Live in Iowa, Work in Wisconsin: Which State Taxes Your Paycheck?
Answer
Wisconsin withholds and Iowa credits. Without an agreement between them, both states are entitled to tax income earned in Wisconsin by a Iowa resident. The mechanism that stops you paying twice is the credit on the Iowa resident return, which is why the Wisconsin return has to be completed first.
Last verified
Two states can lawfully tax the same wages: Wisconsin because the work happened there, Iowa because you live there. Nothing prevents the overlap in advance — it is unwound afterwards, on the Iowa return, through the credit for taxes paid to another state.
A Iowa resident taxed by another state on the same income claims the credit for taxes paid to other states on Form IA 130. The credit is capped at the Iowa tax on that income, so it removes the double tax but never refunds the excess when the other state charges more.
What you file
- 1Nonresident return · WisconsinForm 1NPR
File the Wisconsin nonresident return FIRST — you need the Wisconsin tax figure before you can complete Iowa.
- 2Resident return · IowaForm IA 130
File a Iowa resident return reporting all income, then claim the credit for tax paid to Wisconsin. The credit is capped at what Iowa would have charged on that same income, so if Wisconsin taxes it at a higher rate the difference is not refunded.
The two states, side by side
| Iowa | Wisconsin | |
|---|---|---|
| Taxes wages | Yes — flat | Yes — graduated |
| Reciprocity partners | 1 (Form 44-016) | 4 (Form W-220) |
| Convenience rule | No | No |
| Nonresident return | Form IA 1040 with Schedule IA 126 | Form 1NPR |
| Credit for other-state tax | Form IA 130 | Schedule OS |
| Nonresident safe harbour | None published | Dollar floor published |
| Local income tax | Yes | No |
| Revenue department | Iowa Department of Revenue | Wisconsin Department of Revenue |
| Last verified |
The other direction
Reversing the commute does not always reverse the answer. Living in Wisconsin and working in Iowa gives:Both states — credit offsets the double tax.
Same two states, different situation
The withholding answer turns on how you are paid and where the work happens, not only on which two states are involved.
- Remote worker: Iowa → WisconsinHome state only
- 1099 contractor: Iowa → WisconsinHome state, plus the client state if you work there
- Moved mid-year: Iowa → WisconsinTwo part-year returns
Other Iowa pairs
Questions people actually ask
I live in Iowa and work in Wisconsin. Which state takes the tax out of my paycheck?
Wisconsin withholds and Iowa credits. Without an agreement between them, both states are entitled to tax income earned in Wisconsin by a Iowa resident. The mechanism that stops you paying twice is the credit on the Iowa resident return, which is why the Wisconsin return has to be completed first.
Which state should my employer be withholding for?
Wisconsin. The wages are sourced to Wisconsin, so Wisconsin withholding is correct and there is no Iowa withholding to set up.
Will I end up paying tax twice on the same income?
Not twice over, but you will pay the higher of the two rates. Iowa gives residents a credit for tax paid to Wisconsin on the same income, claimed on Form IA 130. The credit is capped at the Iowa tax on that income, so if Wisconsin taxes it more heavily the excess is not refunded by either state.
How current is this?
The Iowa and Wisconsin rules on this page were last checked against Iowa Department of Revenue and Wisconsin Department of Revenue on 2026-08-07. We re-check the full grid every December after state legislative sessions close, and re-check the convenience-of-the-employer states quarterly because that is where the rules move fastest.
Sources
Every fact above comes from the revenue department that publishes the rule. We do not cite secondary summaries, and we do not restate a figure we could not find at source.
- Iowa Department of Revenue — individual income taxaccessed 2026-08-07
- Wisconsin Department of Revenue — individual income taxaccessed 2026-08-07