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Estimated Federal Tax
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Marginal Rate
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Effective Rate
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Estimate your 2026 US federal income tax, marginal bracket, and effective tax rate based on taxable income and filing status.
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Marginal Rate
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Effective Rate
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Only the income within each bracket is taxed at that bracket's rate — not your entire income. If you're single with $75,000 taxable income, the first portion is taxed at the lowest rate, the next portion at the next rate, and so on, up to your marginal (highest) bracket.
The United States uses a progressive tax system, meaning different portions of your taxable income are taxed at different rates as your income rises through each bracket. This is often misunderstood: moving into a higher bracket does not mean your entire income is taxed at that higher rate — only the slice of income that falls within that specific bracket is.
Using illustrative 2026 single-filer brackets, income is taxed in layers: the first slice at the lowest rate, the next slice at the next rate, and so on until all taxable income is accounted for. The tax owed on each layer is added together to get total tax, and marginal rate is simply the rate applied to the very last dollar earned.
Marginal tax rate is the rate on your last dollar of income — the bracket you're "in." Effective tax rate is your total tax divided by your total taxable income, which blends every bracket rate your income passed through and is almost always meaningfully lower than your marginal rate. Effective rate is generally the more useful number for understanding your true overall tax burden, while marginal rate is more relevant for decisions at the margin, such as whether an extra dollar of income (a bonus, freelance work, a Roth conversion) is worth pursuing after tax.
This calculator estimates federal income tax only, using taxable income (income after deductions), and does not include state or local income tax, the standard or itemized deduction itself, tax credits, self-employment tax, or alternative minimum tax considerations, all of which can meaningfully change your actual tax owed. It's a useful tool for quick estimates and bracket awareness, not a substitute for tax software or a tax professional when filing.
Your marginal tax bracket is the tax rate applied to your last dollar of taxable income. The US uses a progressive system, so only the income within each bracket is taxed at that bracket's rate, not your entire income.
Marginal rate is the rate on your last dollar earned. Effective rate is your total tax divided by your total taxable income, blending all the brackets your income passed through, and is almost always lower than your marginal rate.
No. Only the portion of income that falls within the higher bracket is taxed at the higher rate; income in lower brackets continues to be taxed at those lower rates. This is a common misconception about progressive tax systems.
For official current-year bracket figures, see the IRS federal income tax rates and brackets page. Plan your broader finances with the Net Worth Calculator or Retirement Corpus Calculator.
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