Income Tax Calculator
Estimate your 2026 federal income tax, effective rate, and marginal bracket from taxable income and filing status.
What is an income tax calculator?
A federal income tax calculator applies the IRS tax brackets to your taxable income and reports the tax you owe, what is left after tax, your effective rate (tax as a share of income) and your marginal bracket (the rate on your next dollar). Enter your filing status and taxable income above; this calculator uses the 2026 tax year brackets, for returns filed in early 2027.
The one thing to get right is the input: the calculator wants taxable income — what is left after subtracting adjustments and your standard or itemised deduction from gross income — not your salary. The section below shows how to get from one to the other.
2026 federal income tax brackets
| Rate | Single | Married filing jointly | Married filing separately | Head of household |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10% | $0 – $12,400 | $0 – $24,800 | $0 – $12,400 | $0 – $17,700 |
| 12% | $12,400 – $50,400 | $24,800 – $100,800 | $12,400 – $50,400 | $17,700 – $67,450 |
| 22% | $50,400 – $105,700 | $100,800 – $211,400 | $50,400 – $105,700 | $67,450 – $105,700 |
| 24% | $105,700 – $201,775 | $211,400 – $403,550 | $105,700 – $201,775 | $105,700 – $201,775 |
| 32% | $201,775 – $256,225 | $403,550 – $512,450 | $201,775 – $256,225 | $201,775 – $256,200 |
| 35% | $256,225 – $640,600 | $512,450 – $768,700 | $256,225 – $384,350 | $256,200 – $640,600 |
| 37% | over $640,600 | over $768,700 | over $384,350 | over $640,600 |
Brackets are marginal: each rate applies only to the slice of income inside its range. A single filer with $80,000 of taxable income pays 10% on the first $12,400, 12% on the next $38,000, and 22% only on the last $29,600 — a total of $12,312, or 15.4% of income, even though they are "in the 22% bracket". Moving into a higher bracket never makes you worse off overall.
From gross income to taxable income
- Gross income — wages, self-employment income, interest, dividends, capital gains, rental income, taxable retirement withdrawals.
- Minus adjustments ("above-the-line" deductions) — traditional 401(k) and IRA contributions, HSA contributions, student-loan interest (up to $2,500), half of self-employment tax, educator expenses. The result is adjusted gross income (AGI).
- Minus the standard deduction — for 2026: $16,100 single or married filing separately, $32,200 married filing jointly, $24,150 head of household; taxpayers 65 or older or blind add an extra amount, and the 2025 tax law added a further deduction of up to $6,000 for those 65 and over through 2028. About nine in ten filers take the standard deduction; itemise instead only if mortgage interest, state and local taxes (capped), charitable gifts and medical expenses above 7.5% of AGI add up to more.
- = Taxable income — the number to enter above.
So a single worker earning $100,000 with no other adjustments has taxable income of $83,900 and owes about $13,170 — an effective rate of 13.2% on gross pay.
Effective vs marginal rate
| Taxable income (single) | Federal tax | Effective rate | Marginal bracket |
|---|---|---|---|
| $30,000 | $3,352 | 11.2% | 12% |
| $50,000 | $5,752 | 11.5% | 12% |
| $80,000 | $12,312 | 15.4% | 22% |
| $120,000 | $21,398 | 17.8% | 24% |
| $200,000 | $40,598 | 20.3% | 24% |
The marginal rate is the one that matters for decisions — how much a raise, a bonus, a 401(k) contribution or a deduction is worth. The effective rate is the one that describes your overall burden.
What this calculator leaves out
- Tax credits, which reduce the tax bill dollar for dollar after it is computed: the child tax credit ($2,200 per qualifying child for 2026), the earned income credit, education credits, the child and dependent care credit, and the saver's credit. Subtract any you qualify for from the result.
- Long-term capital gains and qualified dividends, taxed at separate 0%, 15% and 20% rates rather than the brackets above (see the FAQ).
- Payroll taxes — Social Security and Medicare (7.65%) are separate; see the paycheck calculator.
- State and local income tax, the alternative minimum tax, the net investment income tax, and self-employment tax.
Formula
Federal income tax is computed slice by slice:
Tax = Σ (income within each bracket × that bracket's rate)
For a single filer with taxable income I in 2026:
- 10% × min(I, 12,400)
- + 12% × the part of I between 12,400 and 50,400
- + 22% × the part between 50,400 and 105,700
- + 24% × the part between 105,700 and 201,775 … and so on up to 37% above 640,600
Effective rate = tax ÷ taxable income × 100. Marginal bracket = the rate of the highest bracket your income reaches. After-tax income = taxable income − tax (before credits, payroll and state taxes).
Worked example
Single filer, $80,000 taxable income, tax year 2026:
- First $12,400 at 10% = $1,240
- Next $38,000 (12,400 → 50,400) at 12% = $4,560
- Remaining $29,600 (50,400 → 80,000) at 22% = $6,512
- Total tax = $12,312; after-tax income $67,688
- Effective rate = 12,312 ÷ 80,000 = 15.4%; marginal bracket 22%
Married filing jointly, $150,000 taxable income: $2,480 + $9,120 + $10,824 = $22,424, an effective rate of 14.9%, marginal bracket 22%.
If the single filer above earned $80,000 in wages, their taxable income after the $16,100 standard deduction would be $63,900 and the tax $8,770 — the difference between entering gross pay and taxable income.
How to use this calculator
- Choose your filing status: single, married filing jointly, married filing separately, or head of household (unmarried with a qualifying dependant).
- Enter your taxable income — gross income minus adjustments and minus the standard deduction ($16,100 / $32,200 / $24,150 for 2026) or your itemised total. Last year's return shows it on Form 1040, line 15.
- Read the federal tax, after-tax income, effective rate and marginal bracket.
- Subtract any tax credits you qualify for from the tax figure to get your final liability, then compare with the tax withheld on your W-2 to estimate a refund or balance due.
Using the marginal rate
- A raise or bonus is taxed at your marginal rate: in the 22% bracket, $5,000 extra keeps about $3,900 before payroll tax.
- A traditional 401(k) or IRA contribution saves your marginal rate: $6,000 contributed in the 22% bracket cuts tax by $1,320.
- A deduction is worth its amount times the marginal rate; a credit is worth its full face value — which is why a $2,200 credit beats a $2,200 deduction by a wide margin.
- Bracket management — retirees and the self-employed can time income (Roth conversions, capital gains, invoicing) to fill up a low bracket without spilling into the next.
Related tools
- Paycheck calculator — take-home pay including FICA and state tax
- Sales tax calculator
- 401(k) calculator — the tax-deferred growth that pre-tax contributions buy
- Percentage calculator
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between marginal and effective tax rate?
The marginal rate is the rate on your last (or next) dollar — the bracket you are "in". The effective rate is total tax divided by income, and is always lower because the earlier dollars were taxed at lower rates. A single filer with $80,000 of taxable income is in the 22% bracket but pays 15.4% overall. Use the marginal rate for decisions and the effective rate to describe your burden.
What is taxable income?
Gross income minus "above-the-line" adjustments (traditional 401(k)/IRA and HSA contributions, student-loan interest, half of self-employment tax) minus either the standard deduction — $16,100 single, $32,200 married filing jointly, $24,150 head of household for 2026 — or your itemised deductions. It appears on line 15 of Form 1040. A $100,000 salary with no other adjustments is $83,900 of taxable income.
Does this include state income tax?
No — federal only. Nine states have no wage income tax (Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wyoming); the rest levy 2%–13% with their own brackets and deductions, and some cities add more. The paycheck calculator lets you add a state rate.
Are long-term capital gains taxed at these rates?
No. Gains on assets held more than a year, and qualified dividends, are taxed at 0%, 15% or 20% depending on taxable income — for 2026 the 0% rate applies up to about $49,450 of taxable income for single filers and $98,900 for joint filers, and the 15% rate up to about $545,500 and $613,700, with 20% above that. Short-term gains (held a year or less) are taxed as ordinary income at the bracket rates above. High earners also owe a 3.8% net investment income tax.
Why is my refund different from what this calculator shows?
This calculator computes tax on taxable income before credits. Your refund is the tax withheld from your paychecks minus your final tax after credits — so a refund means you over-withheld, not that you paid little tax. Child tax credits, education credits and the earned income credit can turn a computed tax of several thousand dollars into a refund. Adjust your W-4 if you routinely get a large refund and would rather have the money during the year.
What is the standard deduction for 2026?
$16,100 for single and married-filing-separately filers, $32,200 for married filing jointly, and $24,150 for head of household. Taxpayers who are 65 or older or blind get an additional amount, and the 2025 tax law added a further deduction of up to $6,000 per person aged 65 and over for tax years 2025–2028, subject to income limits. Itemise only if your deductible expenses exceed these figures.
Which filing status should I use?
Single if unmarried on December 31 with no dependants; married filing jointly if married (nearly always cheaper than filing separately); head of household if unmarried, paying more than half the cost of a home, and supporting a qualifying dependant — its brackets and standard deduction are noticeably better than single. Married filing separately makes sense only in narrow cases, such as income-driven student-loan repayment or separating liability from a spouse.
Do tax brackets change every year?
Yes — the IRS adjusts the bracket thresholds and standard deduction for inflation each autumn for the following tax year. The 2026 figures on this page are for income earned in 2026 and returns filed in early 2027. The rates themselves (10% to 37%) were made permanent by the 2025 tax law; only the dollar thresholds move.