Income Tax Calculator
Estimate your US federal income tax based on your taxable income and filing status.
How this calculator works
US federal income tax is progressive — different portions of your income are taxed at different marginal rates, based on 2025 IRS tax brackets.
This estimates federal tax only — it does not include state tax, credits, or deductions beyond the standard structure.
Marginal vs. effective tax rate
Your marginal rate is the rate applied to your last dollar earned. Your effective rate — the number that actually matters for your total tax bill — is your total tax divided by total income, and is always lower than your top marginal bracket.
Federal tax is only part of the picture
This calculator estimates federal income tax only. Most states also levy their own income tax (with rates and structures that vary widely, and a handful of states charging none at all), and you may also owe FICA taxes (Social Security and Medicare) on top of income tax.
Standard deductions, tax credits, and itemized deductions can all reduce your actual taxable income below your gross income — this calculator assumes the taxable income you enter is already your final taxable figure after those adjustments.
A worked example
A single filer with $60,000 in taxable income: the first $11,925 is taxed at 10% (about $1,192.50), the next portion up to $48,475 at 12% (about $4,386), and the remaining $11,525 up to $60,000 at 22% (about $2,536) — totaling roughly $8,114 in federal tax, an effective rate of about 13.5% despite a 22% marginal bracket.
This gap between the 22% marginal rate and 13.5% effective rate directly illustrates how progressive taxation works — only income within each bracket is taxed at that bracket's rate, not your entire income.
How the standard deduction affects your tax
Most filers reduce their taxable income first by claiming either the standard deduction or itemized deductions before tax brackets are applied. This calculator works from taxable income directly, so if you're starting from gross income, subtract your expected deduction first for a more accurate estimate.
Tax credits, unlike deductions, reduce your tax bill directly rather than reducing taxable income, and can have a larger impact on your final amount owed — this calculator doesn't model credits, so your actual tax liability may be lower if you qualify for any.
Frequently asked questions
Does this include state income tax?
No — this estimates US federal tax only. State income tax varies widely and isn't included.
Does this account for deductions or credits?
This is a simplified estimate based on taxable income and standard brackets — it doesn't model itemized deductions, credits, or other adjustments.
What's the difference between taxable income and gross income?
Gross income is total earnings before any adjustments; taxable income is what remains after subtracting deductions (standard or itemized) and other adjustments — it's the taxable income figure that tax brackets actually apply to.
Why did my tax bill differ from this estimate?
This is a simplified federal-only estimate — actual tax bills are affected by credits, state tax, additional income types, and deduction specifics not modeled here.
What's the difference between a tax deduction and a tax credit?
A deduction reduces your taxable income before tax is calculated. A credit reduces your final tax bill dollar-for-dollar, making credits generally more valuable than deductions of the same size.