US federal income-tax estimate — bracket-by-bracket, with marginal and effective rates.
Filled in automatically from the 2025 federal standard deduction for your filing status ($15,750 single, $31,500 married filing jointly, $23,625 head of household). Edit it if your situation differs — for example if you are 65 or older or you itemize.
Deductions shrink your taxable income; credits shrink the tax itself, dollar for dollar, down to a floor of $0.
US federal income-tax ESTIMATE only — not tax advice. State and local income taxes are excluded entirely, and this ignores credits, phase-outs, alternative minimum tax, payroll taxes and special rules. Check the IRS figures for your tax year.
estimated federal tax
How the tax breaks down by bracket
| Bracket | Taxed in bracket | Tax |
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How to use this tool
Type your total annual income before tax. This income tax calculator estimates US federal income tax only — state and local taxes are excluded, and it says so wherever the result appears.
Choose Single, Married filing jointly or Head of household. The standard deduction fills in automatically from the 2025 federal figures ($15,750 single, $31,500 married filing jointly, $23,625 head of household); edit it if you itemize or qualify for a higher amount.
Open Advanced options to add extra deductions, which shrink your taxable income, or tax credits, which shrink the tax itself dollar for dollar.
Your marginal rate is the tax on your next dollar; your effective rate is the tax as a share of your whole income, and it is always lower — because the first dollars are taxed at 10% and 12%.
Formula & worked example
Worked example: a single filer earning $80,000 with the $15,750 standard deduction has taxable income of $64,250. Tax = 10% × $11,925 ($1,192.50) + 12% × $36,550 ($4,386.00) + 22% × $15,775 ($3,470.50) = $9,049.00. The marginal rate is 22% but the effective rate is only $9,049 ÷ $80,000 = 11.31% — the most common misunderstanding in any tax calculator, and the reason this one shows both.
Limitations — read this before you rely on it
ESTIMATE ONLY — not tax advice. This uses 2025 federal brackets and standard deductions, excludes state and local income tax, payroll taxes, alternative minimum tax, capital-gains rates, credit phase-outs, and special rules for dependents, seniors and the self-employed. Brackets and deductions change by tax year, so confirm the current IRS figures before filing or making decisions.
Frequently asked questions
Subtract deductions from your gross income to get taxable income, then apply the bracket rates in order: the first slice at 10%, the next at 12%, and so on up to 37%. You never pay your top rate on your whole income — only on the dollars inside that bracket.
Your marginal rate is the rate on your next dollar of income. Your effective rate is your total tax divided by your gross income. On $80,000 as a single filer, the marginal rate is 22% but the effective rate is 11.31%, because the lower brackets tax the first dollars more cheaply.
No. State and local income taxes are excluded entirely — rates range from 0% in some states to over 10% in others, with different brackets and rules. Add your state's estimate separately for an all-in figure.
It is the amount of income the federal government lets you exclude before tax, without itemizing: $15,750 for single filers, $31,500 for married couples filing jointly and $23,625 for heads of household in 2025. If your itemized deductions are higher, you would use those instead.
No. This is a simplified estimate from the standard federal brackets. Real returns involve credits, phase-outs, special income types and state rules that this calculator does not model. For filing decisions, use tax software or a qualified tax professional.