Income & Filing Status
Results
2026 Federal Income Tax Brackets
| Bracket | Taxable Income | Rate |
|---|
View Calculation Formula
Taxable Income = Gross Income − Standard Deduction − Additional Deductions; if below 0, treated as 0.
Federal Tax = sum of tax applied to each bracket portion (progressive marginal rates).
Take-Home Pay = Gross Income − Additional Deductions − Federal Tax.
Effective Rate = Federal Tax ÷ Gross Income.
Amounts use integer cents internally to avoid floating-point errors.
Notes
📚 Income Tax Knowledge
Marginal vs Effective Tax Rate
Your marginal tax rate is the rate you pay on your last dollar of income (the top bracket you fall into). Your effective tax rate is your total tax divided by your total income — always lower than your marginal rate because of progressive brackets. For example, a single filer with $100,000 of taxable income has a marginal rate of 22% but an effective rate of about 16.7%. Understanding this distinction prevents the common mistake of thinking a raise will push your entire income into a higher bracket.
Standard Deduction vs Itemized
For 2026, the standard deduction is $16,100 for single filers, $32,200 for married filing jointly, and $24,150 for heads of household. You should itemize deductions only if your total qualifying expenses (mortgage interest, state and local taxes capped at $10,000, charitable contributions, medical expenses above 7.5% of AGI) exceed the standard deduction. With the raised standard deduction under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, about 90% of taxpayers now use the standard deduction. Run the numbers both ways before deciding.
Common Tax-Advantaged Accounts
Reducing taxable income is one of the most effective tax strategies. Traditional 401(k)/IRA contributions are pre-tax, lowering your current taxable income and growing tax-deferred. Roth 401(k)/IRA contributions are after-tax, but withdrawals in retirement are tax-free — ideal if you expect to be in a higher tax bracket later. Health Savings Accounts (HSA) offer triple tax advantages: pre-tax contributions, tax-free growth, and tax-free withdrawals for medical expenses. Maximize these accounts before investing in taxable brokerage accounts.