer in New York, on top of your nanny's wages.

• Federal FICA: 15.3% combined, split between you and your nanny
• Federal FUTA: 0.6% effective on the first $7,000
• New York SUTA: 1.625% - 9.425%
• New York state income tax (when withheld)
• New York disability insurance
• New York paid family leave premium
• Local income tax (New York has significant local layers)

Figures are 2026 rates and use the 2026 FICA threshold of $3,000.

Does New York require state income tax withholding from a nanny's paycheck?

Usually not. New York has a state income tax, but withholding it from a household employee is optional unless your nanny asks for it.

• It is usually optional, and your nanny elects it on New York's W-4 equivalent
• If they do elect it, you owe quarterly remittance to the state and an annual reconciliation return that includes the W-2 you issued

What's the minimum hourly rate I can pay a nanny in New York?

At least $16.00 an hour for a nanny in New York.

• That is New York's own minimum wage, above the federal $7.25 floor
• Some cities and counties may set a higher floor, so check your locality before you set a rate
• Overtime is 1.5x pay for hours over 40 in a week, under the FLSA
• Live-in nannies are exempt from FLSA overtime, but not from minimum wage

US DOL, State Minimum Wage Laws

Does New York add disability or paid family leave premiums?

Yes, both, once New York's household coverage rule applies: Disability Benefits Law (DBL) and Paid Family Leave (PFL) cover a nanny who works 20 or more hours a week for you, counted the way the state counts them (a live-in nanny almost always reaches 20), after 30 days of work in the calendar year.

• The policy must be in place within four weeks of that 30th day, and withholding starts when coverage takes effect at the end of those four weeks; below the rule you can elect coverage on Form DB-135 or DB-136
• The premium goes to a private carrier or NYSIF, not the state; PFL is employee-funded and the DBL deduction is capped at 60 cents a week

If your nanny is over the rule, arrange the policy before the four weeks run out; the carrier, not the state, bills you for it.

Why does my New York nanny's net pay differ from the calculator total?

Because they answer different questions. The calculator's employer total is what leaves your account; net pay is what lands in your New York nanny's.

• Federal FICA: 6.2% Social Security plus 1.45% Medicare, so 7.65% off the top
• Any federal income tax your nanny chose to have withheld
• New York income tax, if your nanny elected it on the state W-4
• Their share of New York Disability Benefits Law (DBL) and Paid Family Leave (PFL), once your household coverage applies

Your own share, the employer FICA match plus FUTA and SUTA, sits on top of gross pay rather than coming out of it.