Taxes
Federal Tax Estimate Calculator
Estimate your 2026 federal income tax from income and filing status using IRS brackets and the standard deduction. Estimate only — not a tax return.
Your tax bracket is not your tax rate. The United States taxes income in slices: the first slice at 10%, the next at 12%, and so on. Only the income inside each slice is taxed at that slice's rate. This calculator gives a rough federal estimate only, from gross income and filing status (single, married filing jointly, or head of household). It is not a tax return.
Enter your numbers above.
Estimates only — not financial advice. See assumptions below.
Worked example
Example 1 — Single filer, $75,000 gross income. Standard deduction: $16,100. Taxable income: $75,000 − $16,100 = $58,900. 10% × $12,400 = $1,240. 12% × $38,000 ($50,400 − $12,400) = $4,560. 22% × $8,500 ($58,900 − $50,400) = $1,870. Estimated federal tax: $7,670. Marginal rate 22%; effective rate on gross income about 10.2%.
Example 2 — Married filing jointly, $120,000 gross income. Standard deduction: $32,200. Taxable income: $120,000 − $32,200 = $87,800. 10% × $24,800 = $2,480. 12% × $63,000 ($87,800 − $24,800) = $7,560. Estimated federal tax: $10,040. Marginal rate 12%; effective rate on gross income about 8.4%.
Both exclude state tax, FICA, and credits, and both are estimates only.
How this works
Assumptions
- Tax year 2026 (income earned in 2026, generally reported on returns filed in early 2027) — IRS News Release IR-2025-103 (Oct. 9, 2025) + Revenue Procedure 2025-32.
- Taxable income = gross income − above-the-line adjustments − standard deduction (single $16,100; married filing jointly $32,200; head of household $24,150). If the result is $0 or less, estimated federal tax is $0.
- 2026 marginal brackets applied slice by slice. Single: 10% to $12,400; 12% to $50,400; 22% to $105,700; 24% to $201,775; 32% to $256,225; 35% to $640,600; 37% above. Joint: 10% to $24,800; 12% to $100,800; 22% to $211,400; 24% to $403,550; 32% to $512,450; 35% to $768,700; 37% above. Head of household: 10% to $17,700; 12% to $67,450; 22% to $105,700; 24% to $201,750; 32% to $256,200; 35% to $640,600; 37% above.
- Marginal rate = rate of the highest slice reached. Effective rate = total estimated tax ÷ gross income. The two are labeled separately and never conflated.
- EXCLUDES, by design, next to every result: state and local income tax; Social Security and Medicare (FICA); tax credits (child, education, energy, and others); itemized deductions; capital-gains special rates; AMT; self-employment tax; and any additional standard-deduction amounts (for example for age or blindness).
- Nothing is stored or sent anywhere; all inputs are user-entered.
Sources
- IRS News Release IR-2025-103, “IRS releases tax inflation adjustments for tax year 2026” (Oct. 9, 2025), incl. Revenue Procedure 2025-32 — 2026 standard deductions ($16,100 single / $32,200 joint / $24,150 head of household) and the single, joint, and head-of-household marginal-rate thresholds tabulated above. https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-releases-tax-inflation-adjustments-for-tax-year-2026-including-amendments-from-the-one-big-beautiful-bill (verified 2026-10-28; head-of-household figures verified against Rev. Proc. 2025-32 on 2026-10-29)
How we make money: Unpack Money earns $0 in affiliate revenue and has no approved affiliate programs. Educational only; not tax advice. Tax law is fact-specific and changes — verify current figures at irs.gov and consult a tax professional for your situation.
FAQ
If I get a raise that pushes me into a higher bracket, do I take home less?
No. Only the income above the threshold is taxed at the higher rate. Your take-home pay on the earlier income does not change because of the bracket move.
Why is my actual tax different from this estimate?
Most commonly: credits, itemized deductions, pre-tax retirement or health contributions, state tax, and income types taxed differently (for example capital gains). This calculator deliberately models only the standard-deduction, marginal-bracket core — that is why it is labeled an estimate on every result.
Which tax year do these figures apply to?
Tax year 2026 — income earned in 2026, generally reported on returns filed in early 2027 (IRS IR-2025-103). Do not use 2026 figures for a 2025 return.
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