Federal income tax calculator

Enter your filing status and your adjusted gross income to see your federal income tax for 2026, your top bracket and your effective rate.

If you add what was withheld from your paychecks, you also get an estimate of your refund or of what you still owe.

How it's calculated

Your deduction is the standard deduction for your filing status or your itemized deductions, whichever is larger. Each box for age 65 or blindness adds $1,650 for married filers and $2,050 for single filers and heads of household.
Each person 65 or older also gets the senior deduction of $6,000. It shrinks by 6% of your income above $75,000 ($150,000 on a joint return).
Taxable income is your AGI minus those deductions. The tax applies each bracket rate only to the slice of income inside that bracket: 10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35% and 37%.
The effective rate divides the tax by your AGI. The refund compares the tax with what was already withheld.

An example

A single filer with $75,000 of AGI takes the $16,100 standard deduction and has $58,900 of taxable income. The tax is $7,670: 10% on the first $12,400, 12% up to $50,400 and 22% on the remaining $8,500. The effective rate is about 10.2%.

Frequently asked questions

What is the standard deduction for 2026?

$16,100 for single filers and married people filing separately, $32,200 for married couples filing jointly and $24,150 for heads of household.

Does moving into a higher bracket tax all my income at that rate?

No. Only the dollars above the start of a bracket pay that bracket's rate. A raise never lowers your take-home pay because of the federal brackets.

Who can claim the senior deduction?

People 65 or older by the end of the year with a valid Social Security number. It is $6,000 per person, it applies whether you itemize or not, and married couples must file jointly to claim it.

Why is my real refund different?

Credits such as the child tax credit, other income, and state taxes change the final number. This calculator shows the federal tax before credits, so use it as a starting point for your return.

Key terms

Adjusted gross income (AGI): Your total income minus adjustments such as traditional 401(k) and HSA contributions.
Taxable income: AGI minus the standard or itemized deduction and other deductions such as the senior deduction.
Marginal rate: The rate that applies to your last dollar of taxable income.