Federal Income Tax Estimator (2026)
Models ordinary income, long-term capital gains at preferential rates, the 3.8% Net Investment Income Tax, self-employment tax, and Additional Medicare. Figures reflect IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32 and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Federal tax composition
Not tax, legal, or financial advice
FiscTalk provides general educational information from public sources. Tax outcomes depend on your full facts, filing history, and jurisdiction-specific rules that change yearly. Before filing or making decisions, consult a licensed CPA, EA, or attorney. FiscTalk is not a fiduciary and is not affiliated with the IRS or any state agency.
Sources & methodology
- IRS — Tax inflation adjustments for tax year 2026 (Rev. Proc. 2025-32) — Internal Revenue Service
- IRS Pub. 15 (Circular E), Employer’s Tax Guide 2026 — Social Security wage base $184,500 — Internal Revenue Service
- IRS Pub. 15-T (2026), Federal Income Tax Withholding Methods — Internal Revenue Service
- IRS Form 1041-ES (2026) — capital gains rate thresholds — Internal Revenue Service
- OBBBA (One Big Beautiful Bill Act), Pub. L. 119-21 — SALT, estate, QBI, QSBS, senior deduction — Internal Revenue Service
What this tool does
How to use it
- 1Select the tax year (2026 is the default) and your filing status.
- 2Enter your W-2 wages, net business/self-employment earnings, and any other ordinary income.
- 3Add long-term capital gains and qualified dividends if you have them — they get preferential rates.
- 4Enter above-the-line adjustments (401(k), HSA, student-loan interest) and either itemized deductions or leave blank to use the standard deduction.
- 5Read the summary cards for AGI, taxable income, total federal tax, and effective vs marginal rate, then review the full composition breakdown and donut chart.
Worked examples
Run the same scenario through the calculator above to verify every number — they come from the same sourced dataset.
Single filer, $40,000 W-2 wages, standard deduction
Single filer, $75,000 W-2 wages, standard deduction
Single filer, $150,000 W-2 wages, standard deduction
What this tool does not cover
- Does not compute state income tax — that is a separate layer handled by the state estimator.
- Credits (child tax credit, EITC, education credits) are not automatically applied; enter adjustments and compare against your actual return.
- FICA assumes W-2 employee treatment; self-employment tax is modeled when you enter business earnings, but the full SE deduction flow is best run in the self-employment tool.
Common questions
How much federal tax will I owe on $100,000 in 2026?
A single filer with $100,000 of W-2 wages and the 2026 standard deduction of $16,100 owes about $13,170 in federal income tax plus $7,650 in FICA, roughly $20,820 total (20.8% effective rate), before credits and pre-tax contributions.
What is the 2026 standard deduction?
For tax year 2026 the standard deduction is $16,100 for single filers, $32,200 for married couples filing jointly, and $24,150 for heads of household.
What is the highest federal tax bracket in 2026?
The top marginal rate stays 37% in 2026, applying to single taxable income over $640,600 and joint taxable income over $768,700. Bracket thresholds were inflation-adjusted under IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32.
Do capital gains count in the ordinary income brackets?
No. Long-term capital gains and qualified dividends are taxed at their own 0%, 15%, or 20% rates based on taxable income, plus the 3.8% Net Investment Income Tax above the MAGI threshold.