US Tax Calculator

US Income Tax Calculator: Federal, State & FICA Taxes

The United States uses a progressive federal income tax system where higher portions of your income are taxed at higher rates. For 2025, the seven federal tax brackets range from 10% on the first $11,600 of taxable income (for single filers) up to 37% on income above $609,351. This means that only the income within each bracket is taxed at that rate, not your entire income. Your effective tax rate (total tax divided by gross income) is always lower than your marginal (highest bracket) rate.

In addition to federal income tax, most states levy their own income taxes. Nine states (Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming) have no state income tax at all, making them popular for high earners. States like California (up to 13.3%) and New York (up to 10.9%) have some of the highest rates. Our calculator uses approximate average rates for a simplified estimate. FICA taxes (Social Security at 6.2% and Medicare at 1.45%) are applied to your gross income regardless of deductions, with Social Security capped at the wage base ($168,600 in 2025) and an additional 0.9% Medicare surtax on income above $200,000 for single filers.

The standard deduction reduces your taxable income before federal tax is calculated. For 2025, a single filer gets a $14,600 standard deduction, while married filing jointly receives $29,200. If your qualifying itemized deductions (mortgage interest, state and local taxes up to $10,000, charitable contributions, etc.) exceed the standard deduction, you can choose to itemize instead. The Child Tax Credit provides up to $2,000 per qualifying dependent child, directly reducing your tax bill dollar-for-dollar.

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