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US Tax Information

The University of Pittsburgh is required to withhold federal, state and local taxes from each pay you receive and remit to the appropriate taxing authority.  This section provides an overview of these taxes.

Foreign Nationals seeking taxation information should refer to the Global Pay section.

Summary of Tax Rates

2024
 
Federal Taxes  Current Rate
FICA – Social Security1 6.20%
FICA – Medicare2 1.45%
Federal Withholding Based on Form W-4
State Taxes Current Rate
PA State Income Tax 3.07%
PA State Unemployment Insurance3 0.07%
Washington DC Income Tax Based on Form D-4
Indiana State Income Tax Based on form WH-4
Maryland State Income Tax Based on Form MW 507
New Jersey State Income Tax Based on Form NJ-W4
Ohio State Income Tax Based on Form IT-4
Virginia State Income Tax Based on Form VA-4
West Virginia State Income Tax Based on Form WV/IT-104
Arizona State Income Tax* Based on Form A-4
Georgia State Income Tax* Based on Form G-4
Hawaii State Income Tax Based on Form HW-4
North Carolina  Based on Form NC-4
South Carolina Based on Form SC W-4
Local Taxes Current Rate
Local Earned Income Tax (EIT) Based on Address
City of Pittsburgh Non-Resident Tax4 1.00%
Local Services Tax (LST) Based on Work Location

1 $168,600 cap for 2024; $160,200 cap for 2023; $147,000 cap for 2022; Resets annually
2 No Cap; Resets Annually; Over $200,000 is 2.35%
3 PA SUI Tax increased to 0.07% from 0.06% effective 1/1/23
4 Non-Resident Tax: Non-Immigrants and Out of State Employees
* Only remote employees with fully approved and processed flexible work arrangements will be subject to income tax for these states

Federal Taxes

Federal Insurance Contributions Act Tax (FICA)

Faculty, Staff, and Postdoctoral Associate & Research Associate Employees

FICA contains two parts: Social Security and Medicare. The tax rate for social security is 6.2% of taxable wages up to an annual limit of $168,600.00 for tax year 2024. The tax rate for Medicare is 1.45% of taxable wages up to $200,000. Once your taxable wages exceed $200,000, the tax rate for Medicare is 2.35%. There is no wage limit for Medicare tax.  Certain deductions, such as medical benefits, may reduce the FICA taxable income for an individual.

For more information, read about Social Security and Medicare Taxes through the IRS Website.

Graduate Students with Academic Appointments and Student Employees

FICA contains two parts: Social Security and Medicare. The tax rate for social security is 6.2% and the tax rate for Medicare is 1.45%. Student workers must have the credit load listed in the table to be eligible for the FICA tax exemption benefit.

Undergraduate Credit Load:

Term Part Time Full Time
Fall/Spring Terms 6+ 12+
Summer Terms 3+ 3+

Graduate Credit Load

Term Part Time Full Time
Fall/Spring Term 4.5+ 9+

Graduate Students working on dissertations must be registered as graduate student and PeopleSoft must be coded as dissertation student for person to be FICA exempt.

Please note: Students must be registered for classes appropriately prior by payroll processing established deadlines in order to be eligible for the FICA tax exemption benefit.

Federal Income Tax (FIT)

Faculty, Staff, and Postdoctoral Associate & Research Associate Employees

The amount of federal income tax deducted from your pay is determined by the elections entered on Form W-4. If Form W-4 is not completed, a marital status of Single or Married Filing Separately (the highest rate) will be used to calculate federal income tax. Certain deductions, such as retirement and medical benefits, may reduce the FIT taxable income for an individual. Learn how to change your W-4 information at any time by visiting the Employee Self-Service page.

Graduate Students with Academic Appointments and Student Employees

The amount of federal income tax deducted from your pay is determined by the elections entered on Form W-4. If Form W-4 is not completed, a marital status of Single or Married Filing Separately (the highest rate) will be used to calculate federal income tax. Learn how to change your W-4 information at any time by visiting the Employee Self-Service page.

State Taxes

The University of Pittsburgh automatically withholds state income taxes for employees living in Pennsylvania and the states that have reciprocal agreements with Pennsylvania. The District of Columbia and the following states have reciprocal agreements with Pennsylvania: Indiana, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia.

State income tax will be withheld for Arizona, Georgia, Hawaii, North Carolina and South Carolina for remote employees with fully approved and processed flexible work arrangements. In most cases, employees living in states other than the states listed below will have Pennsylvania state income tax withheld from their pay and may be responsible for remitting the income tax to their state of residence.

State Income Tax (SIT)

The tax rate for Pennsylvania SIT is 3.07% and there is no wage limit. For more information on the Pennsylvania Income Tax, visit the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue website. Benefit deductions such as medical deductions will reduce state taxable income for faculty, staff, & postdoctoral associates. Retirement deductions are not pre-tax deductions in Pennsylvania.

Graduate Student Researchers do not have Pennsylvania state income tax withheld. 

Learn more about the state income tax for other applicable states

State Unemployment Insurance Tax (SUI)

For faculty, staff, and postdoctoral associate & research associate employees: The tax rate for Pennsylvainai SUI is .07% and there is no wage limit.

Local Taxes

Local Earned Income Tax (EIT)

Faculty, Staff, and Postdoctoral Associate & Research Associate Employees

As a Pennsylvania employer, the University of Pittsburgh is required to withhold local earned income tax from wages based on your permanent address and remit the tax to the appropriate tax officer.  Each person is required to complete a Residency Certification Form at time of hire and for any address changes attesting to their permanent address.  If you do not have a permanent residence in the state of Pennsylvania, the non-resident tax rate where the campus is located will be withheld from wages.  For example, an Ohio resident working at the Pittsburgh campus would have the 1% Pittsburgh non-resident rate withheld from wages and remitted to the city of Pittsburgh.

The Local Earned Income tax is comprised of 2 parts – city tax and school district tax based on your permanent residence.  If a locality does not impose a city tax or the rate is lower than the non-resident rate where the campus is located, the non-resident rate of the campus will be deducted, not the resident rate of your permanent residence. Learn how to update your address by visiting the Employee Self-Service page.

Find your withholding rates by entering your work and home address in the rate calculator provided by the PA State of Community and Economic Development.

More information about Pittsburgh Wage and School Tax can be found on the City of Pittsburgh's Department of Finance website.

 

Graduate Students with Academic Appointments and Student Employees

As a Pennsylvania employer, the University of Pittsburgh is required to withhold local earned income tax from wages based on your permanent address and remit the tax to the appropriate tax officer. For most students, this will be the address where you permanently resided before you went to college. College dormitories, fraternity houses, sorority houses, and off-campus rentals by enrolled college students generally do not qualify as permanent addresses. 

Graduate Student Researchers do not have Pennsylvania local income tax withheld. 

Each person is required to complete a Residency Certification Form at time of hire and for any address changes attesting to their permanent address. If you do not have a permanent residence in the state of Pennsylvania, the non-resident tax rate where the campus is located will be withheld from wages. For example, an Ohio resident working at the Pittsburgh campus would have the 1% Pittsburgh non-resident rate withheld from wages and remitted to the city of Pittsburgh. 

The Local Earned Income tax is comprised of 2 parts – city tax and school district tax based on your permanent residence. If a locality does not impose a city tax, or the rate is lower than the non-resident rate where the campus is located, the non-resident rate of the campus will be deducted, not the resident rate of the your permanent residence.

Learn how to update your address by visiting the Self-Service page.

Find your withholding rates by entering your work and home address in the rate calculator provided by the PA State of Community and Economic Development.

More information about Pittsburgh Wage and School Tax can be found on the City of Pittsburgh's Department of Finance website.

Local Services Tax (Occupational Tax)

As a Pennsylvania employer, the University of Pittsburgh is required to withhold a Local Services Tax (Occupational Tax). LST is a local tax payable by all individuals who are employed within a taxing jurisdiction imposing the tax. The annual amount of LST is $52 per year but is withheld monthly at $4.33 per month, or $2.00 per biweekly pay. For more information on LST, read more at the City of Pittsburgh's Department of Finance website.

You may qualify for an exemption for any of the following reasons:

  • Multiple Employers
  • Expected total earned income and net profits from all sources within your work municipality will be less than $12,000*
  • Active Duty Military Exemption
  • Military Disability Exemption

* If you exceed the $12,000 income exemption, the University is required to withhold a lump sum tax equal to the amount of tax that was not withheld as a result of the exemption and continue withholding the required $4.33 per monthly pay or $2.00 per biweekly pay for the remainder of the calendar year.

Learn how to update your tax information, including Local Services Tax Exemption, by visiting the Self-Service page.