Topic
Money & Taxes
Between city income taxes, state credits, and everything else, Michigan's money rules get confusing fast. Here's what helps you understand what you owe and keep more of your paycheck.
Tools & guides
Start with the Michigan Porch tools and longer guides connected to money & taxes.
Porch Notes
Money & Taxes notes
- Detroit income tax: rates, filing, and remote work Detroit residents pay 2.4% and nonresidents pay 1.2% on income earned in the city. Michigan Treasury processes the return, but it is still a separate Detroit city return.
- East Lansing's Income Tax Is Michigan's Newest, and a College Town Talked Itself Into It East Lansing's income tax, live since 2019, is Michigan's most recently adopted, a college town's swap of higher property taxes for a broader levy on paychecks.
- Grayling has its own city income tax Grayling levies a 1% tax on residents and 0.5% on nonresidents who earn taxable income in the city, so the city boundary matters more than the mailing address.
- Hamtramck Taxes Its Own Income, Wrapped Inside Detroit Hamtramck is an enclave surrounded by Detroit, yet it runs its own 1% income tax; a state credit keeps residents who work in Detroit from paying twice.
- Muskegon Heights and Its Foundry-Town Income Tax Muskegon Heights was built as a factory town, and it is one of only two Muskegon County cities that levy a local income tax — 1% for residents, 0.5% for nonresidents who work there.
- Port Huron's City Income Tax and Its Cross-Border Commuters Port Huron levies a local income tax that catches people who work in the city without living there, including some who commute over the Blue Water Bridge.
- Yes, Portland, Michigan Has Its Own Income Tax Tiny Portland in Ionia County levies a 1 percent city income tax on residents and half a percent on the people who commute in to work.
- Your Mail Says Grand Rapids, Your Income Tax Says Walker A Grand Rapids mailing address doesn't mean you owe Grand Rapids. Much of Walker gets GR mail, but the city taxing your paycheck is Walker.
- Does Lapeer have a city income tax? Yes. The City of Lapeer charges 1% to residents and 0.5% to nonresidents who work in the city. A 48446 mailing address does not prove you live in the city.
- Genesee County pays a small tax that keeps the art museum free-ish In August 2018 Genesee County voters approved a countywide arts and culture millage that funds the Flint Cultural Center's institutions and grants to other arts groups — a property tax most Michigan counties don't levy.
- Highland Park's 2% city income tax — and why it's only a handful of Michigan cities Highland Park levies its own city income tax on top of state and federal: 2% on residents and 1% on nonresidents who work there — one of about two dozen Michigan cities that do.
- In Escanaba, your power bill comes from the city Escanaba runs its own electric utility instead of buying from Consumers or DTE — the city owns the wires and serves about 6,000 customers, and its residential rate has run well below the state average.
- Ionia takes a 1% city income tax — Belding doesn't Ionia levies a city income tax of 1% on residents and 0.5% on non-residents who work in town — one of about two dozen Michigan cities that do, while neighboring Belding has none.
- Pontiac is one of the few Oakland County cities with its own income tax Pontiac levies a city income tax — 1% on residents and 0.5% on nonresidents who work there — one of only about two dozen Michigan cities that tax income at all.
- Wyandotte makes its own electricity — and has since the 1890s Wyandotte runs its own electric, water, and cable utilities, a setup that goes back to an 1892 vote and makes the power bill a city department instead of DTE.
- The 1951 Gerber-family fund that still pays for Newaygo County's trails and scholarships A Fremont charitable foundation, started in 1951 by local leaders including the Gerber family, whose invested gifts now fund grants and scholarships across all of Newaygo County.
- Does Newberry have a city income tax? Luce County has no local income tax -- Newberry is a village, not a city, and only Michigan cities can levy one.
- Farmland and forest tax programs: the money page Michigan runs four voluntary programs that trade real tax savings for keeping land in farms and forests — the Qualified Ag exemption, PA 116, the Qualified Forest Program, and Commercial Forest. How to choose, and the trap each one carries.
- Is there a city income tax in Baraga County? There's no city income tax in Baraga County -- and there couldn't be one, since the county has no cities at all, just the villages of L'Anse and Baraga. The nearest is Grayling, well over a hundred miles away.
- Is there a city income tax in Crystal Falls? Crystal Falls charges no city income tax -- neither do Iron River, Caspian, or Gaastra, and neither does anywhere else in the Upper Peninsula. The nearest one is Grayling, well over a hundred miles away.
- Is there a city income tax in Escanaba? Escanaba charges no city income tax -- neither does Gladstone, and neither does anywhere else in the Upper Peninsula. The nearest one is Grayling, well over a hundred miles away.
- Is there a city income tax in Houghton or Hancock? Neither Houghton nor Hancock charges a city income tax -- and neither does anywhere else in the Upper Peninsula. The nearest one is Grayling, well over a hundred miles away.
- Is there a city income tax in Iron Mountain? Iron Mountain charges no city income tax -- neither do Kingsford or Norway, and neither does anywhere else in the Upper Peninsula. The nearest one is Grayling, well over a hundred miles away.
- Is there a city income tax in Ironwood or Bessemer? Michigan Treasury's current list of 24 income-tax cities includes none in Gogebic County or anywhere else in the Upper Peninsula.
- Is there a city income tax in Keweenaw County? There's no city income tax in Keweenaw County -- and there couldn't be one, since the county has no cities at all. The nearest is Grayling, well over two hundred miles away.
- Is there a city income tax in Manistique? Manistique charges no city income tax -- and no community in the entire Upper Peninsula does. The nearest one is Grayling, well over a hundred miles away.
- Is there a city income tax in Marquette? Neither Marquette nor any other city in Marquette County charges a city income tax -- and neither does anywhere else in the Upper Peninsula. The nearest one is Grayling, well over a hundred miles away.
- Is there a city income tax in Menominee? Menominee charges no city income tax -- neither does Stephenson, and neither does anywhere else in the Upper Peninsula. The nearest one is Grayling, well over a hundred miles away.
- Is there a city income tax in Munising? Munising charges no city income tax -- and no community in the entire Upper Peninsula does. The nearest one is Grayling, well over a hundred miles south.
- Is there a city income tax in Ontonagon? There's no city income tax in Ontonagon County -- and there couldn't easily be one, since the county's only incorporated community is the Village of Ontonagon. The nearest income tax is Grayling, well over two hundred miles away.
- Is there a city income tax in Sault Ste. Marie? Sault Ste. Marie does not appear on Michigan Treasury's current list of 24 cities that levy income-related municipal taxes. Living in Chippewa County alone does not create a city income-tax bill.
- City income tax in St. Clair County Port Huron levies a city income tax, while St. Clair County's other St.-Clair-only cities do not.
- Does Montmorency County have a city income tax? Montmorency County has no incorporated city, so there is no local city income tax anywhere in the county.
- Does Onaway have a city income tax? No. Onaway is not on Michigan Treasury's current list of 24 cities that levy a local income tax. A taxing work city may still have nonresident rules.
- Does St. Ignace have a city income tax? St. Ignace and the rest of Mackinac County do not levy a local city income tax.
- Good news on city income tax in Newaygo County Fremont, Grant, Newaygo, and White Cloud do not levy a city income tax, so Newaygo County has no local income tax on paychecks.
- Hart has no city income tax Hart is the only city in Oceana County, and it does not levy a local city income tax.
- Is there a city income tax in Alpena County? Alpena County has no local income tax: Alpena is the county's only city, and it does not levy one.
- Is there a city income tax in Cheboygan County? Cheboygan County has no local income tax: Cheboygan is the county's only city, and it does not levy one.
- No city income tax in Rogers City Rogers City charges no city income tax, and neither does Onaway; the nearest of Michigan's 24 taxing cities is Grayling, about 85 miles southwest.
- The Principal Residence Exemption in Leelanau Township When you buy property in Leelanau Township as your primary home, filing for the Principal Residence Exemption — and a Property Transfer Affidavit — are the first tax steps to take care of.
- Do Cadillac or Manton have a city income tax? Neither Cadillac nor Manton levies a city income tax; the nearest city that does is Big Rapids, about 40 miles down US-131, at 0.5% for nonresidents.
- Do Lake City or McBain have a city income tax? Lake City and McBain levy no city income tax, and neither does Cadillac; the closest cities that do are Grayling and Big Rapids, about an hour away.
- Good news on city income tax in Mason County Ludington and Scottville do not levy a city income tax, so Mason County has no local income tax on paychecks.
- Does Frankfort have a city income tax? Frankfort, Benzie County's only city, levies no city income tax — and neither does Traverse City, where many Benzie commuters work.
- No city income tax in Grand Traverse County Traverse City levies no city income tax — none of the 24 Michigan cities that do is near Grand Traverse Bay; tiny Grayling, an hour east, is the closest.
- Do you pay the Big Rapids income tax out here? Only if you work in the city Big Rapids Township and Green Township residents do not owe Big Rapids resident income tax unless they live in the city.
- Gaylord has no city income tax Gaylord levies no city income tax — no Otsego County government does. Commuters to Grayling pay that city's 0.5% nonresident rate; at home the bill is property tax, about 35 mills in town.
- Good news on city income tax in West Branch and Rose City West Branch and Rose City charge no city income tax; the nearest city that does is Grayling, about 45 miles up I-75.
- Good news on local income tax in Roscommon Roscommon County has no cities, so no local government here can tax wages — but Grayling, 15 miles up I-75, takes 0.5% from nonresidents who work inside its limits.
- No city income tax in Charlevoix County Charlevoix County's three cities do not levy a local city income tax.
- No city income tax in Emmet County Petoskey and Harbor Springs do not levy a local city income tax.
- No city income tax in Gladwin or Beaverton Gladwin and Beaverton levy no city income tax, and neither does Midland, where many commute; Saginaw's 0.75% nonresident rate is the nearest exception.
- No city income tax in Harrisville Harrisville, Alcona County's only city, levies no city income tax; the nearest Michigan city that does is Grayling, roughly 70 miles west on M-72.
- No city income tax in Reed City or Evart Neither Reed City nor Evart charges a city income tax, though Reed City commuters working in Big Rapids pay that city's 0.5% nonresident rate.
- No city income tax in Standish, Au Gres, or Omer Standish, Au Gres, and Omer all skip the city income tax; the nearest city that levies one is Saginaw, whose 0.75% nonresident rate hits commuters.
- No city income tax in Tawas City, East Tawas, or Whittemore Tawas City, East Tawas, and 414-person Whittemore charge no city income tax; the nearest city that does is Saginaw, over an hour south.
- Hudson has a city income tax Hudson is one of Michigan's cities with a local income tax for residents and nonresidents who work inside the city.
- Jackson has a city income tax Jackson is one of Michigan's cities with a local income tax for residents and nonresidents who work inside the city.
- No city income tax Sandusky, Croswell, Marlette, and Brown City levy no city income tax; the nearest cities that do are Port Huron and Lapeer, each taking 0.5% from nonresident workers.
Related topics
Page feedback
See something wrong or unclear?
Send a note about this page. The page address will be included automatically.
Page feedback
Send a note
The page you're on will be included automatically.