Federal Income Tax Calculator 2026
Estimate your 2026 federal income tax in seconds. See your taxable income, how much falls in each bracket, your marginal and effective rates, and an estimate of take-home pay after Social Security and Medicare.
Estimated federal income tax
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How to use the income tax calculator
- Choose your filing status and enter your total gross income for 2026.
- Enter pre-tax contributions (traditional 401(k), HSA) and adjustments such as deductible IRA contributions.
- Pick the standard deduction or enter your itemized total, then add age 65+ filers and children under 17.
How 2026 federal income tax works
The U.S. uses progressive brackets: each rate applies only to the income inside that bracket. For 2026 a single filer pays 10% on the first $12,400 of taxable income, 12% up to $50,400, 22% up to $105,700, 24% up to $201,775, 32% up to $256,225, 35% up to $640,600 and 37% above that. Married couples filing jointly have brackets twice as wide up to the 35% bracket. Moving into a higher bracket never reduces your take-home pay; only the dollars above the threshold are taxed at the higher rate.
Taxable income is your gross income minus pre-tax contributions, adjustments and your deduction. The 2026 standard deduction is $16,100 for single filers, $32,200 for married couples filing jointly and $24,150 for heads of household. Filers 65 and older get an extra $2,050 (single or head of household) or $1,650 per spouse, plus the new $6,000 senior deduction for 2025–2028, which phases out at higher incomes. The 2025 tax law also added temporary deductions for qualified tips, overtime pay and car loan interest; enter those in the extra deductions box if they apply.
Your marginal rate is the rate on your next dollar of income; your effective rate is your total tax divided by gross income, which is always lower. The Child Tax Credit is $2,200 per child under 17 in 2026 and begins to phase out above $200,000 of income ($400,000 jointly). This calculator applies the credit against your tax; up to $1,700 per child can be refundable even if you owe less. Estimates use 2026 federal figures published by the IRS. This is an educational estimate, not tax advice.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the 2026 tax brackets?
Seven rates: 10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35% and 37%. For single filers the 37% rate starts above $640,600 of taxable income; for joint filers, above $768,700.
What is the 2026 standard deduction?
$16,100 for single and married filing separately, $32,200 for married filing jointly, and $24,150 for head of household, plus extra amounts for filers 65 and older.
Does this include state tax?
No. It estimates federal income tax and, for wages, Social Security (6.2% up to $184,500) and Medicare (1.45%, plus 0.9% on high wages).
Why is my effective rate lower than my bracket?
Because only part of your income is taxed at your top rate; the rest is taxed at lower rates or not at all thanks to the deduction.