US Income tax estimator
See your annual tax bill, effective rate, and marginal rate — using current official brackets.
Your income
Tax year: 2025 · Source: IRS Rev. Proc. 2024-40
| Gross income | $80,000.00 |
| Federal income tax | −$9,049.00 |
| Social Security (6.2%) | −$4,960.00 |
| Medicare (1.45%) | −$1,160.00 |
| Net (annual) | $64,831.00 |
- · Federal income tax only — state and local taxes not included.
- · Standard deduction applied: $15,750.
Understanding your inputs
- Gross annual salary
- Your total yearly income before tax — the figure the brackets are applied to.
Understanding your results
- Take-home
- Your estimated annual pay after income tax and statutory deductions.
- Total tax & deductions
- Everything withheld — income tax plus the relevant national contributions for your country.
- Effective rate
- Tax as a share of your whole income — usually well below your top bracket.
- Marginal rate
- The rate charged on your next dollar earned — what a raise or bonus is taxed at.
How US federal income tax is calculated
Federal income tax uses progressive brackets — each slice of taxable income is taxed at that bracket's rate, not the top rate applied to your whole income. Your taxable income is gross income minus the standard deduction ($15,750 single / $31,500 married filing jointly for TY 2025, as raised by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act).
Worked example (single filer, TY 2025)
Salary $90,000. Standard deduction $15,750. Taxable income $74,250.
- First $11,925 at 10% = $1,193
- Next $36,550 (to $48,475) at 12% = $4,386
- Next $25,775 (to $74,250) at 22% = $5,671
- Total federal income tax: $11,249
Effective rate: $11,249 ÷ $90,000 = 12.5%. Marginal rate: 22%. Only the portion above $48,475 is taxed at 22% — your effective rate is far lower than your top bracket.
Marginal vs effective rate
Your marginal rate is the rate on your next dollar — the top bracket you've reached. Your effective rate is total tax ÷ gross income, always lower because earlier brackets taxed at lower rates. A raise that pushes you into a higher bracket never lowers your take-home — only income above the threshold is taxed at the higher rate. This is the most common myth in personal finance.
What stacks on top of federal income tax
- Social Security: 6.2% on wages up to $176,100 (2025 wage base).
- Medicare: 1.45% on all wages, plus a 0.9% Additional Medicare surtax above $200,000 (single).
- State income tax: 0% in TX/FL/WA/NV and others, up to a 13.3% top rate in California.
Your total deductions feel higher than the federal bracket alone suggests because FICA and (in most states) state tax stack on top.
Common mistakes
- Treating marginal rate as the rate on all income. It's only the rate on the top slice.
- Forgetting FICA. Social Security + Medicare add 7.65% before any income tax.
- Treating brackets as cliffs. Moving up a bracket only affects income above the threshold.
- Ignoring pre-tax contributions. 401(k), traditional IRA and HSA contributions lower taxable income at your marginal rate.
What this calculator doesn't cover
- State and local income tax (varies hugely by state)
- Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT)
- Itemised deductions (mortgage interest, SALT, charitable)
- Credits — Child Tax Credit, EITC, education credits
For a full return use the IRS withholding estimator or a qualified preparer. This calculator is for quick estimation.
Related calculators
Related guides
Rates, holding periods, and strategies to reduce your CGT bill.
9 min read
9 legal strategies — loss harvesting, ISA/Roth sheltering, timing, and more.
9 min read
The two tax rates everyone confuses, why moving into a higher bracket never cuts your take-home, and how to read each.
7 min read
Key terms
Frequently asked questions
How is income tax calculated?
What's the difference between marginal and effective tax rate?
What deductions can I claim?
Are tax brackets indexed to inflation?
Why does my paycheck show different tax than my annual estimate?
Embed this calculator
Free to embed on your website, blog, or resource page — no signup, no fees, no API key. The calculator runs entirely in the visitor's browser.
<iframe src="https://financecalcapp.com/embed/income-tax/us/" width="100%" height="680" frameborder="0" title="Income Tax Calculator" loading="lazy" ></iframe> <p>Free <a href="https://financecalcapp.com/calculators/income-tax/us/">Income Tax Calculator</a> by <a href="https://financecalcapp.com">Finance Calc App</a></p>