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Tax Calculator
Estimate how much you'll owe in federal taxes, using your income, deductions and credits — all in just a few steps.
The United States taxes income progressively, meaning that how much you make will place you within one of seven federal tax brackets:
Single filers
Tax rate
Taxable income bracket
Tax owed
10%
$0 to $9,950
10% of taxable income
12%
$9,951 to $40,525
$995 plus 12% of the amount over $9,950
22%
$40,526 to $86,375
$4,664 plus 22% of the amount over $40,525
24%
$86,376 to $164,925
$14,751 plus 24% of the amount over $86,375
32%
$164,926 to $209,425
$33,603 plus 32% of the amount over $164,925
35%
$209,426 to $523,600
$47,843 plus 35% of the amount over $209,425
37%
$523,601 or more
$157,804.25 plus 37% of the amount over $523,600
Married, filing jointly
Tax rate
Taxable income bracket
Tax owed
10%
$0 to $19,900
10% of taxable income
12%
$19,901 to $81,050
$1,990 plus 12% of the amount over $19,900
22%
$81,051 to $172,750
$9,328 plus 22% of the amount over $81,050
24%
$172,751 to $329,850
$29,502 plus 24% of the amount over $172,750
32%
$329,851 to $418,850
$67,206 plus 32% of the amount over $329,850
35%
$418,851 to $628,300
$95,686 plus 35% of the amount over $418,850
37%
$628,301 or more
$168,993.50 plus 37% of the amount over $628,300
Married, filing separately
Tax rate
Taxable income bracket
Tax owed
10%
$0 to $9,950
10% of taxable income
12%
$9,951 to $40,525
$995 plus 12% of the amount over $9,950
22%
$40,526 to $86,375
$4,664 plus 22% of the amount over $40,525
24%
$86,376 to $164,925
$14,751 plus 24% of the amount over $86,375
32%
$164,926 to $209,425
$33,603 plus 32% of the amount over $164,925
35%
$209,426 to $314,150
$47,843 plus 35% of the amount over $209,425
37%
$314,151 or more
$84,496.75 plus 37% of the amount over $314,150
Head of household
Tax rate
Taxable income bracket
Tax owed
10%
$0 to $14,200
10% of taxable income
12%
$14,201 to $54,200
$1,420 plus 12% of the amount over $14,200
22%
$54,201 to $86,350
$6,220 plus 22% of the amount over $54,200
24%
$86,351 to $164,900
$13,293 plus 24% of the amount over $86,350
32%
$164,901 to $209,400
$32,145 plus 32% of the amount over $164,900
35%
$209,401 to $523,600
$46,385 plus 35% of the amount over $209,400
37%
$523,601 or more
$156,355 plus 37% of the amount over $523,600
Which bracket you land in depends on your filing status: single, married filing jointly, married filing separately, and head of household. Choosing the right filing status can have a big effect on how your tax bill is calculated.
Standard deduction vs. itemized deductions
Deciding how to take your deductions — that is, how much to subtract from your adjusted gross income, thus reducing your taxable income — can make a huge difference in your tax bill. But making that decision isn’t always easy.
The standard deduction is a flat reduction in your adjusted gross income, the amount determined by Congress and meant to keep up with inflation. Nearly 70% of filers take it, because it makes the tax-prep process quick and easy.
Filing status
2021 tax year
2022 tax year
Single
$12,550
$12,950
Married, filing jointly
$25,100
$25,900
Married, filing separately
$12,550
$12,950
Head of household
$18,800
$19,400
People who itemize tend to do so because their deductions add up to more than the standard deduction, saving them money. The IRS allows you to deduct a litany of expenses from your income, but record-keeping is key — you need to be able to prove, usually with receipts, that the expenses you’re deducting are valid. This means effort, but it might also mean savings.
How deductions and credits work
Both reduce your tax bill, but in different ways. Tax credits directly reduce the amount of tax you owe, dollar for dollar. A tax credit valued at $1,000, for instance, lowers your tax bill by $1,000.
Tax deductions, on the other hand, reduce how much of your income is subject to taxes. Deductions lower your taxable income by the percentage of your highest federal income tax bracket. For example, if you fall into the 25% tax bracket, a $1,000 deduction saves you $250.
Estimating a tax bill starts with estimating taxable income. In a nutshell, to estimate taxable income, we take gross income and subtract tax deductions. What’s left is taxable income. Then we apply the appropriate tax bracket (based on income and filing status) to calculate tax liability. Tax credits and taxes already withheld from your paychecks might cover that bill for the year. If not, you may need to pay the rest at tax time. If you’ve paid too much, you’ll get a tax refund.
What tax bracket am I in?
The United States has a progressive tax system, meaning people with higher taxable incomes pay higher federal income tax rates. Here are the current tax brackets.
Woo hoo! I might get a big tax refund!
Don’t get too excited; this could be a sign that you’re having too much tax withheld from your paycheck and needlessly living on less of your earnings all year. You can use Form W-4 to reduce your withholding easily right now so you don’t have to wait for the government to give you your money back later.
Oh no! I can’t pay this estimated tax bill! What do I do?