Income Tax Calculator (US)
Get a rough estimate of your federal income tax, effective tax rate, and after-tax income.
How to use
- Enter your annual gross income.
- Select your filing status.
- Click Calculate to see your estimated federal tax, effective rate, and after-tax income.
This is a simplified rough estimate using approximate 2026 federal tax brackets — not tax advice. State taxes, deductions, and credits are not included. Verify important decisions with a qualified tax professional.
What Is an Income Tax Calculator?
An income tax calculator gives you a rough estimate of your US federal income tax, your effective tax rate, and the income you keep after federal tax. It exists because the number most people guess — "I'm in the 22% bracket, so I lose 22%" — is wrong in a way that overstates the bill. Federal income tax is progressive: your income is sliced into brackets, and each slice is taxed at its own rate, after the standard deduction removes a chunk of income from taxation entirely. This calculator applies that structure to your salary and filing status.
Understanding the estimate helps with real decisions: checking whether your paycheck withholding is roughly on track, anticipating whether you will owe or be refunded at filing time, and judging how a raise, a bonus, or a side income actually changes your tax picture. Because it is an estimate built on the standard deduction, it deliberately leaves out itemized deductions, credits, and state taxes — the things that make every real return individual.
How to Use the Income Tax Calculator
- Enter your annual gross income — salary and wages before any taxes.
- Select your filing status: single, married filing jointly, or head of household.
- Click Calculate to see your estimated federal tax, your effective (average) tax rate, and your after-tax income.
- Try a higher income to see how a raise is really taxed — only the income inside each higher bracket pays that bracket's rate.
Marginal vs. Effective Tax Rate
Your marginal rate is the rate on your last dollar of income — the bracket you land in. Your effective rate is your total tax divided by your total income, and it is always lower, because the standard deduction shelters the first portion of income and the lower brackets tax the next portions at 10% and 12% before higher rates ever apply. This is also why a raise can never make you poorer through taxes alone: the higher rate applies only to the dollars above the bracket threshold, never retroactively to all your income.
Tips for a Clearer Tax Picture
- Filing status changes the math a lot — married filing jointly has wider brackets and a larger standard deduction than single filing.
- Retirement contributions to a traditional 401(k) or IRA reduce taxable income, so your real bill may be lower than this estimate.
- Do not forget state income tax where it applies; this calculator covers federal tax only.
Is this calculator an exact tax calculation?
No — it is a rough estimate using federal brackets and the standard deduction for your filing status. It does not include itemized deductions, tax credits, alternative minimum tax, self-employment income, or state and local taxes, any of which can change a real return significantly.
What is the standard deduction?
It is a fixed amount of income that is not taxed, available to every filer who does not itemize. It varies by filing status and is adjusted for inflation over time. The calculator subtracts it from your income before applying the brackets, which is why your first dollars of earnings owe no federal income tax.
If I get a raise into a higher bracket, do I lose money?
No. Only the portion of your income that falls inside the higher bracket is taxed at the higher rate; all the income below the threshold keeps its lower rates. A raise always increases your after-tax income — the idea that it can leave you worse off is a common myth this calculator helps dispel.
Does this include Social Security and Medicare taxes?
No. This estimate covers federal income tax only. Payroll taxes for Social Security and Medicare (FICA) are separate, are charged at their own rates on wages, and are not part of the figure shown — your total tax burden will be higher once they are included.