Income Tax Calculator
Estimate your federal income tax by bracket and see why your effective rate is lower than your top marginal rate.
- After-tax income
- $71,247
- Marginal rate
- 22%
- Effective rate
- 16.18%
On $85,000 of taxable income, your estimated federal tax is $13,753. Your top (marginal) rate is 22%, but because only your highest dollars are taxed at that rate, your effective rate is just 16.18%.
Tax by bracket
How much tax each bracket contributes — only your top dollars pay the top rate.
View data table
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| 10% | $1,160 |
| 12% | $4,266 |
| 22% | $8,327 |
Marginal vs. effective rate
View data table
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Marginal | $22 |
| Effective | $16 |
How this works
Enter your taxable income to see your tax broken down by bracket — and why your effective rate is well below your marginal rate. Computed in your browser.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my effective rate lower than my bracket?
Brackets are marginal: only the income within each band is taxed at that band's rate. Your effective rate is total tax divided by total income, which is always lower than your top bracket.
Does this include state tax or deductions?
No. This is a simplified federal estimate on taxable income. It doesn't model state tax, credits, or deductions, and is not tax advice.
Related calculators
For general information only — not tax advice. Uses simplified 2024 federal brackets and excludes state taxes, credits, and deductions.