- 1). Follow the directions on your federal tax forms to determine your annual income. Make sure to reduce your gross adjusted income to include deductions, whether standardized or itemized. This is the amount you will use to determine your income for Louisiana state tax purposes.
- 2). Compare your income to the state of Louisiana's tax chart, using the state's guidelines. For example, an individual filing for taxes in Louisiana will pay 2 percent on the first $12,500, 4 percent for additional income up to $50,000 and up to 6 percent on income over $50,000.
- 3). Calculate your taxes based on this income-based breakdown. For example, suppose you earned $42,000 after deductions for the tax year in question. For the first $12,500, you would pay $250, and for the remainder of your income, you would pay 4 percent of $29,500, equaling $1,180. In total, your taxes due are $1,430.
- 4). Estimate your refund based on the amount of taxes withheld vs. the amount owed. Like the federal government, the state of Louisiana will withhold individual income taxes from payroll deductions. In the example, if you had $1,500 withheld from your income for state taxes, you would be due a $70 refund. Likewise, if you had only $900 withheld during the year, you will owe $530.
- 5). Take into account joint filings if you are married and not filing individually. Percentages are different for married families. In Louisiana, the first tax bracket is 2 percent of income up to $25,000. The next bracket is 4 percent up to $75,000 and 6 percent of income over $100,000. In the previous example, if you were married, with the same $42,000 income, you would only owe $1,180 as opposed to the $1,430 as a single filer.
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