Tax Calculator
Estimate your 2026 federal tax and take-home pay
| Rate | Income in bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $12,400 | $1,240 |
| 12% | $38,000 | $4,560 |
| 22% | $18,500 | $4,070 |
Tax Calculator: Estimate Your 2026 Income Tax and Take-Home Pay
Our free tax calculator estimates your 2026 federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare tax, optional state tax and the pay you keep. Choose your filing status, enter your income, and add pre-tax deductions, itemized deductions, credits and a state rate if you want them included. You get your take-home pay, total tax, effective rate and marginal rate, plus a bracket-by-bracket breakdown. A toggle switches between employee and self-employed income.
Quick answer: a single filer earning $85,000 has taxable income of $68,900 after the $16,100 standard deduction. Federal income tax is $9,870 and Social Security and Medicare tax is $6,502, so total tax is $16,372, an effective rate of 19.3%. Take-home pay is about $68,628 a year, or $5,719 a month.
How Federal Income Tax Works
The United States uses marginal tax brackets. Your taxable income is divided into slices, and each slice is taxed at its own rate. Moving into a higher bracket never taxes all of your income at the higher rate, only the part above the start of that bracket. That is why a raise cannot reduce your take-home pay under a progressive system.
For 2026 there are seven rates: 10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35% and 37%. The table below shows single filers at different incomes, with federal income tax and Social Security and Medicare combined.
| Income | Federal income tax | Social Security & Medicare | Total tax | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $2,620 | $3,060 | $5,680 | 14.2% |
| $60,000 | $5,020 | $4,590 | $9,610 | 16.0% |
| $85,000 | $9,870 | $6,502 | $16,372 | 19.3% |
| $120,000 | $17,570 | $9,180 | $26,750 | 22.3% |
| $200,000 | $36,734 | $14,339 | $51,073 | 25.5% |
Standard Deduction and Filing Status
Your filing status sets both your brackets and your standard deduction. For 2026 the standard deduction is $16,100 for single filers, $32,200 for married couples filing jointly and $24,150 for heads of household. The table compares the statuses at $85,000 of income. Choose Itemized if your mortgage interest, state and local taxes, charitable gifts and other eligible expenses add up to more than the standard amount.
| Filing status | Standard deduction | Taxable income | Federal income tax | Share of income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single | $16,100 | $68,900 | $9,870 | 11.6% |
| Married filing jointly | $32,200 | $52,800 | $5,840 | 6.9% |
| Married filing separately | $16,100 | $68,900 | $9,870 | 11.6% |
| Head of household | $24,150 | $60,850 | $6,948 | 8.2% |
Social Security, Medicare and Self-Employment Tax
Employees pay 6.2% Social Security tax on wages up to $184,500 and 1.45% Medicare tax on all wages, with an extra 0.9% Medicare tax on wages above $200,000 for single filers. Self-employed workers pay both halves, which is 15.3% on 92.35% of net earnings, and can deduct half of that tax. On $85,000 of net earnings that comes to about $12,010, against $6,502 for an employee. To see the effect of retirement savings on your tax, try the 401k calculator, which also shows employer match.
State Taxes, Credits and What Is Not Included
State income tax rules vary widely, so the calculator applies a flat rate that you enter to your income after deductions. Enter 0 for a state with no income tax. The credits box takes the total of credits you expect, such as the child tax credit, which is $2,200 per qualifying child for 2026. The estimate does not include the earned income credit, the qualified business income deduction, the alternative minimum tax, capital gains or credit phase-outs. For a view of each paycheck, use the paycheck calculator.
Who Uses a Tax Calculator?
Employees checking their take-home pay, people comparing job offers, freelancers planning quarterly payments, couples comparing filing statuses, and anyone deciding how much to put into a retirement account. Results are estimates for general information, not tax advice, and your actual tax depends on your full situation.
How to Use This Tax Calculator
Choose your filing status
Pick single, married filing jointly, married filing separately or head of household.
Choose employee or self-employed
Use the toggle so payroll tax or self-employment tax is calculated correctly.
Enter your income
Type your annual salary, or your net self-employment income.
Add deductions and credits
Enter pre-tax deductions such as 401k contributions, choose standard or itemized, and add any credits.
Add a state tax rate (optional)
Enter an estimated flat state rate, or leave it at 0%.
Click "Calculate Tax"
See your take-home pay, total tax, tax rates and a bracket breakdown.