Federal Income Tax Calculator
Estimate your 2025 federal income tax, effective rate, marginal bracket, and refund or balance due.
Your details
Traditional 401(k), HSA, FSA — reduces taxable income
Deductions & credits
$2,000 Child Tax Credit each
Payments
This calculator runs entirely on your device. Nothing you enter is uploaded, stored, or sold. How this works
Estimated federal income tax
$15,209
12.67% effective rate — 22% marginal bracket
Includes your inputs, the full breakdown, and every row of the table.
Taxable income
$92,250
Marginal bracket
22%
After-tax income
$104,791
Federal income tax only
Tax credits applied
$0
- Gross income
- $120,000
- Pre-tax contributions
- - $12,000
- Adjusted gross income
- $108,000
- Standard deduction
- - $15,750
- Taxable income
- $92,250
- Tax before credits
- $15,209
- Federal income tax
- $15,209
| Taxable income range | Rate | Income taxed | Tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0 – $11,925 | 10% | $11,925 | $1,193 |
| $11,925 – $48,475 | 12% | $36,550 | $4,386 |
| $48,475 – $103,350 | 22% | $43,775 | $9,631 |
What this means
- Your marginal rate of 22% applies only to the last dollar you earned. Your effective rate — total tax divided by total income — is 12.67%.
- Payroll taxes (Social Security and Medicare), state tax, and self-employment tax are calculated separately.
How the federal income tax calculation works
Federal income tax is progressive: each slice of taxable income is taxed at its own rate. Moving into a higher bracket never reduces your take-home pay, because only the dollars above the threshold are taxed at the higher rate. This is why your effective rate is always well below your marginal rate.
The order of operations matters. Pre-tax contributions to a traditional 401(k), HSA, or FSA come out first, reducing adjusted gross income. Then your deduction — standard or itemized, whichever is larger — is subtracted to reach taxable income. Credits are applied last and reduce the tax itself dollar for dollar, which makes them roughly four times more valuable than an equivalent deduction in the 24% bracket.
Frequently asked questions
What are the 2025 federal tax brackets?
For single filers: 10% to $11,925, 12% to $48,475, 22% to $103,350, 24% to $197,300, 32% to $250,525, 35% to $626,350, and 37% above that. Married filing jointly thresholds are double the single amounts through the 35% bracket.
Deduction or credit — which is better?
A credit, almost always. A $1,000 deduction saves you your marginal rate — $240 in the 24% bracket. A $1,000 credit saves the full $1,000.
Does a raise into a new bracket cost me money?
No. Only the income above the bracket threshold is taxed at the higher rate. A raise always increases take-home pay, though it can affect income-tested credits and subsidies.
Related calculators
Paycheck Calculator
Turn your salary into an actual net paycheck after federal tax, FICA, state tax, and pre-tax deductions.
TaxCapital Gains Tax Calculator
Calculate short- and long-term capital gains tax, including the 3.8% net investment income tax and state tax.
TaxSelf-Employment Tax Calculator
Calculate SE tax, the deductible half, the QBI deduction, and quarterly estimated payments for 1099 income.
TaxTake-Home Pay Calculator
Estimate net pay per paycheck after federal tax, FICA, state tax, retirement contributions, and benefit deductions.
SalarySpotted a problem, or want this calculator to do more?Corrections are fixed first, and the most-requested features get built next.Tell us →
Disclaimer. This calculator is provided for general information and educational purposes only and does not constitute financial, tax, legal, medical, or engineering advice. Results are estimates based on the inputs you provide and the assumptions described above. Confirm any figure with a qualified professional before acting on it.