Tax Bracket Calculator
See which federal tax bracket your income lands in, how much tax you owe, your true effective rate, and your take-home pay. Pick your tax year and filing status, start from gross pay or taxable income, and watch it break down bracket by bracket.
Formula
Worked example
Single filer, $75,000 taxable income (2025): 10% on the first $11,925 = $1,192.50; 12% on $11,925 to $48,475 = $4,386; 22% on $48,475 to $75,000 = $5,835.50. Total about $11,414, a 22% marginal bracket but only a 15.2% effective rate.
How marginal tax brackets work
The U.S. federal income tax is progressive, meaning income is sliced into bands and each band is taxed at its own rate. Being "in the 22% bracket" does not mean all your income is taxed at 22%, only the dollars that fall inside that band are. The dollars below it are still taxed at the lower 10% and 12% rates, which is why your overall, or effective, rate is always lower than your top bracket.
Pick your year, filing status, and starting point
This calculator supports both the 2025 tax year (returns filed in 2026) and the 2024 tax year (filed in 2025), with the full bracket set for all four filing statuses: single, married filing jointly, married filing separately, and head of household. You can start from taxable income directly, or switch the basis to gross income and let the tool subtract the standard deduction for your year and status automatically. If you itemize, choose the custom deduction option and enter your own figure instead. The result panel then shows your taxable income, total tax, marginal bracket, effective rate, and take-home pay by year and per month.
Marginal rate versus effective rate
Your marginal rate is the rate on your next dollar of income; your effective rate is your total tax divided by your income. These two numbers serve different purposes. Use the marginal rate to judge the tax impact of a raise, a bonus, or a deductible contribution. Use the effective rate to understand the real share of your income that goes to federal tax, which is the more honest measure of your overall burden. When you start from gross income, the effective rate is measured against gross pay, so it reflects both the deduction and the bracket math.
Taxable income is not your salary
Taxable income is your gross pay minus adjustments and either the standard deduction or itemized deductions. For 2025 the standard deduction is $15,000 for single filers and married filing separately, $30,000 for married couples filing jointly, and $22,500 for head of household; the 2024 figures are slightly lower. Credits such as the Child Tax Credit reduce the final tax bill directly and are applied after the bracket math, so this tool reports tax before credits. State income tax, Social Security, and Medicare are separate from the federal brackets shown here.
2025 federal income tax brackets
| Rate | Single | Married jointly | Married separately | Head of household |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10% | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| 12% | $11,925 | $23,850 | $11,925 | $17,000 |
| 22% | $48,475 | $96,950 | $48,475 | $64,850 |
| 24% | $103,350 | $206,700 | $103,350 | $103,350 |
| 32% | $197,300 | $394,600 | $197,300 | $197,300 |
| 35% | $250,525 | $501,050 | $250,525 | $250,500 |
| 37% | $626,350 | $751,600 | $375,800 | $626,350 |
Taxable income thresholds by filing status. Illustrative, confirm current figures with the IRS.
Frequently asked questions
Does moving into a higher tax bracket lower my take-home pay?
No. Only the income above the bracket threshold is taxed at the higher rate, and the dollars below it keep their lower rates. Earning more always leaves you with more after-tax income, even when a raise pushes part of it into the next bracket.
What is the difference between marginal and effective tax rate?
Your marginal rate is the rate applied to your last dollar of income, your top bracket. Your effective rate is total tax divided by your income, which is lower because the early brackets tax part of your income at 10% and 12%.
Should I enter my gross salary or taxable income?
Either works. Set the basis to "taxable income" if you already subtracted your deductions, or set it to "gross income" and the calculator will subtract the standard deduction for your year and filing status, or a custom amount if you itemize.
Which tax years and filing statuses does this support?
It covers the 2025 tax year (filed in 2026) and the 2024 tax year (filed in 2025), with full brackets for single, married filing jointly, married filing separately, and head of household. Choose the combination that matches your return.
Does this include state tax, Social Security, or credits?
No. It calculates federal income tax from the bracket schedule only. State income tax, Social Security and Medicare payroll taxes, and credits such as the Child Tax Credit are handled separately and are not part of these figures.