Tax Bracket Calculator
Identifies your marginal federal income tax bracket based on taxable income and filing status. Helps taxpayers understand what rate applies to their next dollar earned.
About this calculator
The U.S. federal income tax system is progressive, meaning different portions of income are taxed at increasing rates. The formula returns your marginal rate — the rate applied to the last dollar of taxable income — based on your filing status (single, married filing jointly, or head of household) and taxable income. For single filers in 2023, the brackets are: 10% up to $11,000; 12% up to $44,725; 22% up to $95,375; 24% up to $182,100; 32% up to $231,250; 35% up to $578,125; and 37% above that. Married filing jointly thresholds are roughly double. Your marginal rate differs from your effective (average) rate, which is total tax divided by total taxable income and is always lower than the marginal rate.
How to use
Suppose you are a single filer with $75,000 of taxable income. Enter Taxable Income = $75,000 and Filing Status = Single. The calculator checks the thresholds: $75,000 falls above $44,725 but below $95,375, so your marginal tax rate is 22%. This means your last dollar earned is taxed at 22%, but dollars earned in lower ranges are taxed at 10% and 12% respectively. Your effective rate will be lower — roughly 16–17% in this case — because the lower brackets apply to the first portions of your income.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between marginal tax rate and effective tax rate?
Your marginal tax rate is the rate applied to your last (highest) dollar of taxable income, indicating which bracket you fall into. Your effective tax rate is the overall average — total tax paid divided by total taxable income. Because the U.S. uses a progressive system, only the income within each bracket is taxed at that bracket's rate; lower income is taxed at lower rates. A single filer with $75,000 in taxable income is in the 22% bracket but might have an effective rate closer to 16%, since much of their income was taxed at 10% and 12%.
How do tax brackets change for married filing jointly versus single filers?
Married filing jointly brackets are generally double the single filer thresholds, which largely eliminates the 'marriage penalty' for couples with similar incomes. For example, the 10% bracket applies to the first $11,000 for single filers but the first $22,000 for married couples. However, for couples where one spouse earns significantly more, the combined income can push them into a higher bracket than they would occupy filing separately. The head-of-household filing status offers slightly wider brackets than single, reflecting the costs of supporting a household.
Does earning more money ever put all of my income into a higher tax bracket?
No — moving into a higher tax bracket only affects the income above the threshold, not your entire income. This is one of the most common tax misconceptions. For example, if you are a single filer who earns $46,000, only the amount above $44,725 is taxed at 22%; the first $11,000 is still taxed at 10% and the next $33,725 at 12%. You never lose money by earning more. The concern about 'bracket creep' is really about your effective rate gradually rising, not a sudden tax on all prior income.