US Income Tax Calculator
Estimate your 2026 US federal income tax in seconds. Pick your filing status, enter your income, and see your taxable income, total federal tax, marginal bracket and effective tax rate — all using the official 2026 IRS brackets and standard deductions.
US income tax calculator
Estimate your 2026 federal income tax by filing status, with marginal vs effective rate.
FAQs
What is the difference between marginal and effective tax rate?
Your marginal rate is the rate applied to your last dollar of income — the bracket you fall into. Your effective rate is total tax divided by total income, and it is always lower because earlier dollars were taxed at lower rates.
Does this include state income tax?
No. This estimates federal income tax only, using the 2026 IRS brackets and standard deduction. State taxes vary widely — nine states have no income tax at all, while others add their own brackets on top.
How it works
Enter your gross annual income and choose your filing status: single, married filing jointly, married filing separately, or head of household. The calculator subtracts the correct 2026 standard deduction — $16,100 single, $32,200 married filing jointly, $16,100 married filing separately, $24,150 head of household — to get your taxable income.
It then applies the seven 2026 federal brackets (10% through 37%) progressively: only the slice of income inside each bracket is taxed at that bracket's rate. That is why your effective rate is always lower than your marginal rate (the rate on your last dollar earned).
Example: a single filer earning $75,000 subtracts the $16,100 standard deduction, leaving $58,900 taxable. The first $12,400 is taxed at 10% ($1,240), the next $38,000 at 12% ($4,560), and the remaining $8,500 at 22% ($1,870) — for a total of $7,670, an effective rate of about 10.2%.
This is a simplified federal-only estimate. It excludes state and local taxes, tax credits, itemized deductions, AMT, and payroll taxes like Social Security and Medicare.
How the 2026 Federal Brackets Work
The US taxes income progressively across seven brackets: 10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35% and 37%. For 2026, a single filer pays 10% on the first $12,400 of taxable income, 12% up to $50,400, 22% up to $105,700, and so on. Married couples filing jointly get roughly double the thresholds.
The key insight: moving into a higher bracket never taxes your whole income at the higher rate — only the dollars above the threshold. Earning more always leaves you with more after tax.
Standard Deduction vs Itemizing
For 2026 the standard deduction is $16,100 (single), $32,200 (married filing jointly) and $24,150 (head of household). You subtract it from income before brackets apply. Itemizing only beats it if your mortgage interest, state taxes and charitable gifts add up to more.
Most filers take the standard deduction — it is simpler and, since the 2017 tax changes roughly doubled it, usually the better deal.
Why Your Refund Is Not a Bonus
A tax refund just means you overpaid through withholding during the year. Getting $2,400 back feels good, but it was an interest-free loan to the government. Adjusting your W-4 withholding puts that money in each paycheck instead, where it can earn interest or pay down debt.
Use this calculator with different income figures to see how a raise or bonus actually flows through to your take-home pay.