Federal Tax Calculator
Important: everything on this page is a US federal income tax example using 2026 brackets and the standard deduction. It excludes state income tax, Social Security and Medicare (FICA), and all tax credits. Your actual tax bill will differ — check the IRS for your own figures.
With that understood, the federal calculation itself is straightforward: subtract the standard deduction from your income, then run the result through the brackets from the bottom up. The federal tax calculator above does exactly that. The default example is $75,000 of income for a single filer: subtract the $16,100 standard deduction to get $58,900 of taxable income, and the tax comes to $7,670 — an effective rate of 10.2% on gross income, leaving $67,330 after federal tax, or $5,611 a month.
How Federal Tax Is Calculated
The federal income tax has three steps, and the order matters. First, take gross income — wages, and any other income. Second, subtract the standard deduction ($16,100 single, $32,200 married filing jointly in this 2026 example) or your itemized deductions if they are larger. The result is taxable income. Third, apply the brackets: the first slice of taxable income is taxed at 10%, the next slice at 12%, then 22%, and so on up the scale. Only the income inside each bracket pays that bracket’s rate.
For the default example the slices are: $12,400 at 10% = $1,240; the next $38,000 (from $12,400 to $50,400) at 12% = $4,560; and the remaining $8,500 (from $50,400 to $58,900) at 22% = $1,870. Add them: $1,240 + $4,560 + $1,870 = $7,670. That is the whole calculation — and the calculator shows the same breakdown in its “Tax by bracket” table, plus the room left before the next bracket ($46,800 in this case, since the 22% bracket runs to $105,700).
2026 Federal Tax Brackets
The brackets below are the ones the calculator uses. They are the 2026 example figures built into the tool — the IRS adjusts them for inflation each year, so always confirm the current year’s numbers on the IRS site before relying on them.
| Single filer — taxable income | Rate | Married filing jointly | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0 – $12,400 | 10% | $0 – $24,800 | 10% |
| $12,400 – $50,400 | 12% | $24,800 – $100,800 | 12% |
| $50,400 – $105,700 | 22% | $100,800 – $211,400 | 22% |
| $105,700 – $201,775 | 24% | $211,400 – $403,500 | 24% |
| $201,775 – $256,225 | 32% | $403,500 – $512,450 | 32% |
| $256,225 – $640,600 | 35% | $512,450 – $768,700 | 35% |
| Over $640,600 | 37% | Over $768,700 | 37% |
Two things about this table trip people up. First, the brackets apply to taxable income — after the standard deduction — not to gross income. A single filer earning $75,000 has only $58,900 in the brackets. Second, the joint brackets are roughly double the single ones up to the 32% bracket, which is why a married couple usually owes less than two single filers on the same combined income. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) publishes the official tables every year.
Worked Examples
The table below runs four incomes through the calculator — two single, two joint — so you can see how the tax grows more slowly than the income, because the lower brackets shelter the first dollars.
| Income | Filing status | Taxable income | Federal tax | Effective rate | After tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | Single | $23,900 | $2,620 | 6.6% | $37,380 |
| $75,000 | Single | $58,900 | $7,670 | 10.2% | $67,330 |
| $120,000 | Joint | $87,800 | $10,040 | 8.4% | $109,960 |
| $150,000 | Joint | $117,800 | $15,340 | 10.2% | $134,660 |
| $200,000 | Single | $183,900 | $36,734 | 18.4% | $163,266 |
| $300,000 | Single | $283,900 | $68,134 | 22.7% | $231,866 |
The $120,000 joint example is instructive: the couple’s marginal rate is only 12% and their effective rate is 8.4%, because the $32,200 standard deduction and the wide 10% and 12% brackets shelter most of the income. The $300,000 single filer, by contrast, pays 22.7% overall with a 32% marginal rate. The gap between marginal and effective rates is the most misunderstood part of the tax system — see the next section.
Marginal Rate vs Effective Rate
Your marginal rate is the tax on the next dollar you earn. Your effective rate is the total tax divided by total income. They are almost never the same, and confusing them leads to bad decisions — like turning down a raise for fear of a higher bracket. A raise cannot make you poorer: only the dollars above the bracket line are taxed at the higher rate, so your after-tax income always rises when gross income rises.
- $75,000 single: marginal 22%, effective 10.2%. The next dollar is taxed at 22%; the average dollar at 10.2%.
- $120,000 joint: marginal 12%, effective 8.4% — with $13,000 of room before the 22% bracket.
- $200,000 single: marginal 24%, effective 18.4%.
- $300,000 single: marginal 32%, effective 22.7%.
When someone says “I’m in the 22% bracket,” they mean their marginal rate — the rate on the next dollar — not the share of their income that goes to tax. The calculator shows both figures for any income you enter, so you can see the difference on your own numbers. For the pay behind the tax, use the salary calculator.
Common Mistakes
Most wrong tax estimates come from the same short list of errors. Check yours against it before trusting the result.
- Taxing the whole income at the top rate. Only the income inside each bracket is taxed at that bracket’s rate — the rest is taxed lower.
- Forgetting the standard deduction. A single filer subtracts $16,100 before any bracket applies; a joint return subtracts $32,200.
- Confusing marginal and effective rates. A 22% marginal rate does not mean 22% of your income goes to tax — the effective rate is much lower.
- Leaving out FICA. Social Security (6.2%) and Medicare (1.45%) come out of pay on top of federal income tax.
- Ignoring state tax. State income tax ranges from 0% to over 10% and is a separate bill from the federal one.
- Forgetting credits. Credits reduce the tax itself, dollar for dollar — this calculator excludes them entirely.
Related Tools
Related tools on this site: the main federal tax calculator for your own income, the salary calculator to find the gross pay behind the tax, the mortgage calculator to test a home payment against after-tax income, and the compound interest calculator to plan long-term saving from what is left.
Key Takeaways
If you remember nothing else from this page, remember these five points.
- On $75,000 single, federal tax is $7,670 — an effective rate of 10.2%, with a 22% marginal rate.
- Only the income inside each bracket pays that bracket’s rate — the rest is taxed lower.
- The standard deduction is $16,100 single and $32,200 joint in this 2026 example.
- A $120,000 joint return owes $10,040; the same income as a single filer owes $17,570.
- Payroll tax adds 7.65% of wages on top of federal income tax.
Try It Yourself
- Enter your income and filing status in the calculator above.
- Read the bracket table to see how the tax is split across brackets.
- Note the room left before the next bracket — it prices bonuses and extra income.
- Add payroll tax at 7.65% of wages for the take-home figure.
Quick Reminders
- This is a federal-only example: state tax, FICA, and credits are excluded.
- A raise cannot make you poorer — only the dollars above a bracket line pay the higher rate.
- Brackets apply to taxable income, after the standard deduction — not to gross income.
- Confirm the current year’s brackets with the IRS before relying on them.
Run your income through the calculator, then add payroll tax and state tax by hand for the full picture of what a pay cheque actually delivers.
Joint Filer Examples at the Same Incomes
Married couples filing jointly get wider brackets and a $32,200 standard deduction, so the same income produces a smaller federal tax bill. The table uses the 2026 federal brackets only — state tax, FICA, and credits are excluded.
| Gross income | Taxable income | Federal tax |
|---|---|---|
| $80,000 | $47,800 | $5,240 |
| $150,000 | $117,800 | $15,340 |
On $80,000 a joint return owes $5,240, and on $150,000 it owes $15,340 — compare those with the single-filer figures above to see exactly what the wider joint brackets are worth.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much federal tax will I pay on $75,000?
As a single filer with the $16,100 standard deduction, taxable income is $58,900 and the federal tax is $7,670 — an effective rate of 10.2%. After federal tax you keep $67,330, or $5,611 a month. State tax, Social Security, and Medicare are extra and are not included here.
What is the standard deduction for 2026?
In the example this calculator uses, the standard deduction is $16,100 for single filers and $32,200 for married couples filing jointly. The IRS adjusts these figures for inflation each year, so confirm the current amount on the IRS site.
Do I pay 22% tax on all my income if I am in the 22% bracket?
No. Only the income inside the 22% bracket is taxed at 22%. The first $12,400 of taxable income is taxed at 10% and the next slice at 12%. On $75,000 single, only $8,500 sits in the 22% bracket — the effective rate is 10.2%, not 22%.
Does this calculator include state tax?
No. This is a federal-only example. State income tax is a separate bill that ranges from 0% in states with no income tax to over 10% in the highest-tax states. Add your state rate separately when budgeting.
Does the calculator include Social Security and Medicare?
No. FICA — Social Security at 6.2% and Medicare at 1.45% — is excluded from this calculator. On $75,000 of wages, FICA adds about $5,738, which is why take-home pay is lower than the after-federal-tax figure shown here.
What is the top federal tax rate?
37% on taxable income above $640,600 for single filers ($768,700 joint) in this 2026 example. Only the income above that line is taxed at 37% — everything below it is taxed at the lower bracket rates.
How much federal tax do I pay on $60,000?
As a single filer, taxable income is $43,900 after the standard deduction, and the federal tax is about $5,020. The effective rate is 8.4% and the marginal rate is 12%.
What income is taxed at 10%?
The first $12,400 of taxable income for a single filer ($24,800 joint) is taxed at 10%. Because of the standard deduction, a single filer earning up to $28,500 has all of their taxable income in the 10% bracket.
Disclaimer: This calculator is an educational estimate using 2026 US federal brackets and the standard deduction as an example. It excludes state tax, Social Security and Medicare (FICA), and credits, and it is not tax advice. Consult a tax professional for your own situation.