Local guides / Colorado / Aurora
Bartenders & Servers in Aurora, CO: taxes and retirement for 2026
For bartenders, servers, baristas and other workers paid largely in tips in Aurora, CO. Colorado has a flat 4.4% state income tax for 2026. Here are the 2026 rules, a worked example and the official sources.
What's different in Aurora
- Local income tax
- No city income tax in Aurora.
- City of Aurora sales and use tax (home-rule, collected by the city)
- The City's rate table (reviewed Jan. 1, 2026) shows a 3.75% city rate and combined rates of 8.00% (Arapahoe), 8.50% (Adams) and 8.75% (Douglas). The tax applies to retail sales or rentals of tangible goods and certain services. Returns are filed with Aurora by the 20th of the month after each period, monthly, quarterly or annually depending on taxable sales.
- City business license
- Any person, including a sole proprietor, who conducts business activities in Aurora or has employees working in the city must have an Aurora business license.
- Also worth knowing
- Aurora's Occupational Privilege Tax ($2 per month from employees earning $250 or more a month, plus a $2 employer match) was repealed effective Jan. 1, 2025, so it no longer applies (https://www.auroragov.org/business_services/taxes/occupational_privilege_tax). With that repeal, no other Aurora income or payroll tax was found. The Tax Foundation lists Colorado only among states where some localities levy payroll or flat-rate wage taxes, not city income taxes (secondary source) (https://taxfoundation.org/data/all/state/state-income-tax-rates). No city-specific gig or freelance worker law was found.
Colorado rules for bartenders & servers
- State income tax (2026)
- Colorado has a flat 4.4% state income tax for 2026. The statutory rate is 4.40% (Proposition 121, starting tax year 2022), and the 2026 DR 0104EP worksheet figures estimated tax at 4.4%. Under SB24-228 (tax years 2024 through 2034), the rate can be temporarily lowered for a tax year when TABOR surplus revenue passes set thresholds. The 2026 estimated tax form does not reflect any reduction for 2026.
- State estimated tax
- You generally must pay estimated tax if you expect to owe more than $1,000 in net Colorado tax for 2026 after withholding and credits. The required annual payment is the smaller of 70% of your 2026 tax or 100% of your 2025 tax (110% if your 2025 federal AGI was over $150,000). Same dates as federal: April 15, June 15, and September 15, 2026, and January 15, 2027. Form DR 0104EP.
- Minimum wage (2026)
- $15.16 an hour; tipped cash wage $12.14 an hour. The maximum tip credit is $3.02. Local 2026 minimums: Denver $19.29 ($16.27 tipped), Edgewater $18.17 ($13.50 tipped), City of Boulder $16.82 ($13.80 tipped), and unincorporated Boulder County $16.82. CDLE announced on August 13, 2026 that the state rate rises to $15.71 ($12.69 tipped) in 2027.
- Unemployment insurance independent contractor test (C.R.S. 8-70-115)
- A worker is presumed to be in covered employment unless shown to be free from control and direction and customarily engaged in an independent trade or business related to the work. A signed written contract with the statutory clauses and a bold disclosure (no unemployment benefits; contractor pays own income taxes) creates a rebuttable presumption of independent contractor status.
- Delivery network company driver protections (HB24-1129, C.R.S. 8-4-126)
- Since January 1, 2025, delivery apps must show drivers and customers what the customer paid and what the driver receives, along with delivery distances. They must pass through 100% of tips and cannot cut base pay because of a tip. They must also publish a written deactivation policy with a challenge process and give drivers at least 60 seconds to accept an offer.
- Transportation network company transparency (SB24-075, C.R.S. 8-4-127)
- Rideshare companies must tell drivers and riders what the rider paid and what the driver was paid. Since June 1, 2025, they must follow a written deactivation and suspension policy with a reconsideration process, and starting October 1, 2025, a state-certified driver support organization can represent drivers in deactivation and suspension cases.
- State retirement program
- Colorado SecureSavings is live. It is built around W-2 employers and does not cover 1099 contractors through the employer mandate; self-employed residents can enroll on their own.
Federal rules for 2026
No tax on tips (2025 to 2028)
Eligible workers in occupations that customarily receive tips can deduct up to $25,000 of qualified tips a year from federal taxable income, whether or not they itemize. The deduction shrinks for modified AGI over $150,000 ($300,000 joint). It is income tax only: Social Security and Medicare still apply to tips.
Tips must be reported
Employees must report cash tips of $20 or more in a month to their employer by the 10th of the next month. Tips you did not report go on Form 4137. Only reported tips count toward the deduction.
Overtime deduction
W-2 workers who are owed overtime under federal law can also deduct the overtime premium, up to $12,500 a year ($25,000 joint), with the same income phase-out.
Roth IRA
Without a workplace plan, a Roth IRA lets you save up to $7,500 in 2026 ($8,600 at 50 or older) and withdraw qualified money tax-free in retirement, subject to income limits.
A worked example
| Tips deduction | $15,000 |
|---|---|
| Federal income tax without the deduction | $3,220 |
| Federal income tax with it | $1,420 |
| Federal income tax saved | $1,800 |
Single filer, standard deduction, 2026 brackets. Payroll taxes on tips are unchanged. Computed from 2026 IRS limits (Notice 2025-67, Rev. Proc. 2025-32) and the SSA wage base.
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Questions
Is there a local income tax in Aurora?
No city income tax applies in Aurora. Colorado has a flat 4.4% state income tax for 2026.
What local business taxes apply to self-employed bartenders & servers in Aurora?
City of Aurora sales and use tax (home-rule, collected by the city): The City's rate table (reviewed Jan. 1, 2026) shows a 3.75% city rate and combined rates of 8.00% (Arapahoe), 8.50% (Adams) and 8.75% (Douglas). The tax applies to retail sales or rentals of tangible goods and certain services. Returns are filed with Aurora by the 20th of the month after each period, monthly, quarterly or annually depending on taxable sales.
Do I need a business license to freelance from home in Aurora?
Any person, including a sole proprietor, who conducts business activities in Aurora or has employees working in the city must have an Aurora business license.
Do bartenders & servers in Colorado pay state income tax?
Colorado has a flat 4.4% state income tax for 2026. The statutory rate is 4.40% (Proposition 121, starting tax year 2022), and the 2026 DR 0104EP worksheet figures estimated tax at 4.4%. Under SB24-228 (tax years 2024 through 2034), the rate can be temporarily lowered for a tax year when TABOR surplus revenue passes set thresholds. The 2026 estimated tax form does not reflect any reduction for 2026.
When are Colorado estimated tax payments due for 2026?
You generally must pay estimated tax if you expect to owe more than $1,000 in net Colorado tax for 2026 after withholding and credits. The required annual payment is the smaller of 70% of your 2026 tax or 100% of your 2025 tax (110% if your 2025 federal AGI was over $150,000). Same dates as federal: April 15, June 15, and September 15, 2026, and January 15, 2027. The state form is DR 0104EP.
What is the tipped minimum wage in Colorado in 2026?
Colorado's 2026 minimum wage is $15.16 an hour. Employers may pay tipped workers a cash wage of $12.14 an hour as long as tips bring them to the full minimum. The maximum tip credit is $3.02. Local 2026 minimums: Denver $19.29 ($16.27 tipped), Edgewater $18.17 ($13.50 tipped), City of Boulder $16.82 ($13.80 tipped), and unincorporated Boulder County $16.82. CDLE announced on August 13, 2026 that the state rate rises to $15.71 ($12.69 tipped) in 2027.
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Sources
- tax.colorado.gov/individual-income-tax-FAQ
- tax.colorado.gov/sites/tax/files/documents/DR_0104EP_2026.pdf
- cdle.colorado.gov/dlss
- cdle.colorado.gov/independent-contractors
- leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb24-1129
- leg.colorado.gov/bills/sb24-075
- www.auroragov.org/business_services/taxes/sales_tax
- www.auroragov.org/business_services/licenses___permits/business_licensing
State and local facts researched from official sources and independently re-checked; last verified October 2026, next scheduled review 2027-01-02. Educational information for 2026, not tax, legal or investment advice. Rules change; check the official sources listed and a tax professional for your situation. Gigaverse AI, Inc. is a financial technology company, not a bank, and not itself a registered investment adviser or broker-dealer.