Income Tax Estimator
Estimate your 2026 federal income tax, effective tax rate, FICA taxes, and net take-home pay with pre-tax contribution benefits.
Tax Parameters
How Federal Income Tax Brackets Work
The United States uses a progressive marginal tax system. You do not pay your highest tax bracket on your entire income. Instead, income is taxed in layers:
- Standard Deduction: The first $15,000 for single filers ($30,000 for married couples) is completely tax-free.
- 10% Bracket: Applied to the first ~$11,925 of taxable income.
- 12% Bracket: Applied to income from ~$11,926 to ~$48,475.
- 22% Bracket: Applied to income from ~$48,476 to ~$103,350.
- Higher Brackets: 24%, 32%, 35%, and 37% apply only to dollars earned above each respective threshold.
Your Marginal Tax Rate is the tax paid on your next dollar of earnings. Your Effective Tax Rate is total tax paid divided by your total income.
Frequently Asked Questions
FICA stands for Federal Insurance Contributions Act. Employees pay 6.2% for Social Security (up to the annual wage base limit) and 1.45% for Medicare (with no cap, plus 0.9% additional for high earners).
Depositing funds into a Traditional 401(k), 403(b), or Health Savings Account (HSA) reduces your adjusted gross income dollar-for-dollar, shielding that money from federal and state income taxes for the current year.