US Income Tax Calculator
Your 2026 federal income tax, refund or amount owed and take-home pay after FICA, with 401(k), deductions, children and investments.
= $6,250 a month
Lowers income tax, not FICA. 2026 limit $24,500 (more if 50+). Roth 401(k) is taxed now, so leave it out.
Age and family
Child tax credit: $2,200 each, up to $1,700 paid back even with no tax.
$500 credit each.
More income (a year)
Gains can be negative (a loss). Up to $3,000 of net loss comes off other income.
Pre-tax money and adjustments (a year)
Saves income tax and FICA. Limit $4,400 self, $8,750 family.
Limit $7,500. With a work plan, the deduction phases out at higher income.
Deductions
From 2026, cash gifts up to $1,000 ($2,000 joint) count even if you don't itemize.
New deductions for 2025–2028
Up to $25,000. Still in your pay above; this takes it back off.
Up to $12,500 ($25,000 joint).
Tax already paid and other credits
Federal tax only: state and local income tax are not included (nine states have no wage income tax). FICA uses a $184,500 Social Security wage base from our own knowledge; check ssa.gov.
Your return in short
| Line | Year | Month | Paycheck |
|---|
How your federal tax is worked out
Income → minus pre-tax money and your deduction → tax bracket by bracket → minus credits, FICA and the rest.
- 1
Your income (AGI)
$75,000 income
no pre-tax
= $75,000 - 2
Standard deduction
− $16,100
= $58,900
taxable - 3
Tax by bracket
$1,240 at 10%
+ $4,560 at 12%
+ $1,870 at 22%
= $7,670 - 4
Take-home
− $7,670 tax
− $5,737.50 FICA
= $61,592.50
$5,132.71 a month
Read more: the formula, a worked example, the 2026 brackets and what's not included
US federal income tax for 2026 (the return you file in early 2027) is charged on your taxable income: everything you earn, minus pre-tax savings, adjustments and your deduction. Each slice of taxable income is taxed at its own rate, from 10% to 37%, so moving into a higher bracket only taxes the extra dollars at the higher rate. Credits then come off the tax itself. On top of that, employees pay FICA (Social Security and Medicare) on their pay, and the self-employed pay both halves as self-employment tax.
The formula
AGI = wages − 401(k) − payroll pre-tax + other income + taxable Social Security − adjustments (IRA, half of SE tax…)
taxable income = AGI − standard or itemized deduction − senior, tips, overtime and car-loan deductions − QBI
income tax = each bracket's slice × its rate (long-term gains and qualified dividends at 0%, 15% or 20%) − credits
FICA = 6.2% of pay up to the wage base + 1.45% of all pay (+ 0.9% over $200,000 single / $250,000 joint)
take-home = all income − income tax − FICA − 401(k), HSA and IRA money
refund = tax withheld + estimated payments − total tax (negative = you owe)
Worked example
Single, $75,000 of wages a year, no 401(k), no other income, standard deduction.
Taxable income: $75,000 − $16,100 standard deduction = $58,900.
Income tax: 10% × $12,400 = $1,240; 12% × ($50,400 − $12,400 = $38,000) = $4,560; 22% × ($58,900 − $50,400 = $8,500) = $1,870. Total $7,670. That's 10.23% of your pay (effective rate), while your top bracket is 22%.
FICA: 6.2% × $75,000 = $4,650 Social Security + 1.45% × $75,000 = $1,087.50 Medicare = $5,737.50.
Take-home: $75,000 − $7,670 − $5,737.50 = $61,592.50 a year, which is $5,132.71 a month. Of your next $1,000 of pay you'd keep $703.50 (22% income tax + 7.65% FICA).
2026 federal tax brackets (taxable income)
| Rate | Single | Married filing jointly | Head of household* | Married filing separately* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10% | Up to $12,400 | Up to $24,800 | Up to $17,700 | Up to $12,400 |
| 12% | $12,400 – $50,400 | $24,800 – $100,800 | $17,700 – $67,450 | $12,400 – $50,400 |
| 22% | $50,400 – $105,700 | $100,800 – $211,400 | $67,450 – $105,700 | $50,400 – $105,700 |
| 24% | $105,700 – $201,775 | $211,400 – $403,550 | $105,700 – $201,750 | $105,700 – $201,775 |
| 32% | $201,775 – $256,225 | $403,550 – $512,450 | $201,750 – $256,200 | $201,775 – $256,225 |
| 35% | $256,225 – $640,600 | $512,450 – $768,700 | $256,200 – $640,600 | $256,225 – $384,350 |
| 37% | Over $640,600 | Over $768,700 | Over $640,600 | Over $384,350 |
Standard deduction: $16,100 single or married filing separately, $32,200 married filing jointly, $24,150 head of household. Single and married-filing-jointly brackets and all standard deductions: IRS 2026 inflation adjustments (irs.gov newsroom), checked October 10, 2026. *Head of household and married filing separately brackets are from our own knowledge; check irs.gov.
Other 2026 figures used (check irs.gov)
These come from our own knowledge of the 2026 rules and were not confirmed on irs.gov or ssa.gov in this build. Check them there before you rely on them.
| What | Figure used |
|---|---|
| Extra standard deduction, 65+ or blind | $2,050 each (single, head of household); $1,650 each (married) |
| Senior deduction (2025–2028) | $6,000 per person 65+, cut by 6% of AGI over $75,000 ($150,000 joint); not for married filing separately |
| Child tax credit | $2,200 per child under 17, up to $1,700 refundable (15% of earned income over $2,500); $500 other dependents; cut $50 per $1,000 of AGI over $200,000 ($400,000 joint) |
| Long-term gains 0% / 15% / 20% | 0% up to $49,450 single, $98,900 joint, $66,200 head of household; 20% over $545,500, $613,700, $579,600 |
| FICA | Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500; Medicare 1.45%; Additional Medicare 0.9% over $200,000 ($250,000 joint, $125,000 separately). Check ssa.gov and irs.gov. |
| Self-employment tax | 15.3% (12.4% + 2.9%) of 92.35% of profit; half is deductible |
| Net investment income tax | 3.8% on investment income over AGI $200,000 ($250,000 joint) |
| SALT cap | $40,400 ($20,200 separately), cut by 30% of AGI over $505,000, never below $10,000 |
| Tips / overtime / car loan interest | Up to $25,000 / $12,500 ($25,000 joint) / $10,000; cut above $150,000 ($300,000 joint) AGI, car loan above $100,000 ($200,000 joint) |
| Charity without itemizing (from 2026) | $1,000 ($2,000 joint); itemizers lose the first 0.5% of AGI |
Marginal vs effective rate
Your bracket (marginal rate) is the rate on your last dollar of taxable income. Your effective rate is your whole federal income tax divided by your whole income, which is always lower, because the first slices are taxed at 10% and 12% and the deduction isn't taxed at all.
For general information, not tax advice. It works out a full year at steady pay using the exact bracket maths (the IRS tax table rounds to $50 steps for taxable income under $100,000, so your form can differ by a few dollars). It doesn't cover state or local tax, the alternative minimum tax, the earned income credit, the 37%-bracket limit on itemized deductions, IRA deduction phase-outs, the dependent standard deduction, QBI wage and service-business limits, 25% and 28% gain rates, or the Additional Medicare tax for separate filers in full. Single and joint brackets and the standard deductions checked on irs.gov on October 10, 2026.
Common questions
How is federal income tax calculated?
Start with your income, take off pre-tax savings like a 401(k) and any adjustments, then take off the standard or itemized deduction to get taxable income. Each slice of taxable income is taxed at its own bracket rate, from 10% to 37%. Credits, such as the child tax credit, then come off the tax itself.
What is the standard deduction for 2026?
For 2026 the standard deduction is $16,100 for single filers and married filing separately, $32,200 for married filing jointly and $24,150 for head of household. People who are 65 or older, or blind, get an extra amount on top. Check the figures on irs.gov before you file.
Does a higher tax bracket mean all my income is taxed more?
No. Only the dollars inside the higher bracket are taxed at the higher rate. That's why your effective rate, your whole tax divided by your whole income, is always lower than your top bracket. On $75,000 of wages as a single filer, the top bracket is 22% but the effective rate is about 10.2%.
How much federal tax do I pay on $75,000?
A single filer with $75,000 of wages and the standard deduction has $58,900 of taxable income and pays $7,670 of federal income tax for 2026. FICA adds $5,737.50, leaving take-home pay of $61,592.50 a year before any state or local tax.
What is FICA tax?
FICA is Social Security and Medicare tax on your pay. Employees pay 6.2% for Social Security up to the yearly wage base and 1.45% for Medicare on all pay, plus 0.9% more over $200,000 single or $250,000 joint. The self-employed pay both halves as self-employment tax.
Will I get a tax refund or owe money?
Your refund is the tax withheld from your pay plus any estimated payments, minus your total tax for the year. If more was paid in than you owe, you get the difference back; if less, you owe the rest when you file. Enter your withholding in the calculator to see which.
Related calculators
Made by Zulu Calculator, part of AlphaZulu LLC. Formulas are shown in full and rule figures are checked against official sources; see how we build calculators.