Calculate your estimated federal income tax liability.
Single
Married Filing Jointly
Married Filing Separately
Head of Household
Standard Deduction
Itemized Deduction
Estimated Federal Income Tax
$0.00
Understanding US Federal Income Tax Calculation
Calculating your US federal income tax involves several steps, primarily determining your taxable income and then applying the relevant tax brackets. The process can be summarized as follows:
Gross Income: This is all the income you receive from various sources, such as wages, salaries, tips, investments, business profits, etc.
Adjusted Gross Income (AGI): From your gross income, you subtract certain "above-the-line" deductions (e.g., contributions to traditional IRAs, student loan interest). For simplicity in this calculator, we are directly calculating from Gross Income to Taxable Income by applying deductions.
Deductions: You can reduce your AGI by either the Standard Deduction or your Itemized Deductions, whichever is greater. The Standard Deduction amounts vary by filing status and are set annually by the IRS. Itemized deductions include expenses like medical expenses (above a certain threshold), state and local taxes (SALT, capped), home mortgage interest, charitable contributions, etc.
Taxable Income: This is calculated as:
Taxable Income = Gross Income - Deductions
(For this calculator, we simplify by using Gross Income – Your Chosen Deduction).
Tax Brackets: Once you have your taxable income, you apply the progressive US federal income tax rates. Different tax brackets exist for different filing statuses (Single, Married Filing Jointly, Married Filing Separately, Head of Household). Your income is taxed at incremental rates as it falls into higher brackets.
Tax Credits: After calculating the initial tax based on brackets, tax credits are subtracted directly from the tax liability, dollar for dollar. This is generally more beneficial than deductions.
Example Calculation (Simplified):
Let's say an individual filing as 'Single' has a Gross Annual Income of $75,000.
They choose the Standard Deduction for 2023 for a single filer, which is $13,850.
Their Taxable Income would be: $75,000 – $13,850 = $61,150.
Using the 2023 tax brackets for a single filer:
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
Total Estimated Tax = $1,100 + $4,047 + $3,613.50 = $8,760.50.
If this individual had $1,000 in tax credits, their final tax due would be $8,760.50 – $1,000 = $7,760.50.
Disclaimer: This calculator provides an estimation based on simplified tax rules and generalized 2023 tax bracket information for federal income tax. It does not account for all potential deductions, credits, state taxes, alternative minimum tax (AMT), or other complex tax situations. For precise tax advice, consult a qualified tax professional.
function calculateTax() {
var grossIncome = parseFloat(document.getElementById("grossIncome").value);
var filingStatus = document.getElementById("filingStatus").value;
var deductionType = document.getElementById("deductionType").value;
var itemizedDeductionAmount = parseFloat(document.getElementById("itemizedDeductionAmount").value);
var taxCredits = parseFloat(document.getElementById("taxCredits").value);
var resultValueElement = document.getElementById("result-value");
var taxableIncomeDisplayElement = document.getElementById("taxableIncomeDisplay");
// Reset previous results
resultValueElement.innerText = "$0.00";
taxableIncomeDisplayElement.innerText = "";
// Basic validation
if (isNaN(grossIncome) || grossIncome < 0) {
alert("Please enter a valid Gross Annual Income.");
return;
}
if (isNaN(taxCredits) || taxCredits < 0) {
alert("Please enter a valid amount for Tax Credits.");
return;
}
if (deductionType === "itemized" && (isNaN(itemizedDeductionAmount) || itemizedDeductionAmount < 0)) {
alert("Please enter a valid Itemized Deduction Amount if you selected Itemized Deductions.");
return;
}
// Standard Deduction Amounts (simplified for 2023 – actual amounts may vary slightly year to year)
var standardDeductions = {
"single": 13850,
"married_filing_jointly": 27700,
"married_filing_separately": 13850,
"head_of_household": 20800
};
var deduction = 0;
if (deductionType === "standard") {
deduction = standardDeductions[filingStatus] || 0;
} else if (deductionType === "itemized") {
deduction = isNaN(itemizedDeductionAmount) ? 0 : itemizedDeductionAmount;
}
var taxableIncome = grossIncome – deduction;
if (taxableIncome < 0) {
taxableIncome = 0; // Taxable income cannot be negative
}
taxableIncomeDisplayElement.innerText = "Taxable Income: $" + taxableIncome.toFixed(2);
// Tax Brackets (simplified for 2023 – apply to taxable income)
// These are progressive rates. Income is taxed in chunks.
var tax = 0;
// Define brackets based on filing status
var brackets = {};
if (filingStatus === "single") {
brackets = [
{ limit: 11000, rate: 0.10 },
{ limit: 44725, rate: 0.12 },
{ limit: 95375, rate: 0.22 },
{ limit: 182100, rate: 0.24 },
{ limit: 231250, rate: 0.32 },
{ limit: 578125, rate: 0.35 },
{ limit: Infinity, rate: 0.37 } // Top bracket
];
} else if (filingStatus === "married_filing_jointly") {
brackets = [
{ limit: 22000, rate: 0.10 },
{ limit: 89450, rate: 0.12 },
{ limit: 190750, rate: 0.22 },
{ limit: 364200, rate: 0.24 },
{ limit: 462500, rate: 0.32 },
{ limit: 693750, rate: 0.35 },
{ limit: Infinity, rate: 0.37 }
];
} else if (filingStatus === "married_filing_separately") {
brackets = [
{ limit: 11000, rate: 0.10 },
{ limit: 44725, rate: 0.12 },
{ limit: 95375, rate: 0.22 },
{ limit: 182100, rate: 0.24 },
{ limit: 231250, rate: 0.32 },
{ limit: 289062.5, rate: 0.35 }, // Half of MFJ bracket
{ limit: Infinity, rate: 0.37 }
];
} else if (filingStatus === "head_of_household") {
brackets = [
{ limit: 15700, rate: 0.10 },
{ limit: 59850, rate: 0.12 },
{ limit: 95350, rate: 0.22 },
{ limit: 182100, rate: 0.24 },
{ limit: 231250, rate: 0.32 },
{ limit: 578125, rate: 0.35 },
{ limit: Infinity, rate: 0.37 }
];
}
var incomeRemaining = taxableIncome;
var previousLimit = 0;
for (var i = 0; i 0) {
var taxableAmountInThisBracket = Math.min(incomeRemaining, bracketLimit – previousLimit);
incomeInBracket = taxableAmountInThisBracket;
}
tax += incomeInBracket * rate;
incomeRemaining -= incomeInBracket;
previousLimit = bracketLimit;
if (incomeRemaining <= 0) {
break; // All income has been accounted for
}
}
var finalTax = tax – taxCredits;
if (finalTax < 0) {
finalTax = 0; // Tax cannot be negative after credits
}
resultValueElement.innerText = "$" + finalTax.toFixed(2);
}
// Toggle visibility for itemized deduction input
document.getElementById("deductionType").addEventListener("change", function() {
var itemizedInput = document.getElementById("itemizedDeductionInput");
if (this.value === "itemized") {
itemizedInput.style.display = "block";
} else {
itemizedInput.style.display = "none";
// Clear the field if it's hidden to avoid affecting calculation if switched back
document.getElementById("itemizedDeductionAmount").value = "";
}
});