Income Tax Calculator
Estimate your 2026 federal income tax from your income and filing status, with the 2026 tax brackets, standard deduction, effective rate and refund or amount owed.
Results
| Item | Value |
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Tax by bracket
| Rate | Income taxed | Tax |
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Quick Answer
Federal income tax is charged in brackets: each rate applies only to the income inside its band. In 2026, a single filer earning $85,000 with $6,000 of 401(k) contributions has taxable income of $62,900.00 after the $16,100 standard deduction, and owes about $8,550.00, an effective rate of 10.06%.
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Table of Contents
- Income Tax Calculator
- Quick Answer
- Related Calculators
- How This Income Tax Calculator Works
- How to Use the Income Tax Calculator
- Core Formulas
- Key Terms
- Worked Example
- Real-Life Examples
- Marginal Rate vs Effective Rate
- 2026 Tax Brackets
- Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Frequently Asked Questions
- References & Sources
How This Income Tax Calculator Works
Choose your filing status and enter your yearly income and any pre-tax deductions, such as 401(k) or HSA contributions. The calculator subtracts the larger of the 2026 standard deduction or your itemized deductions, applies the 2026 tax brackets one band at a time, subtracts any credits, and compares the result with the tax already withheld.
Quick explanation: moving into a higher bracket only taxes the extra income at the higher rate.
- Marginal rate: the rate on your last dollar of income.
- Effective rate: your total tax divided by your income.
- Credits: cut your tax dollar for dollar.
How to Use the Income Tax Calculator
- Choose your filing status.
- Enter your total yearly income before tax.
- Enter pre-tax deductions such as 401(k), HSA or traditional IRA contributions.
- Optionally, enter itemized deductions, credits and tax already withheld.
- Press Calculate and read your tax, rates and refund or amount owed.
Core Formulas
- Adjusted gross income: income − pre-tax deductions and adjustments
- Taxable income: AGI − the larger of the standard or itemized deduction
- Tax: the sum of each bracket’s rate × the income in that bracket
- Tax due: tax − credits
- Refund or owed: tax withheld − tax due
Key Terms
- Taxable income: income after deductions, which the brackets apply to.
- Standard deduction: a set amount you can subtract instead of itemizing.
- Itemized deductions: specific expenses, such as mortgage interest and charitable gifts, that you list instead of taking the standard deduction.
- Tax credit: an amount that reduces your tax directly.
- Marginal tax rate: the rate charged on the last dollar of taxable income.
Worked Example
A married couple filing jointly earns $150,000 and puts $10,000 into 401(k) plans.
- AGI = $140,000, and taxable income = $140,000 − $32,200 = $107,800.00
- Tax = 10% of $24,800 + 12% of $76,000 + 22% of $7,000.00 = $13,140.00
- That is an effective rate of 8.76% of their total income, with a 22% marginal rate
Real-Life Examples
- A raise: going from $85,000 to $95,000 as a single filer adds about $2,200.00 of federal tax, because the extra falls in the 22% bracket.
- A bigger 401(k): raising contributions from $6,000 to $12,000 saves about $1,320.00 of federal tax.
- Head of household: $70,000 with no pre-tax deductions gives tax of about $5,148.00, less than single filing at $6,570.00.
- Checking withholding: enter the tax withheld from your pay stubs to see if you are likely to get a refund.
Marginal Rate vs Effective Rate
- Marginal rate: the rate on your next dollar of income. Useful for judging raises and deductions.
- Effective rate: your average rate across all income. Usually far lower than the marginal rate.
- Example: a single filer can be in the 22% bracket and still pay about 10% of total income.
2026 Tax Brackets
Source: IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32. 2026 standard deduction: $16,100 single or married filing separately, $32,200 married filing jointly, $24,150 head of household.
| Rate | Single | Married filing jointly | Head of household | Married filing separately |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10% | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| 12% | $12,400 | $24,800 | $17,700 | $12,400 |
| 22% | $50,400 | $100,800 | $67,450 | $50,400 |
| 24% | $105,700 | $211,400 | $105,700 | $105,700 |
| 32% | $201,775 | $403,550 | $201,750 | $201,775 |
| 35% | $256,225 | $512,450 | $256,200 | $256,225 |
| 37% | $640,600 | $768,700 | $640,600 | $384,350 |
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Thinking a raise can lower take-home pay. Only the extra income is taxed at the higher rate.
- Forgetting pre-tax contributions. They lower taxable income.
- Mixing credits and deductions. A $1,000 credit saves $1,000, but a $1,000 deduction saves only your marginal rate.
- Ignoring state and payroll taxes. This tool shows federal income tax only.
- Using the wrong year. Brackets change each year with inflation.
Frequently Asked Questions
10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35% and 37%. For single filers, the 37% rate starts above $640,600, and for married couples filing jointly above $768,700.
$16,100 for single filers and married filing separately, $32,200 for married filing jointly, and $24,150 for heads of household.
Subtract deductions from income to get taxable income, then apply each bracket’s rate to the income inside that bracket and add them up.
Only the income above the bracket line is taxed at the higher rate. Your take-home pay still goes up.
The marginal rate applies to your last dollar. The effective rate is your total tax divided by your income.
Itemize only if your itemized deductions are larger than the standard deduction. This calculator uses whichever is larger.
No. Those payroll taxes are separate. See our Paycheck Calculator.
No. It estimates federal income tax only.
Refunds depend on withholding, credits, other income and deductions not included here.
Long-term capital gains and qualified dividends have their own lower rates. Use our Capital Gains Tax Calculator.
Common ones are traditional 401(k), 403(b), HSA and some health insurance payments taken from your pay before tax.
Returns for tax year 2026 are generally due in April 2027.
References & Sources
| Source | Used For | Link |
|---|---|---|
| IRS, Tax inflation adjustments for tax year 2026 | 2026 brackets and standard deductions. | https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-releases-tax-inflation-adjustments-for-tax-year-2026-including-amendments-from-the-one-big-beautiful-bill |
| IRS, Revenue Procedure 2025-32 | The official 2026 tax rate tables. | https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/rp-25-32.pdf |