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Income Tax Calculator

Estimate US federal income tax, your effective rate, and monthly take-home pay from 2024 brackets.

How this tax calculator works

Enter your annual income, filing status, and deductions (the 2024 standard deduction for a single filer, $14,600, is pre-suggested) and the calculator applies the 2024 US federal tax brackets progressively: 10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35%, and 37%. It then reports your estimated federal tax, your effective rate — total tax as a share of income — your after-tax income, and monthly take-home.

The single most misunderstood thing about brackets: moving into a higher bracket only taxes the income above the threshold at the higher rate. Earning one dollar into the 22% bracket does not tax your whole salary at 22%, and a raise can never leave you with less after-tax income.

Worked example

A single filer earning $75,000 with the standard deduction has $60,400 of taxable income. Tax is 10% on the first $11,600, 12% up to $47,150, and 22% on the remainder — about $8,341 in total. That is a marginal rate of 22% but an effective rate of just ~11%. The gap between those two numbers is why "I'm in the 22% bracket" tells you very little about your actual tax bill.

Keep in mind

  • Federal only. State income tax, FICA (Social Security and Medicare), and local taxes are not included, so real take-home will be lower.
  • Deductions vs credits. This tool models deductions (which reduce taxable income). Credits like the Child Tax Credit reduce the tax bill itself and can change the result significantly.
  • Estimates only. Brackets and deductions change annually; confirm current-year figures with the IRS or a tax professional before making decisions.

Frequently asked questions

Is this calculator suitable for other countries?

No — the brackets are specific to US federal income tax. Other countries use different bands, rates, and allowances. The effective-vs-marginal logic, however, applies to nearly every progressive tax system in the world.

Why doesn't my paycheck match the monthly take-home shown?

Paychecks also deduct FICA taxes (7.65% for most employees), state income tax where applicable, and pre-tax items like 401(k) contributions and health premiums. This calculator isolates the federal income tax component only.

Should I enter gross salary or taxable income?

Enter your gross annual income and your deductions separately — the calculator subtracts deductions for you to produce taxable income. If you already know your taxable income, enter it as income with $0 deductions.