It’s the rate you’ll pay on the amount of income that falls into the last bracket.įind the appropriate boxes listing the income thresholds for your taxable income and filing status to determine how much of your income you’ll pay in each bracket. Note: The top tax rate your income falls into is not the actual rate you’ll pay. The difference is your total taxable income. Subtract things like 401(k) contributions, HSA contributions, and health insurance premiums (all of these are already factored into your W-2, if you will receive one.) Then subtract the standard deduction, or deductions if you plan to itemize. Start by adding up all the income you’ve earned for the year that will be taxed, such as from salary, bonuses, tips, freelance income, alimony, and interest earnings. To figure out your tax bracket, first look at the rates for the filing status you plan to use: single, married filing jointly, married filing separately, or head of household. You can figure out what tax bracket you’re in using the tables published by the IRS (see tables above). How do you figure out what tax bracket you’re in? Heads of households who are unmarried but taking care of a child or other qualifying dependent.Married couples who each file a separate tax return.Married couples filing a single joint return together.The IRS uses different federal income tax brackets and ranges depending on filing status: The tax rates continue to increase as someone’s income moves into higher brackets.

The next tax bracket is 12% of taxable income levels between $11,601 to $47,150.

(Over a certain amount, your income is taxed no further.) The Internal Revenue Service adjusts federal income tax brackets annually to account for inflation, and the new brackets can help you estimate your tax obligation based on your income and filing status for the year.įor example, a hypothetical single filer would owe 10% on the first $11,600 of taxable income in 2024 whether that amount represents their total earnings, or they earn $1 million. As you earn more money, the additional income jumps to a higher bracket with a higher tax rate. The US has a progressive tax system at the federal level with 7 tax brackets.

2021 income tax bracket