CalcnioFREE
Membership Log in

Income Tax Calculator

Estimate your 2026 US federal income tax from your filing status, income and deductions, with the tax worked out bracket by bracket and your marginal and effective rates.

–

Save this calculation and come back to it any time. Members only — $5 every 3 months, ad-free.

Become a member

How to use the income tax calculator

  1. Choose your filing status.
  2. Enter your gross income for 2026: wages, self-employment profit, interest and other taxable income.
  3. Enter pre-tax deductions such as traditional 401(k) or IRA contributions and HSA contributions.
  4. Choose the standard deduction or enter your itemized deductions.
  5. Add any other deductions you take on top, and any tax credits.
  6. Read your tax, your bracket, your effective rate and the bracket-by-bracket table.

2026 federal tax brackets and standard deduction

Rate Single Married filing jointly Head of household
10% up to $12,400 up to $24,800 up to $17,700
12% $12,400 – $50,400 $24,800 – $100,800 $17,700 – $67,450
22% $50,400 – $105,700 $100,800 – $211,400 $67,450 – $105,700
24% $105,700 – $201,775 $211,400 – $403,550 $105,700 – $201,750
32% $201,775 – $256,225 $403,550 – $512,450 $201,750 – $256,200
35% $256,225 – $640,600 $512,450 – $768,700 $256,200 – $640,600
37% over $640,600 over $768,700 over $640,600
Standard deduction $16,100 $32,200 $24,150

Married filing separately uses the single brackets except that the 35% bracket ends at $384,350; its standard deduction is $16,100. A qualifying surviving spouse uses the joint figures. All 2026 figures are from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32, which reflects the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

How the tax is calculated

Adjusted income = gross income − pre-tax deductions Taxable income = adjusted income − (standard or itemized deduction) − other deductions Tax = Σ (taxable income inside each bracket × that bracket's rate) Tax due = tax − credits (not below zero) Effective rate = tax due ÷ gross income

The US taxes income in layers. Only the slice of income inside each bracket is taxed at that bracket's rate, so moving into a higher bracket never makes your whole income more expensive, only the dollars above the threshold. Your marginal rate is the rate on your next dollar; your effective rate is the tax as a share of all your income.

Worked example

The defaults are a single filer with $85,000 of gross income, $5,000 of pre-tax 401(k) contributions and the standard deduction.

  • Adjusted income: $85,000 − $5,000 = $80,000
  • Taxable income: $80,000 − $16,100 = $63,900
  • 10% on the first $12,400 = $1,240
  • 12% on the next $38,000 (to $50,400) = $4,560
  • 22% on the last $13,500 = $2,970
  • Tax: $1,240 + $4,560 + $2,970 = $8,770.00

The marginal rate is 22%, but the effective rate is only 10.32% of gross income. A married couple filing jointly on $150,000 with the same $5,000 of pre-tax savings owes $14,240.00. With $25,000 of itemized deductions instead of the standard deduction, the single filer's tax falls to $6,812.00.

What the calculator includes and leaves out

It covers ordinary income tax for the 2026 tax year. It doesn't calculate the lower rates on long-term capital gains and qualified dividends, self-employment tax, the alternative minimum tax, the 3.8% net investment income tax or state income tax. Credits are subtracted as entered and can't take the tax below zero, so refundable credits that would pay you money back aren't shown. The IRS tax table also rounds taxable income under $100,000 to $50 bands, so your return may differ by a few dollars.

New deductions from the 2025 tax law, such as the extra $6,000 deduction for people 65 and older and the deductions for qualified tips and overtime pay, can be claimed whether or not you itemize, per the IRS. They phase out at higher incomes; enter the amount you qualify for under "Other deductions." To see how the tax affects each paycheck, use the take-home paycheck calculator.

Frequently asked questions

What tax bracket am I in for 2026?

Find your taxable income, not your gross income, in the table above. A single filer with $63,900 of taxable income is in the 22% bracket, because taxable income above $50,400 is taxed at 22%, but most of that income is taxed at 10% and 12%.

Should I take the standard or itemized deduction?

Take whichever is larger. For 2026 the standard deduction is $16,100 for single filers and $32,200 for married couples filing jointly, so itemizing helps only if your mortgage interest, state and local taxes, charitable gifts and other itemized deductions add up to more.

How do pre-tax 401(k) contributions lower my tax?

They come out of your pay before income tax, so they reduce your taxable income dollar for dollar. At a 22% marginal rate, contributing $5,000 cuts your federal income tax by $1,100.

What is the difference between a deduction and a credit?

A deduction lowers the income you are taxed on, so its value depends on your bracket. A credit lowers the tax itself: a $1,000 credit saves $1,000 whatever your bracket.

Related calculators

  • Take-Home Paycheck Calculator — Your net pay per paycheck after 2026 federal tax, Social Security, Medicare, state tax and 401(k) deductions.
  • Marriage Tax Calculator — Find out whether getting married raises or lowers your federal income tax, using the 2026 brackets.
  • Salary Calculator — Convert pay between hourly, daily, weekly, biweekly, semi-monthly, monthly and annual, with or without days off.
  • IRA Calculator — Traditional IRA, Roth IRA or taxable account? Compare the after-tax value of each from the same pre-tax savings.

Results are estimates for educational purposes and are not financial, tax or legal advice. See our disclaimer.