Income Tax Calculator 2026
Calculate your total 2026 income tax: federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare (FICA), and state taxes. Get a full take-home pay breakdown.
Estimated Take-Home Pay
$0
2026 Federal Tax Brackets
Estimates only. State taxes use top marginal rate approximations. Consult a tax professional for advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
- For 2026, the federal tax brackets for a single filer are: 10% (up to $12,400), 12% ($12,400โ$50,400), 22% ($50,400โ$105,700), 24% ($105,700โ$201,775), 32% ($201,775โ$256,225), 35% ($256,225โ$640,600), and 37% (over $640,600). Married filing jointly thresholds are exactly double the single filer amounts.
- The 2026 standard deduction is: Single = $16,100; Married Filing Jointly = $32,200; Married Filing Separately = $16,100; Head of Household = $24,150. These are adjusted annually for inflation by the IRS.
- FICA (Federal Insurance Contributions Act) consists of two parts: Social Security (6.2% on wages up to $184,500 in 2026) and Medicare (1.45% on all wages, plus an additional 0.9% on wages over $200,000 for single filers / $250,000 for married filing jointly). Your employer matches the 6.2% + 1.45% portions.
- Total income tax = Federal income tax + FICA + State income tax.
1. Subtract the standard deduction from gross income = taxable income.
2. Apply progressive federal brackets to taxable income.
3. Add Social Security (6.2% ร min(wages, $184,500)) + Medicare (1.45% ร wages).
4. Add your state income tax estimate.
5. Total taxes รท Gross income = effective total tax rate. - The Social Security wage base for 2026 is $184,500. You pay 6.2% on earnings up to this cap, meaning the maximum Social Security tax is $11,439. Earnings above $184,500 are not subject to Social Security tax, but all wages are subject to the 1.45% Medicare tax.
- Key strategies: (1) Contribute to pre-tax retirement accounts (401k up to $23,500 in 2026, IRA up to $7,000). (2) Use an HSA if on a high-deductible health plan ($4,300 individual / $8,550 family limit in 2026). (3) Itemize deductions if they exceed the standard deduction (mortgage interest, charitable gifts, state taxes up to $10,000 SALT cap). (4) Claim eligible tax credits.
- Your marginal rate is the rate on your next dollar of income (your 'tax bracket'). Your effective rate is your total tax divided by your gross income โ always lower than the marginal rate because progressive brackets only tax income within each tier at that tier's rate. A $100,000 single filer in 2026 pays an effective federal rate of about 14%, not the 22% marginal rate.
- Yes. Self-employed individuals pay self-employment (SE) tax instead of employee FICA. The SE tax rate is 15.3% (12.4% Social Security + 2.9% Medicare) on net self-employment income up to $184,500, then 2.9% above that. However, you can deduct half the SE tax from your gross income, and the SE tax base is 92.35% of net self-employment earnings.
- State income tax varies widely. Nine states have no income tax (AK, FL, NV, SD, TX, WA, WY, and NH as of 2025). Others range from flat rates (PA: 3.07%, IL: 4.95%, CO: 4.4%) to progressive systems (CA: up to 13.3%, NY: up to 10.9%). This calculator uses estimated average effective state rates โ consult your state's tax authority for exact figures.
- For 2026, the 401(k) employee contribution limit is $23,500 (up from $23,000 in 2025). Catch-up contributions for ages 50โ59 and 63โ64 remain $7,500. Ages 60โ63 have a higher catch-up of $11,250 under SECURE 2.0. Traditional 401(k) contributions reduce your taxable income dollar-for-dollar.