Tax Calculator 2026
Last Updated:
Estimate your federal income tax by filing status, plus state tax and FICA, using 2026 IRS tax brackets. Shows effective rate and take-home pay.
Quick answer: Federal income tax uses marginal brackets. For 2026 single filers, that is 10% up to $12,400, rising in steps to 37% above $640,600 (IRS). A $70,000 taxable income owes about $10,112 in federal tax, an effective rate of 14.4%, well below the 22% marginal bracket it falls into.
Estimated Take-Home Pay
$0
Based on the 2026 single filing status brackets and standard deduction. For estimation only. Consult a tax professional for advice.
📐 Formula
Federal Tax = Sum of (taxable income in each bracket × bracket rate), where Taxable Income = Gross Income − Standard Deduction. This calculator's Effective Rate = (Federal Tax + State Tax + FICA) ÷ Gross Income × 100
How to Use the Tax Calculator
Choose your filing status
Pick single, married filing jointly, head of household, or married filing separately. The brackets and the standard deduction change with your choice.
Enter your annual income
Input your total gross annual income before any deductions. Include salary, freelance income, and other taxable earnings.
Check the standard deduction
The 2026 standard deduction is $16,100 for single and married filing separately, $24,150 for head of household, and $32,200 for married filing jointly. Leave the field blank to use it, or type your own total if you plan to itemize.
Enter your state tax rate
Input your state's flat income tax rate, or an estimate of your effective state rate if your state uses brackets. If your state has no income tax on wages, leave the field blank or enter 0.
Review effective rate and take-home
The calculator shows federal tax, state tax, FICA and take-home pay. Its effective rate is total tax divided by gross income, so it includes state tax and FICA and runs higher than the federal-only rate in the worked example below.
How Does the US Federal Income Tax System Work?
The US uses a progressive marginal tax system: different portions of your income get taxed at different rates. You don't pay the top rate on all your income, only on the income that falls inside that top bracket. Your paycheck withholding is a separate estimate of the same tax: the Paycheck Calculator shows it per pay period.
2026 Federal Income Tax Brackets by Filing Status
| Tax rate | Single | Married filing jointly | Head of household | Married filing separately |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10% | $0 to $12,400 | $0 to $24,800 | $0 to $17,700 | $0 to $12,400 |
| 12% | $12,401 to $50,400 | $24,801 to $100,800 | $17,701 to $67,450 | $12,401 to $50,400 |
| 22% | $50,401 to $105,700 | $100,801 to $211,400 | $67,451 to $105,700 | $50,401 to $105,700 |
| 24% | $105,701 to $201,775 | $211,401 to $403,550 | $105,701 to $201,750 | $105,701 to $201,775 |
| 32% | $201,776 to $256,225 | $403,551 to $512,450 | $201,751 to $256,200 | $201,776 to $256,225 |
| 35% | $256,226 to $640,600 | $512,451 to $768,700 | $256,201 to $640,600 | $256,226 to $384,350 |
| 37% | Over $640,600 | Over $768,700 | Over $640,600 | Over $384,350 |
Marginal Tax Rate vs Effective Tax Rate
Your marginal tax rate is the rate on your last dollar earned. Your effective tax rate is federal tax divided by taxable income, a much lower number than your marginal rate. A single filer with $75,000 of taxable income is in the 22% bracket but owes about $11,212 in federal tax, an effective rate of about 15%, not 22%.
How to Reduce Your Tax Bill Legally
- Traditional 401(k) and IRA contributions reduce taxable income dollar for dollar (Roth contributions do not). In 2026, you can contribute up to $24,500 to a 401(k) and $7,500 to an IRA. The 401k Calculator projects what those contributions grow into.
- Health Savings Account (HSA) gives a triple tax advantage: contributions are deductible, growth is tax-free, and withdrawals are tax-free for medical expenses.
- Standard vs. itemized deductions: take whichever is larger. In 2026, the standard deduction is $16,100 (single), $24,150 (head of household) and $32,200 (married filing jointly).
- Tax-loss harvesting means selling investments at a loss to offset capital gains.
What Is FICA Tax?
FICA (Federal Insurance Contributions Act) taxes fund Social Security and Medicare. In 2026: Social Security is 6.2% on wages up to $184,500, and Medicare is 1.45% on all wages, plus a 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax on wages over $200,000 ($250,000 married filing jointly, $125,000 married filing separately). Your employer matches the 6.2% and 1.45% but not the 0.9%. Self-employed workers pay the full 15.3% themselves, as self-employment tax. Overtime pay is subject to the same federal income tax and FICA, as the Overtime Tax Calculator shows.
How to Calculate Federal Income Tax by Hand: Worked Example
Using the single-filer column of the 2026 brackets above, take a $70,000 taxable income. Tax brackets are marginal: each dollar is taxed at the rate for its own bracket, not the top rate applied to the whole amount.
- 10% on the first $12,400 = $1,240.00
- 12% on the next $38,000 (from $12,401 to $50,400) = $4,560.00
- 22% on the remaining $19,600 (from $50,401 to $70,000) = $4,312.00
Total tax = $1,240.00 + $4,560.00 + $4,312.00 = $10,112.00. Your effective tax rate (federal tax divided by taxable income) is $10,112 ÷ $70,000 = 14.4%, meaningfully below the 22% marginal rate that applies only to the last dollars earned. This gap is why moving into a higher bracket does not raise the tax on all your income.
How Do Deductions and Credits Change the Bill?
How does the standard deduction change taxable income?
Taxable income is gross income minus deductions, so the $70,000 figure above is already after the standard deduction (or itemized deductions) has been subtracted. A single filer earning $86,100 gross who takes the $16,100 standard deduction lands at $70,000 taxable.
What is the practical difference between a deduction and a credit?
A deduction reduces taxable income, so its value depends on your marginal bracket: a $1,000 deduction saves $220 for someone in the 22% bracket. A credit reduces the tax bill dollar-for-dollar regardless of bracket. A $1,000 credit always saves exactly $1,000, so it is worth more per dollar than a deduction of the same size. Check which credits you qualify for (the child tax credit and education credits, for example) as well as which deductions.
How do pre-tax retirement contributions lower the bracket calculation?
Contributing to a traditional 401k or IRA reduces taxable income directly. On the $70,000 example, a $6,000 traditional contribution drops taxable income to $64,000, removing that entire amount from the 22% bracket and saving $1,320 in tax for the year, in addition to the money still being invested for retirement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources & Methodology
Calculations are based on the most current publicly available data from authoritative government and industry sources: