A measure on the November ballot will ask voters to do away with Colorado’s flat 4.4% income tax rate and replace it with a graduated income tax system.
Initiative 195 would raise the state income tax bill for individuals and businesses making more than roughly $500,000 a year while keeping the bill flat or even cutting it for people and corporations earning less than that.
Under the graduated income tax system, earnings would be taxed based on where they fall in six tiers. On the high end, annual income earned by people and businesses over $1 million would be taxed at 8.4%, while on the low end, that same person’s earnings up to $25,000 would be taxed at 3.7%.
See how your effective income tax rate and bill would change under Initiative 195 by using this calculator.
Graduated income tax calculator
See what you’d owe under Initiative 195’s proposed six-bracket structure versus Colorado’s current 4.4% flat rate. Enter your federal taxable income.
The proposed graduated rates apply to federal taxable income as determined by Section 63 of the Internal Revenue Code, for tax years beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2027. Brackets: 3.7% up to $25,000; 4.2% to $100,000; 4.4% to $500,000; 7.4% to $750,000; 7.9% to $1M; 8.4% above $1M. “Current” reflects Colorado’s 4.40% flat rate. Estimate only; individual filings vary.
Claude was used to assist in writing the calculating code for this tool. Information submitted through this form does not leave the browser window and is not stored or transmitted in any way. No part of this story was written using AI. See the source code here.
