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Enter your total itemized or standard deductions.
Your estimated tax: $0.00
Understanding Your Income Tax Calculation
This calculator provides an estimate of your federal income tax liability based on your income, filing status, and deductions. The calculation follows the general principles of progressive income tax systems, where higher income brackets are taxed at higher rates.
How it Works:
Adjusted Gross Income (AGI): Your gross income is reduced by certain "above-the-line" deductions (like contributions to a traditional IRA or student loan interest). For simplicity, this calculator assumes your "Annual Income" is already your AGI or you will enter your deductions below to arrive at taxable income.
Taxable Income: Your AGI is further reduced by your deductions (either the standard deduction or itemized deductions, whichever is greater). This calculator uses the "Deductions" field to represent this reduction.
Tax Brackets: The calculated Taxable Income is then subject to tax rates based on your filing status. Different filing statuses (Single, Married Filing Jointly, etc.) have different tax brackets and standard deduction amounts.
Tax Liability: The tax is calculated by applying the progressive tax rates to the portions of your taxable income that fall into each bracket.
Simplified Tax Brackets (Example – may vary by year):
Please note: The tax brackets and standard deduction amounts change annually. The exact figures used in this calculator are a simplified representation for demonstration. For precise calculations, always refer to the latest IRS guidelines for the relevant tax year.
Example Calculation:
Let's say an individual filing as Single has an Annual Income (AGI) of $75,000 and takes the Standard Deduction of $13,850 (for 2023).
Taxable Income = $75,000 (AGI) – $13,850 (Deductions) = $61,150
This $61,150 would then be taxed according to the Single filer tax brackets for the relevant year. For instance, using 2023 Single brackets:
10% on income up to $11,000: $11,000 * 0.10 = $1,100
12% on income between $11,001 and $44,725: ($44,725 – $11,000) * 0.12 = $33,725 * 0.12 = $4,047
22% on income between $44,726 and $95,375: ($61,150 – $44,725) * 0.22 = $16,425 * 0.22 = $3,613.50