๐งฎ Income Tax Calculator
Estimate your 2026 federal income tax with the official IRS brackets.
Estimated 2026 Federal Income Tax
Estimates for planning only, not financial advice. 2026 tax year (filed in 2027), IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32. Federal income tax only.
How Much Federal Income Tax Will You Pay?
Here is the direct answer: take your gross income, subtract pre-tax contributions like 401(k) deferrals, subtract the larger of the standard deduction or your itemized deductions, then apply the seven marginal rates (10% through 37%) to the slices of income inside each bracket. For 2026, a single filer earning $85,000 with no adjustments pays about $9,870 in federal income tax, an effective rate of 11.61 percent.
The part that surprises most people is how low the effective rate is compared to the marginal rate. You are almost certainly not paying "22 percent in taxes" even if you are in the 22 percent bracket. Keep reading and the difference will make sense.
How to Use This Calculator
Choose your filing status, enter gross income and any pre-tax adjustments like 401(k) contributions, then enter itemized deductions or leave zero to take the standard deduction. The calculator applies the official 2026 brackets and shows your tax, effective rate, marginal rate, and after-tax income.
Pick Single or Married Filing Jointly. The brackets and standard deduction change with your choice.
Enter Gross Income and Pre-Tax Adjustments such as traditional 401(k) contributions or HSA contributions, which lower adjusted gross income.
Enter Itemized Deductions if you itemize, or leave 0 to take the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100 single, $32,200 joint). The calculator uses whichever is larger.
Read your federal tax, effective and marginal rates, and after-tax income. Use the marginal rate for decisions like Roth vs traditional contributions.
The 2026 Federal Brackets
Each rate touches only the dollars inside its bracket. That is the whole trick to reading the table: being "$1 into the 24 percent bracket" costs you 24 cents, not 24 percent of everything. The joint brackets are exactly double the single brackets through the 32 percent bracket, then diverge at the top.
| Rate | Single taxable income | Married filing jointly |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $0 - $12,400 | $0 - $24,800 |
| 12% | $12,401 - $50,400 | $24,801 - $100,800 |
| 22% | $50,401 - $105,700 | $100,801 - $211,400 |
| 24% | $105,701 - $201,775 | $211,401 - $403,550 |
| 32% | $201,776 - $256,225 | $403,551 - $512,450 |
| 35% | $256,226 - $640,600 | $512,451 - $768,700 |
| 37% | Over $640,600 | Over $768,700 |
These are the 2026 tax-year brackets from IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32, for income earned in 2026 and filed in 2027. The seven rates did not change; only the thresholds moved with inflation.
Marginal vs Effective Rate: The Comparison That Matters
Your marginal rate is the rate on your last dollar, the number that drives decisions like Roth vs traditional contributions or whether overtime is worth it. Your effective rate is total tax divided by total income, always lower, and it is the number that describes your actual burden. Confusing the two leads to bad decisions, like turning down a raise for fear of "moving into a higher bracket."
Our $85,000 example makes it concrete: the marginal rate is 22 percent but the effective rate is 11.61 percent, barely half. A raise that pushes $5,000 of income from the 22 percent bracket into the 24 percent bracket costs only $100 extra in tax (2 percent of $5,000), not 24 percent of your whole salary. There is no cliff. Brackets are stairs, and you only pay the higher rate on the step you just climbed.
What Lowers Your Taxable Income
Not all deductions are equal. Here is how the common ones compare, because where you put your money changes your tax bill.
| Move | What it does | 2026 limit to know |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional 401(k) contribution | Lowers AGI dollar for dollar | $24,500 employee |
| HSA contribution | Lowers AGI; triple tax-advantaged | Check IRS for current year |
| Traditional IRA contribution | Lowers AGI if deductible | $7,500; phases out with work plan |
| Standard deduction | Lowers taxable income automatically | $16,100 single / $32,200 joint |
| Itemized deductions | Beats standard only if larger | Mortgage interest, SALT cap, charity |
My practical advice: max out pre-tax 401(k) contributions before you spend energy on itemizing, because payroll deferrals lower your AGI, which also helps with phase-outs and credits that key off AGI. Itemizing is worth the paperwork only when your mortgage interest, state and local taxes (subject to the SALT cap), and charitable gifts clearly exceed the standard deduction.
Worked Example
A single filer earns $85,000 in 2026, makes no pre-tax adjustments, and takes the $16,100 standard deduction. Taxable income = 85000 - 16100 = $68,900. The tax is 10 percent of the first $12,400 ($1,240), plus 12 percent of the next $38,000 ($4,560), plus 22 percent of the remaining $18,500 ($4,070), for $9,870 total. The effective rate is 9870 / 85000 = 11.61 percent, the marginal rate is 22 percent, and after-tax income is $75,130.
What This Leaves Out
Federal income tax is only one layer. State income taxes, Social Security and Medicare payroll taxes, the 0.9 percent additional Medicare tax and 3.8 percent net investment income tax at higher incomes, the alternative minimum tax, and credits like the $2,200 Child Tax Credit all sit outside this estimate. Treat the result as your federal income tax baseline, then layer the rest on for the full picture.
Keep Exploring
See how tax rates drive the Roth vs traditional 401(k) decision and the IRA choice, plan your savings around after-tax income with the 50/30/20 budget planner, and build an emergency cushion with the emergency fund calculator.
Estimates for planning only, not financial advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which tax year do these brackets apply to?
These are the 2026 federal brackets from IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32, announced in October 2025: the rates that apply to income you earn in 2026, on the return you file in 2027. The seven rates are unchanged at 10, 12, 22, 24, 32, 35, and 37 percent; only the income thresholds moved with inflation.
How do tax brackets actually work?
Brackets are marginal: each rate applies only to the income inside that bracket, never to your whole income. A single filer with $83,900 of taxable income pays 10 percent on the first $12,400, 12 percent on the next slice up to $50,400, and 22 percent only on the last $33,500. Moving into a higher bracket never taxes your earlier dollars more.
What is the 2026 standard deduction?
For 2026 it is $16,100 for single filers and married filing separately, $32,200 for married filing jointly, and $24,150 for heads of household. You subtract the larger of the standard deduction or your itemized deductions from your adjusted gross income to get taxable income. Taxpayers 65 or older or blind get an additional amount.
What is the difference between marginal and effective tax rate?
Your marginal rate is the rate on your last dollar of income, the number that matters for decisions like Roth conversions. Your effective rate is total tax divided by total income, always lower. Our single $85,000 example has a 22 percent marginal rate but only an 11.61 percent effective rate.
Does this include state taxes, Social Security, or Medicare?
No. This calculator covers federal income tax only. State income tax, Social Security tax (6.2 percent on wages up to the $184,500 wage base for 2026), Medicare tax (1.45 percent plus 0.9 percent over $200,000 single / $250,000 joint), and credits like the Child Tax Credit are all separate. Your true total tax bill is higher than the federal income tax shown here.
Should I use the standard deduction or itemize?
Take whichever is larger. For 2026, itemizing usually wins only if your mortgage interest, state and local taxes (subject to the SALT cap), and charitable gifts exceed $16,100 single or $32,200 joint. This calculator lets you enter an itemized total and automatically uses the larger of the two.
When are 2026 federal taxes due?
The 2026 tax return is due April 15, 2027, the standard filing deadline. If you need more time, you can file for an automatic six-month extension to October 15, but that extends only the paperwork, not the payment: any tax you owe is still due April 15 to avoid interest and penalties.
Are Social Security benefits taxed?
Yes, depending on your income. If your combined income (AGI plus half your benefits plus tax-free interest) exceeds $25,000 single or $32,000 joint, up to 50 percent of benefits can be taxable; above $34,000 single or $44,000 joint, up to 85 percent can be taxable. These thresholds are not inflation-adjusted, so more retirees get caught each year.
What is the additional Medicare tax?
High earners pay an extra 0.9 percent Medicare tax on wages and self-employment income above $200,000 for single filers and $250,000 for joint filers, on top of the standard 1.45 percent. Unlike the base Medicare tax, the employer does not match the additional 0.9 percent. There is also a 3.8 percent net investment income tax on investment income above the same thresholds.
How are long-term capital gains taxed in 2026?
Gains on assets held more than a year get preferential rates of 0, 15, or 20 percent based on taxable income, instead of ordinary rates. For 2026, the 0 percent rate covers single filers with taxable income up to about $49,450 and joint filers up to about $98,900. Sell within a year and the gain is taxed as ordinary income at your regular bracket.