Tax Bracket Calculator
Marginal rate = tax on your next dollar earned. Effective rate = total tax ÷ gross income. They differ because brackets stack.
Show the math, step by step
This is an estimate for planning only — not tax advice. Tax law changes and individual circumstances vary; consult a qualified professional for decisions.
Tax brackets are the most misunderstood numbers in personal finance. This calculator shows you — for any filing status and any year from 2023 through 2026 — exactly which brackets your income crosses, how many dollars fall in each, your marginal rate, and your effective rate. It is a teaching tool as much as a calculator: every number expands to show the formula, every bracket threshold cites its source and verification date, and identical inputs always replay identically from a saved snapshot URL.
Marginal rate is the rate applied to your last dollar of taxable income — the bracket you "land in." Effective rate is your total tax divided by your total income. Because the U.S. system is progressive, only the dollars inside each bracket are taxed at that bracket's rate; moving into a higher bracket never re-taxes your existing income. A raise cannot leave you with less money — the fear is mathematically impossible under marginal math, and this tool demonstrates why line by line.
Filing status. Single, married filing jointly, married filing separately, head of household. Each has its own full bracket table.
Income. Enter wages; the tool walks them through the brackets after the standard deduction for your status and year (toggle "show taxable income" to see the subtraction step).
Tax year. 2023–2026 switcher. Brackets are indexed and change annually, and old-year tables stay available for checking prior returns.
Deduction view. Toggle between gross income and taxable income so you can see both "where does my salary land" and "where does my taxable income land."
For each bracket you cross, the tool shows the bracket's rate, its thresholds, and the marginal dollars taxed inside it — then sums to your total tax and computes both rates. Worked example computed by the engine: [ENGINE-EXAMPLE:year=2026,filing_status=single,income=80000,view=taxable]
- 2026 single brackets: 12,400 / 50,400 / 105,700 / 201,775 / 256,225 / 640,600 — pending IRS first-hand verification.
- 2025 single brackets (verified by cross-calculator agreement): 11,925 / 48,475 / 103,350 / 197,300 / 250,525 / 626,350.
- The seven-rate structure (10% through 37%) is unchanged; thresholds move annually.
- Sources: IRS annual revenue procedures; verification dates per row in the constant-check module.
This calculator produces an estimate for planning purposes. It is not tax advice, and it is not a substitute for filing an accurate return.
Frequently asked
**If I get a raise into a higher bracket, do I lose money?**
No — brackets are marginal. Only the dollars above each threshold are taxed at the higher rate. If part of a raise lands in the 22% bracket, that part costs at most 22 cents per dollar; everything below the threshold is taxed exactly as before. [ENGINE-EXAMPLE:year=2026,filing_status=single,raise_scenario=marginal_vs_cliff]
What's the difference between marginal and effective rate? Marginal = the rate on your last dollar. Effective = total tax ÷ total income, which is always lower. When people say "I'm in the 22% bracket" they mean marginal; when they ask "what do I actually pay," they mean effective.
What are the 2026 tax brackets? For single filers the taxable-income thresholds are 12,400 / 50,400 / 105,700 / 201,775 / 256,225 / 640,600 across the seven rates — marked pending IRS first-hand verification until our primary-source check completes; the full year-by-year tables live in our brackets guide.
Why do you keep 2023 and 2024 tables? Checking an old return, an old notice, or an old paystub is a year-round need. Other years' thresholds render from the same versioned data file with per-row sources.