Federal Income Tax Calculator
Federal tax is charged in layers, so your top rate is not the rate you pay on every dollar. Enter your taxable income to see the estimated tax owed along with your effective and marginal rates.
On $50,000 of taxable income you owe about $5,914 in federal tax — an effective rate of 11.8%, with your top dollar taxed at the 22% marginal rate. (2025 single filer.)
Worked examples
Real results from this calculator, computed for a few common scenarios. Move the sliders above to run your own numbers.
| Taxable income = $120,000 | On $120,000 of taxable income you owe about $21,647 in federal tax — an effective rate of 18.0%, with your top dollar taxed at the 24% marginal rate. (2025 single filer.) |
| Taxable income = $300,000 | On $300,000 of taxable income you owe about $74,547 in federal tax — an effective rate of 24.8%, with your top dollar taxed at the 35% marginal rate. (2025 single filer.) |
| Taxable income = $480,000 | On $480,000 of taxable income you owe about $137,547 in federal tax — an effective rate of 28.7%, with your top dollar taxed at the 35% marginal rate. (2025 single filer.) |
Your next step
Taxes & Take-Home Pay
See what you really keep, and where every dollar of tax actually goes.
Related toolPaycheck Take-Home Calculator
See what actually lands in your account after taxes and deductions come out of each paycheck.
Related toolSelf-Employment Tax Calculator
Know how much self-employment tax you owe so you can set money aside before it is due.
How this math works
The calculator runs your taxable income through the 2025 single-filer federal brackets, taxing each layer at its own rate and adding the pieces together. The total is your estimated federal income tax.
It also reports your effective rate, which is tax divided by income, and your marginal rate, which is the bracket your last dollar falls into.
Common questions
Is this my total tax bill?
No. This covers federal income tax only. It does not include Social Security, Medicare, state tax, or any credits that could lower what you actually owe.
Should I enter income before or after deductions?
Enter taxable income, which is your income after subtracting the standard deduction or your itemized deductions. The brackets apply to that taxable figure.
What is the difference between effective and marginal rate?
Your marginal rate is the rate on your last dollar of income. Your effective rate is your total tax divided by your income, and it is always lower because earlier dollars are taxed in lower brackets.
Put this calculator on your website
Bloggers, teachers, credit unions, HR teams: embed the live Federal Income Tax Calculator free. Copy the snippet below — the tool keeps working and stays up to date automatically, no maintenance on your side.
The Flourish Letter
One useful money idea every Friday, with the interactive chart so you can check the math. Free. Welcome path: free printable toolkit (calendar, debt sheet, raise script, and more).