What creators in Colorado actually owe.
Every number on this page is computed by Post’s tax engine — the same one that runs the dashboard — from Colorado’s 2026 rules, not copied from a blog post. Verified against Colo. Rev. Stat. §39-22-104, §39-22-627.
Colorado is about as simple as state income tax gets: one flat rate applied to a base built on federal figures, with a standard deduction that matches the federal amounts. If you know your federal numbers, you effectively know your Colorado number — there's no separate state worksheet logic to internalize.
The one moving part is written into Colorado law itself: a revenue trigger that can shave the rate in years when state collections run hot. Some years it fires and the rate dips; other years it doesn't. You don't need to track the legislature to get this right — you need the rate in effect for the current tax year, which is the one Post's engine carries.
Beyond that, the calendar is boring in the good way: quarterly dates mirror the federal four, paid through Colorado Revenue Online, and there's no local income tax layer underneath.
Pay Colorado estimates at Colorado Revenue Online. Federal payments go through IRS Direct Pay — Post pre-fills both.
A $8,000/mo creator in Colorado, single filer
Effective rate: 24% of net profit. Your expenses, filing status, and income change this — run your own numbers below.
Generally yes, if you expect to owe $1,000+ in federal tax for the year — platform and brand-deal income has no withholding, so the IRS expects four payments a year, and Colorado runs its own estimated-payment schedule on top. Post computes both and reminds you before each date.
It depends on income and filing status — flat percentages lie. As one honest reference point: a single filer earning $96,000 a year with $19,200 of business expenses owes about $18,342 all-in (federal + self-employment + Colorado) — an effective 24% of net profit. Post recalculates your number as money lands.
Gifted product you keep is generally taxable income at fair market value on your federal return — and state taxable income starts from the federal numbers. Post logs PR at FMV in seconds so April doesn't surprise you.
Colorado law includes a revenue-triggered reduction — in years when state revenue exceeds its cap, the rate can drop temporarily, then revert. Post's engine uses the rate in effect for the current tax year, so your estimates follow the trigger without you watching for it.
Largely yes — Colorado's math is built on federal figures, so above-the-line deductions flow through, and the state's standard deduction mirrors the federal amounts. It's one of the few states where the federal return and the state return genuinely rhyme. Post computes both from the same books.