Income Tax Calculator (US)

About Income Tax Calculator (US)

US federal income tax uses progressive brackets. The marginal rate applies only to income within each bracket.

How to use this calculator

1. Enter your taxable income for the year, not your gross pay.
2. Choose the tax year, here it is set to 2024 brackets.
3. If the calculator asks for filing status, select the one that matches your return.
4. Review the estimated tax total and compare it with your withholding or expected refund.

The formula explained

The formula adds up the tax from each bracket by multiplying the rate for that bracket by the part of your income that falls inside it. This gives an estimate of total federal income tax before credits and special adjustments.

• Tax = total estimated federal income tax
• \(rate_i\) = the tax rate for bracket \(i\)
• \(income\text{ in bracket}_i\) = the portion of income taxed at bracket \(i\)

Step by step method

1. Find your taxable income and the bracket limits for your filing status.
2. For each bracket, take only the part of income that fits in that bracket and multiply it by the bracket rate.
3. Add all bracket amounts together to get the estimated tax.

Worked example

Problem. Estimate the 2024 federal income tax for a single filer with taxable income of \(52{,}000\).

1. The first \(11{,}600\) is taxed at \(10\%\), so \(11{,}600 \times 0.10 = 1{,}160\).
2. The next \(35{,}550\), from \(11{,}601\) to \(47{,}150\), is taxed at \(12\%\), so \(35{,}550 \times 0.12 = 4{,}266\).
3. The remaining \(4{,}850\), from \(47{,}151\) to \(52{,}000\), is taxed at \(22\%\), so \(4{,}850 \times 0.22 = 1{,}067\). Adding them gives \(1{,}160 + 4{,}266 + 1{,}067 = 6{,}493\).

Tips and common mistakes

• Make sure you use taxable income, because deductions can lower the amount that is taxed.
• This is an estimate of federal income tax, so it does not include payroll taxes, state tax, or tax credits.

Frequently asked questions