Federal income tax calculator 2026

What are the 2026 federal tax brackets?

For a single filer: 10% up to $12,400 of taxable income, 12% to $50,400, 22% to $105,700, 24% to $201,775, 32% to $256,225, 35% to $640,600 and 37% above. For married couples filing jointly the limits are $24,800, $100,800, $211,400, $403,550, $512,450 and $768,700 (IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32).

What is the 2026 standard deduction?

$16,100 for single filers and married filing separately, $32,200 for married filing jointly and $24,150 for heads of household. People 65 or older add $2,050 if single or head of household, or $1,650 each if married.

How is my tax calculated?

Only the income inside each bracket is taxed at that rate. A single filer earning $75,000 has $58,900 of taxable income after the standard deduction: 10% of $12,400 + 12% of $38,000 + 22% of $8,500 = $7,670, an effective rate of 10.2%.

What is the senior deduction?

For 2025 through 2028, people 65 or older can deduct up to $6,000 more each, whether or not they itemize. It shrinks by 6% of income above $75,000 ($150,000 for joint returns). Married couples must file jointly to claim it.

What does this calculator leave out?

Tax credits such as the child tax credit, self-employment and other taxes, and state income tax. The senior deduction uses your adjusted gross income, which equals the modified figure for most people.

What is the difference between the marginal and the effective tax rate?

The marginal rate is the rate on your last dollar of taxable income, the top bracket you reach. The effective rate is total tax divided by total income, so it is always lower. In the first example below the marginal rate is 12% and the effective rate is about 7.4%.

Does a raise push all my income into a higher bracket?

No. Only the part of your income above the bracket threshold is taxed at the higher rate. Crossing into a new bracket raises the tax on the dollars above the line, not on everything you earned.

Why is my withholding different from this result?

Your employer withholds based on your Form W-4 and the payroll tables, which is a prepayment. This calculator estimates the tax for the year; the difference between that tax (after credits) and what was withheld is your refund or balance due.

How the calculation runs

The calculator takes your income, subtracts adjustments above the line (such as 401(k) or HSA contributions) to get adjusted gross income, then subtracts the larger of the standard deduction or the itemized amount you enter, plus the senior deduction if it applies. What remains is taxable income. The tax is built bracket by bracket: each slice of taxable income is multiplied by that slice’s rate and the slices are added. The effective rate shown is total tax divided by the income you entered, before adjustments. Credits, self-employment tax, state tax and the alternative minimum tax are outside this estimate.

Worked example

A married couple filing jointly earns $120,000 and one spouse puts $10,000 into a 401(k). Adjusted gross income is $110,000. The 2026 standard deduction for joint filers is $32,200, leaving taxable income of $77,800. The first $24,800 is taxed at 10%, which is $2,480. The remaining $53,000 is taxed at 12%, which is $6,360. Total federal tax is $8,840, an effective rate of 7.37% of the $120,000, with a marginal rate of 12%.

Without the 401(k) contribution the tax would be $10,040, so the contribution saves $1,200. A $1,000 raise would add $120 of tax, exactly the 12% marginal rate. If the couple had $40,000 of itemizable deductions, they would exceed the standard deduction, and the tax would drop to $7,904.

Things to watch

• Enter income before taxes, not take-home pay. Entering the amount on your pay stub after withholding understates the tax.
• Do not apply a bracket rate to all income. A single filer whose taxable income just passes the top of the 12% bracket pays 22% only on the dollars above it.
• Enter itemized deductions only if the total might be larger than the standard deduction; the calculator uses whichever is bigger. Items that count as adjustments (401(k), HSA, traditional IRA where deductible) belong in the adjustments box instead.
• Long-term capital gains and qualified dividends are taxed at their own rates, so this wage-style bracket calculation does not fit them; see the capital gains tax calculator.
• The figures are for tax year 2026, the return you file in 2027. Thresholds are adjusted each year.

An estimate for planning only — not tax advice. Credits, other taxes and state taxes are not included; your tax return decides. How we check our calculators.

Sources: IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 (2026 brackets, standard deduction and inflation adjustments); IRS Publication 501 (standard deduction and filing status). Related tools: paycheck calculator, capital gains tax calculator, salary calculator.