Tax Bracket Calculator

Calculate US federal income tax by bracket for 2024–2026.

Taxable income ($)

Tax year

Filing status

Subtract standard deduction (— for 2026)

Total Tax

$11,212.00

Effective Rate

14.95%

Marginal Rate

22%

Bracket	Rate	Taxable	Tax
$0.00 – $12,400.00	10%	$12,400.00	$1,240.00
$12,400.00 – $50,400.00	12%	$38,000.00	$4,560.00
$50,400.00 – $105,700.00	22%	$24,600.00	$5,412.00
Total			$11,212.00

How US federal tax brackets work

The US has a progressive tax system — you pay a lower rate on income up to each threshold, not a flat rate on all income. For example, if you earn $50,000 as a single filer in 2025, you pay 10% on the first $11,925, 12% on $11,925–$48,475, and 22% on the remainder. The effective rate is your total tax divided by your income; the marginal rate is the rate on your last dollar earned. Brackets are for federal income tax only — state taxes vary separately.

For payroll and net-salary calculations, see the Net Salary Calculator.

Built and maintained by Meet Shah · Last updated 14 August 2026

What this tool is used for

Seeing how income is taxed across brackets rather than at one rate.
Understanding the difference between a marginal and an effective rate.
Estimating tax before a return is prepared.
Comparing two income levels on total tax.
Checking a withholding figure against the brackets.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does moving into a higher bracket raise the tax on all my income?: No, and this is the single most common misunderstanding about progressive tax. Each rate applies only to the income inside its own band. A single filer earning $50,000 in 2025 pays 10% on the first $11,925, 12% up to $48,475 and 22% on the remaining $1,525 — a raise never leaves you with less take-home pay.
What is the difference between the marginal and effective rate?: The marginal rate is what the next dollar is taxed at; the effective rate is total tax ÷ total income. For that $50,000 example the marginal rate is 22% but the effective rate is around 10.5%. Use marginal for a decision at the edge — a bonus, an extra shift — and effective to describe your bill.
Which standard deduction figures does it use?: The enacted ones. For 2025 that is $15,750 single and $31,500 married filing jointly as amended by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of July 2025, not the $15,000/$30,000 originally announced. For 2026 it is $16,100 and $32,200 from Rev. Proc. 2025-32. It comes off before the brackets apply.
Why are the married-filing-separately bands half of the joint ones?: Because §1(j) defines them that way — the separate thresholds are literally half the joint figures, so the 37% band starts at $384,350 in 2026 against $768,700 jointly. The exception is the single filer, whose top band starts at $640,600, which is where the high-income marriage penalty comes from.
What does this calculation deliberately leave out?: Federal income tax is all it covers. There is no FICA (7.65% on wages up to the Social Security cap), no state or local income tax, no itemised deductions, no credits and no alternative minimum tax. It answers what the brackets do to a given taxable income, which is a component of your bill rather than the bill.

Common errors and gotchas

Applying the top marginal rate to the whole income, which is how brackets are most commonly misunderstood.
Ignoring deductions and credits, which change taxable income substantially.
Using federal brackets alone where state or local tax also applies.
Using the wrong year's brackets, which change annually.
Treating the estimate as a filing, which only a prepared return provides.