Get a quick estimate of your federal income tax liability. Enter your income, filing status, and deductions to see your tax bill, effective rate, and marginal bracket. View a breakdown of how your income is taxed across each bracket.
The U.S. federal income tax is a progressive bracket system: your first dollars are taxed at the lowest rate, and successive dollars are taxed at rates that step up as income rises. The result is that your "tax bracket" is not the rate you pay on all of your income — it's just the rate on your last dollar.
This calculator walks income through the IRS brackets for your filing status, applies the standard or itemized deduction, and produces three numbers most people actually care about: total federal tax owed, effective rate (total tax ÷ total income), and marginal rate (the bracket your last dollar falls in). It also shows a stacked breakdown of how each bracket contributes to the total.
The federal tax code is large and full of credits, surcharges, and special rules. This is a planning estimator, not a tax filing tool. It models the basic income-tax structure under current rates; it does not handle the Alternative Minimum Tax, Net Investment Income Tax, self-employment tax, capital-gains preferential rates, or most credits (Child Tax Credit, EITC, education credits). For actual filing, use IRS-approved software or a tax professional.
Gross income: $75,000 401(k) contribution: $6,000 (above-the-line) Standard deduction (2025): $15,000 AGI: $69,000 Taxable income: $54,000 Federal tax: ≈ $6,217 Effective rate: ≈ 9.0% of gross Marginal rate: 22% The 401(k) contribution saved roughly $1,320 in tax (22% of $6,000) while also adding to retirement.
Filing: MFJ Gross income: $180,000 (combined) Above-the-line: $20,000 (401(k)) Standard deduction (2025): $30,000 Taxable income: $130,000 Federal tax: ≈ $17,820 Effective rate: ≈ 9.9% Marginal rate: 22% This estimate excludes the American Opportunity Credit, which could be worth up to $2,500 for the student.
Single filer, $300,000 gross, $30,000 401(k) contribution AGI: $270,000 Taxable income: $255,000 Federal tax: ≈ $58,470 Effective rate: ≈ 19.5% Marginal rate: 32% Even at the 32% marginal bracket, the effective rate is under 20% — a consequence of the progressive bracket structure. Marketing that quotes "your tax rate" usually means marginal; financial planning should use effective.
Use this calculator when planning rather than filing: estimating quarterly payments for self-employment income, deciding between Roth and traditional retirement contributions, modeling the impact of a raise or job change, or sanity-checking your paycheck withholding before the year ends.
It is not a tax preparation tool. It doesn't compute state income tax (rates and rules vary by state), payroll taxes (Social Security and Medicare, totaling 7.65% on wages up to the SS wage base), or any credits beyond the standard/itemized deduction. The IRS Withholding Estimator at irs.gov is a better tool for adjusting W-4 forms; tax software like TurboTax or FreeTaxUSA is the right tool for actual filing.
For a fuller picture of total tax burden, combine this with a state tax calculator and add 7.65% of wages (up to the Social Security wage base) for FICA.
Calculate gross, operating, and net profit margins from your revenue and costs.
Calculate your net worth by subtracting liabilities from assets.
Calculate take-home pay after federal, state, and FICA taxes.
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Convert annual salary to hourly rate and see all pay period breakdowns.
Freelance, investment, rental income, etc.
401(k), HSA, student loan interest, etc.
Only used if standard deduction is off
Federal Tax
$7,949.00
Effective Rate
10.6%
Marginal Rate
22%
Monthly After Federal Tax
$5,587.58
| Bracket | Rate | Taxable Amount | Tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0 - $11,925 | 10.00% | $11,925.00 | $1,192.50 |
| $11,925 - $48,475 | 12.00% | $36,550.00 | $4,386.00 |
| $48,475 - $103,350 | 22.00% | $10,775.00 | $2,370.50 |
| $103,350 - $197,300 | 24.00% | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| $197,300 - $250,525 | 32.00% | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| $250,525 - $626,350 | 35.00% | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| $626,350+ | 37.00% | $0.00 | $0.00 |