Illinois
$16,495
Net take-home · rank #43
- State tax
- $952
- Federal + payroll
- $1,784
- Total withheld
- $2,736
- UI category
- Full UI offset
Indiana keeps about $385 more after tax than Illinois on $100,000 salary · 5 years · 2 weeks/year · single · lump sum.
By Sammy S. · Founder · AuthorUpdated for 2026
Higher take-home on the vignette
About $385 more take-home — $16,879 vs $16,495 net on $100,000 salary · 5 years · 2 weeks/year · single · lump sum.
$16,495
Net take-home · rank #43
$16,879
Net take-home · rank #28
State tax gap: $385. Total withholding gap: $385.
Same package formula at four salary / service / weeks-per-year combinations. The net gap column shows how much more take-home the higher-net state provides at each package size.
| Package | Illinois net | Indiana net | Net gap | Higher net |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $80k · 3 yrs · 1 wk/yr | $4,034 | $4,126 | $92 | Indiana |
| $100,000 salary · 5 years · 2 weeks/year | $16,495 | $16,879 | $385 | Indiana |
| $120k · 8 yrs · 2 wk/yr | $30,020 | $30,758 | $738 | Indiana |
| $150k · 10 yrs · 3 wk/yr | $65,426 | $67,157 | $1,731 | Indiana |
$80k · 3 yrs · 1 wk/yr
Gap $92 net · higher in Indiana
$100,000 salary · 5 years · 2 weeks/year
Gap $385 net · higher in Indiana
$120k · 8 yrs · 2 wk/yr
Gap $738 net · higher in Indiana
$150k · 10 yrs · 3 wk/yr
Gap $1,731 net · higher in Indiana
When comparing a layoff package in Illinois and Indiana, the gross weeks offer is only half the story. This page holds the package formula fixed ($100,000 salary · 5 years · 2 weeks/year · single · lump sum) and runs both states through the same single-filer lump-sum engine so the only moving piece is state tax law.
Indiana keeps about $385 more after modeled federal, state, and employee payroll tax. Most of that gap is state income tax ($952 in Illinois vs $567 in Indiana).
Use the package ladder for smaller or larger offers, then open each state calculator page to change filing status, installments, or PTO add-ons.
US severance is generally treated as wages for federal income tax and FICA. States with a wage income tax usually tax the package too; no-wage-tax states still show federal and payroll withholding.
For Illinois the vignette shows $2,736 total withheld ($1,784 federal/payroll stack + $952 state) and $16,495 net. For Indiana: $2,352 total / $16,879 net.
This is an annualized single-filer model on the lump sum as if it were the year’s only wage income for bracket purposes — payroll systems may withhold differently mid-year. Reconcile on the return.
Illinois is listed as “Full UI offset” and Indiana as “Verify with agency” for how severance interacts with unemployment insurance on our state pages.
A no-offset state can still withhold more income tax than a full-offset state. Tax and UI are separate decisions — lump sum vs installments often matter more for UI timing than for total income tax owed.
File for unemployment promptly and confirm current rules with each state agency; categories here are summaries, not claims advice.
Employer taxes, city wage taxes, negotiated extras (outplacement, COBRA subsidies), and equity acceleration are outside the vignette.
Installments that cross calendar years can change Social Security wage-base timing even when state tax looks similar.
Canada uses different rules (ESA / common law / retiring allowance) — use the Canada severance calculator for provinces.
Short definitions so package tax and UI rules do not get mixed up.
Gross is weeks × weekly pay (plus any modeled add-ons). Net here is gross minus modeled federal income tax, employee payroll, and state tax — about $16,495 in Illinois vs $16,879 in Indiana on the vignette.
Even in no-wage-tax states, federal income tax and FICA apply to severance. That is why both sides show substantial total withholding.
Describes whether severance delays or reduces unemployment benefits week-for-week. It does not change the income-tax engine on this page.
Total tax owed depends on the tax year(s) the income lands in. Installments can stretch a UI blackout in full-offset states even when the tax total is similar.
“No state income tax means almost no tax on severance.”
Federal income tax and FICA still apply. Illinois still models about $2,736 total withheld ($16,495 net) on this vignette.
“The state with better UI rules always wins on take-home.”
Illinois (Full UI offset) vs Indiana (Verify with agency) can diverge on UI timing while the paycheck tax ranking goes the other way. Read both columns.
“Withholding on the check equals final tax.”
Employers may use supplemental methods. Your return uses annual income, filing status, and credits — this page is a standardized single-filer model.
“The $100k / 5-year gap is the same for every package.”
The modeled net gap moves from about $92 on the small package to $1,731 on the large one — match the ladder to your offer.
Before treating the tax gap as a negotiation or move decision.
Compare any two states
Severance package net take-home at multiple package sizes on the ladder.
Single filer, lump sum, 2026 rules. Modeled federal income tax, employee payroll, and state wage tax. Unemployment-insurance offset categories are summaries — verify current rules with each state agency. Estimates, not tax advice.