# Income Tax Calculator

> A single filer earning $75,000 in 2026 owes about $7,670 in federal income tax after the $16,100 standard deduction, an effective rate of 10.23% with a 22% top bracket. Enter your income, filing status, deductions and credits to see your own tax, bracket by bracket.

- Interactive calculator: https://calculatorswithsteps.com/income-tax-calculator
- Category: Financial Calculators
- Last updated: 2026-11-10
- Publisher: Calculators With Steps (calculatorswithsteps.com)

## How to use the income tax calculator

1. **Filing status.** Single, married filing jointly, head of household or married filing separately. Your status sets both the bracket thresholds and the standard deduction.
2. **Gross income.** Your total wages, salary, interest and other ordinary income for 2026.
3. **Pre-tax contributions.** Traditional 401(k) and 403(b) deferrals, HSA contributions and other adjustments that come off before tax. They lower your adjusted gross income (AGI).
4. **Itemized deductions.** Mortgage interest, state and local taxes and charitable gifts. Leave this at 0 unless your total beats the standard deduction; the calculator always uses the larger amount.
5. **Tax credits.** Credits come off the tax itself, dollar for dollar. The child tax credit is the most common.
6. **Age 65 or older.** Adds the extra standard deduction for seniors and the new $6,000 senior deduction, which phases out by 6% of income above $75,000 ($150,000 joint).

The result shows your tax, a bracket-by-bracket table and your marginal and effective rates.

## How federal income tax is calculated

The IRS uses a progressive system. Each rate applies only to the income inside its bracket:

**Taxable income = Gross income − pre-tax contributions − deduction**

**Tax = Σ (bracket rate × income inside that bracket) − credits**

- **Deduction** = the larger of the standard deduction or your itemized deductions
- **Effective rate** = tax ÷ gross income
- **Marginal rate** = the rate of the highest bracket your taxable income reaches

## 2026 federal tax brackets

Taxable income thresholds from IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32. Each rate applies to income above the figure shown.

| Rate | Single | Married filing jointly | Head of household |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 10% | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| 12% | $12,400 | $24,800 | $17,700 |
| 22% | $50,400 | $100,800 | $67,450 |
| 24% | $105,700 | $211,400 | $105,700 |
| 32% | $201,775 | $403,550 | $201,750 |
| 35% | $256,225 | $512,450 | $256,200 |
| 37% | $640,600 | $768,700 | $640,600 |

Married filing separately uses the single thresholds up to the 35% bracket, which ends at $384,350 instead of $640,600.

## Worked example: $75,000 single filer

| Step | Amount |
| --- | --- |
| Gross income | $75,000 |
| Standard deduction | −$16,100 |
| Taxable income | $58,900 |
| 10% on the first $12,400 | $1,240 |
| 12% on $12,400 to $50,400 | $4,560 |
| 22% on $50,400 to $58,900 | $1,870 |
| **Federal income tax** | **$7,670** |

The effective rate is $7,670 ÷ $75,000 = 10.23%, and $67,330 is left after federal income tax. If the same person puts $5,000 into a traditional 401(k), taxable income drops to $53,900 and tax falls to $6,570. That saves $1,100, which is the 22% marginal rate on the $5,000.

## Common situations

| Situation (2026) | Federal income tax | Effective rate |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Single, $50,000 | $3,820 | 7.64% |
| Single, $100,000 | $13,170 | 13.17% |
| Head of household, $60,000 | $3,948 | 6.58% |
| Married filing jointly, $120,000 | $10,040 | 8.37% |
| Married filing jointly, $150,000 | $15,340 | 10.23% |

All rows assume wage income and the standard deduction with no credits.

## Deductions and credits that change the answer

**Standard or itemized.** For most people the standard deduction is larger. A single filer with $150,000 of income and $22,000 of itemized deductions would itemize and owe $23,318. State and local taxes count only up to the SALT cap, which the 2025 tax law raised well above the old $10,000 limit.

**Seniors.** A single filer aged 65 with $60,000 of income gets a $18,150 standard deduction plus the full $6,000 senior deduction, so taxable income falls to $35,850 and tax to $4,054. At $95,000 of income the senior deduction shrinks to $4,800 because of the phase-out.

**Credits versus deductions.** A $1,000 deduction saves $1,000 times your marginal rate, so $220 in the 22% bracket. A $1,000 credit saves the full $1,000. This calculator treats credits as nonrefundable. Up to $1,700 per child of the child tax credit can be refunded even when you owe no tax, which is not shown here.

## What this calculator leaves out

The result covers regular federal income tax on ordinary income. Long-term capital gains and qualified dividends have their own 0%, 15% and 20% rates. The deductions for tips, overtime and car loan interest, the alternative minimum tax, the net investment income tax and credit phase-outs are not modeled. Payroll taxes are separate: use the [paycheck calculator](https://calculatorswithsteps.com/paycheck-calculator) to see Social Security, Medicare and state tax taken from each check, or the [salary calculator](https://calculatorswithsteps.com/salary-calculator) to convert pay between hourly and yearly. Filing in India? Use the [India income tax calculator](https://calculatorswithsteps.com/income-tax-calculator-india) for the old and new regimes.

## Tips to lower your federal tax

- Raise pre-tax contributions. Every dollar into a traditional [401(k)](https://calculatorswithsteps.com/401k-calculator) or HSA saves your marginal rate today.
- Bunch deductions. If you are close to the standard deduction, grouping two years of charitable giving into one year can make itemizing worthwhile.
- Check your withholding mid-year so a large bill or refund doesn't surprise you in April.

## Frequently asked questions

### How do I calculate my federal income tax?

Subtract pre-tax contributions from gross income to get adjusted gross income, then subtract the larger of the standard deduction or your itemized deductions to get taxable income. Apply each 2026 bracket rate only to the slice of income inside that bracket, add the pieces, and subtract credits.

### How much federal tax do I pay on $75,000?

A single filer with $75,000 of wages and the standard deduction has $58,900 of taxable income and owes $7,670 in 2026 federal income tax. That is an effective rate of 10.23%, even though the top dollar is taxed at 22%.

### How much tax will I pay on $100,000 in 2026?

As a single filer taking the $16,100 standard deduction, about $13,170, or 13.17% of gross income. A married couple filing jointly on $150,000 owes about $15,340, or 10.23%. Social Security, Medicare and state tax come on top.

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

The marginal rate is the rate on your next dollar of taxable income, set by the highest bracket you reach. The effective rate is your total tax divided by your income. Because lower brackets are taxed at 10% and 12%, the effective rate is always lower than the marginal rate.

### What is the standard deduction for 2026?

$16,100 for single filers and married filing separately, $32,200 for married couples filing jointly and $24,150 for heads of household. People aged 65 or older add $2,050 if unmarried or $1,650 per qualifying spouse.

### Will a raise push me into a higher tax bracket and lower my take-home pay?

No. Only the part of your income above the bracket threshold is taxed at the higher rate. A single filer whose taxable income rises from $50,400 to $51,400 pays 22% on just the last $1,000, so a raise always leaves you with more after tax.

### Does this calculator include state income tax?

No, it covers federal income tax only. Several states, including Texas and Florida, have no tax on wage income; the rest use flat or graduated rates. Our paycheck calculator lets you add a state rate to see take-home pay.

### How much does the child tax credit reduce my tax?

For 2026 the credit is up to $2,200 per qualifying child. A married couple with $120,000 of income and two children would see federal tax fall from $10,040 to $5,640. Enter the credit in the tax credits box.

## Sources

- [IRS – Tax inflation adjustments for tax year 2026](https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-releases-tax-inflation-adjustments-for-tax-year-2026-including-amendments-from-the-one-big-beautiful-bill)
- [IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32 (2026 tax rate tables and standard deduction)](https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/rp-25-32.pdf)
- [IRS – Enhanced deduction for seniors](https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/check-your-eligibility-for-the-new-enhanced-deduction-for-seniors)

> Disclaimer: results are estimates for information and education, not tax advice. Confirm important decisions with a qualified professional.