Dedication.
In a statement issued by Mike Evans’ fearmonger agent Deryk Gilmore yesterday, after it was learned Evans was bound for the 49ers, Gilmore (if you believe him) made it clear the Bucs were very much in the running to keep Evans.
However, per Gilmore, Evans wants another ring. You don’t have to be Thomas Edison to put two-and-two together to figure out Evans didn’t believe the Bucs can make a Super Bowl run.
“Third-and-28!“
So Joe did something rare: He used an AI bot, Grok, to determine how much Evans really wants to chase a Super Bowl. It seems, if you base Evans’ average salary of $30 million a year, and if he finishes the three-year term of his contract with San Francisco, Evans will get gouged by California state income taxes in the ballpark range of some $15 million over the length of the contract.
Joe is sure his accounting friends who read this site will have fun with Grok’s calculations. See below.
Now Joe has to be upfront: One reason he doesn’t use Grok, ChatGPT, Claude, Genesis or some other bot much (like maybe once a year) is that, at least in March 2026, these AI bots are notoriously inaccurate. One reason may be that these bots sift Reddit for information. Hell, anyone can throw something on Reddit and post it.
So, yeah, if Evans is willing to cough up roughly $15 million over the next three years, man, you really, really want to win a Super Bowl.
Joe asked the AI bot “Grok” to determine how much California state income tax Evans would have to pay on $30 million, his reported average salary with the 49ers. Florida, of course, has no state income taxes (nor does Texas, where Evans lives).
A married resident of Texas with four children works in California for a year and his salary is $30 million. What would his take home pay be before federal taxes?
The scenario involves a Texas resident (nonresident of California) who is married with four children, working in California for the full year earning a $30 million salary (all California-source income from services performed there).
California taxes nonresidents on their California-source income using the same tax rates, brackets, deductions, and surcharges as residents, typically via Form 540NR.
“Take home pay before federal taxes” refers to the net amount after California state withholdings/deductions, primarily California state income tax and State Disability Insurance (SDI) (a payroll tax/insurance contribution). Other potential withholdings (e.g., federal income tax, FICA) are excluded per the question.
Key 2025 California details (for income earned in 2025, filed in 2026):
Standard deduction (married filing jointly): $11,412 (this is California’s relatively low standard deduction; itemized deductions could be higher but are assumed not to apply significantly here beyond basics, as no other details are given).
Taxable income for California purposes ≈ $30,000,000 – $11,412 ≈ $29,988,588 (negligible adjustment at this scale; no dependent exemptions/credits materially impact high earners like this, and child-related credits phase out long before $30M).
Tax brackets for married filing jointly (Schedule Y): Progressive from 1% up to 12.3% (top bracket starts at taxable income over $1,485,906).
Mental Health Services Tax surcharge: Additional 1% on taxable income over $1 million (threshold is $1M regardless of filing status; it applies to the excess amount).
Effective top marginal rate: 13.3% (12.3% + 1%) on amounts well above $1M.
SDI: Employee withholding rate is 1.2% on all wages (no cap in 2025 or later, per Senate Bill 951 changes effective 2024 onward).
To compute:
California state income tax:
The first ~$1 million of taxable income is taxed at graduated rates up to 12.3%, resulting in roughly $100,000–$130,000 in tax on that portion (exact calculation uses the bracket formula, but it’s a tiny fraction of total).
The remaining ~$29 million is effectively at 13.3%.
Precise tax ≈ tax on brackets up to $1,485,906 (around $150,000–$180,000 total base tax on first $1.5M) + 12.3% on amounts between top bracket start and $1M excess portions, but overwhelmingly dominated by 13.3% on nearly all income.
Approximate total state income tax: 13.3% × $30,000,000 ≈ $3,990,000 (slightly less due to graduated lower brackets on the first ~$1–1.5M, but the reduction is only about $30,000–$50,000 at most—negligible at this income level).
SDI withholding: 1.2% × $30,000,000 = $360,000.
Total California deductions/withholdings ≈ $3,990,000 (income tax) + $360,000 (SDI) = $4,350,000.
Take-home pay before federal taxes = $30,000,000 – $4,350,000 ≈ $25,650,000.
This is an approximation (very accurate for practical purposes at $30M). Exact tax would require the full bracket computation from the official 2025 FTB tax rate schedules (Schedule Y for married jointly), but the effective rate is essentially 13.3% + 1.2% SDI = 14.5% total California bite, or about $4.35 million withheld.
Note: This assumes W-2 wage income (employee), no significant other deductions/credits, no California itemized deductions exceeding the standard, and full-year California sourcing. If self-employed (not salary), different rules apply (e.g., no SDI cap issue but potential other taxes). In reality, high earners often optimize via planning, but based on the given facts, California would withhold/collect roughly $4.35 million in state taxes and SDI.
Thus, the approximate take-home pay after California state deductions but before any federal taxes or other withholdings is $25.65 million. For precise filing, use FTB tools or a tax advisor, especially for nonresident allocation on Form 540NR.
Statement from Mike Evans’ agent Deryk Gilmore:
After twelve remarkable seasons in Tampa Bay, Mike Evans felt a desire to challenge himself with a new chapter in the final stage of his career. Throughout his entire career he has pushed himself to grow, compete, and evolve as a…
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 9, 2026
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“Third-And-28!”