Explainer videos
Short videos on the questions readers ask most. Each one links to the full guide.
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How tax brackets actually work
Your taxable income is cut into slices. Each slice is taxed at its own rate.
Take a single filer with $80,000 of taxable income in 2026.
The first $12,400 is taxed at 10%. The next $38,000 at 12%. The last $29,600 at 22%.
That is $12,312 of federal income tax: a 22% top bracket, but a 15.4% effective rate.
A raise that crosses into the next bracket only taxes the dollars above the line.
In the example, $1,000 more pay adds $180 of tax. You never lose money by earning more.
Brackets apply to taxable income, which is what is left after your deductions.
Your income is taxed in slices, not all at one rate. A worked example with the 2026 figures.
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2026 federal tax brackets
Seven rates stay in place for 2026: 10, 12, 22, 24, 32, 35 and 37 percent.
Single filers pay 10% on the first $12,400 of taxable income.
The top 37% rate starts above $640,600 for single filers.
Married couples filing jointly pay 10% on the first $24,800, and reach 37% above $768,700.
The IRS published these on October 9, 2025, in Revenue Procedure 2025-32.
They apply to income earned in 2026, on the return you file in 2027.
The seven rates and where each one starts for single and joint filers, from the official IRS figures.
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Your real marginal rate
Your marginal rate is the share of your next dollar of income that goes to tax.
For federal income tax it matches your bracket: 10 to 37 percent in 2026.
But payroll tax adds 7.65% on wages up to the $184,500 wage base.
A single filer on $90,000 of wages faces 22% income tax plus 7.65% payroll tax.
Credit phase-outs can push the real rate higher still, without changing your bracket.
High incomes add surtaxes: 0.9% additional Medicare tax and 3.8% on net investment income.
Why the rate on your next dollar is usually higher than your federal bracket alone.
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2027 brackets: what is known
As of September 2026, the IRS has not announced the 2027 bracket thresholds.
They usually arrive in a revenue procedure in October or November of the prior year.
What is settled: the seven rates, 10 through 37 percent, are permanent law.
Only the income thresholds move, and they move with inflation.
Any 2027 figure you see now is a projection, not an official number.
The first returns using 2027 brackets are filed in the 2028 season.
The 2027 thresholds are not published yet. What is already settled, and when the IRS usually announces.
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State income tax rates by state: how the largest states compare
State income tax rates run from zero in nine states to a 12.3% top bracket in California, plus a 1% surcharge on taxable income over $1 million.
States with no wage income tax: 9 (AK, FL, NV, NH, SD, TN, TX, WA, WY).
Highest top rate among large states: California 12.3% + 1% over $1 million.
New York top rate (2026): 10.9% over $25 million, plus NYC tax for city residents.
The table below shows the latest schedules each state has published as of September 2026.
A flat-rate state applies one percentage to all taxable income. Illinois charges 4.95% of net income, a rate in effect since July 1, 2017, according to the Illinois Department of Revenue.
Nine states do not tax wages: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming.
State income tax rates compared: top rates, flat vs graduated brackets, the nine no-tax states, and what a $75,000 earner pays in CA, NY, NJ, IL and PA.
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Tax calculator guide: estimate your 2026 federal income tax
A tax calculator for 2026 estimates federal income tax in five steps: add up income, subtract adjustments, subtract the $16,100 single or $32,200 joint standard deduction, apply the 10% to 37% brackets, then subtract credits.
2026 standard deduction: $16,100 single, $32,200 joint, $24,150 head of household.
2026 rates: 10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35%, 37%.
Federal tax on $75,000 salary, single, 2026: $7,670.
Use the calculator that matches the question you are asking. A yearly tax total, a bracket split, a refund estimate and a paycheck estimate need different inputs.
You can reproduce any federal tax calculator result with a pencil and the 2026 tables.
You need your income figures, your filing status and a record of what you have already paid.
What is the most accurate free tax calculator? No estimator beats the return itself, but a calculator that shows its formula and uses the official Rev.
Tax calculator guide for 2026: pick the right federal tax estimator, follow the five-step method by hand, and compare worked tax figures for common salaries.
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Capital gains tax: rates, rules and worked examples
Capital gains tax is the federal tax on profit from selling an asset such as stock, a fund, crypto or real estate.
Long-term holding period: More than one year.
2026 long-term rates: 0%, 15% or 20%.
2026 0% rate ceiling: $49,450 single; $98,900 joint; $66,200 head of household.
Each example uses 2026 figures and assumes the gain is the only investment income.
The 0%, 15% and 20% rates are not the whole story for larger gains or special assets.
Capital losses offset capital gains first, dollar for dollar. If losses exceed gains, you can deduct up to $3,000 of the net loss against other income such as wages ($1,500 if married filing separately).
Capital gains tax for 2026: 0%, 15% or 20% on assets held over a year, ordinary rates on short-term gains, plus losses, home sales and worked examples.
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Child tax credit: how much it is, who qualifies and how it phases out
The child tax credit is worth up to $2,200 for each qualifying child under 17 on 2025 and 2026 returns.
Credit per qualifying child (2025 and 2026): $2,200.
Refundable part (ACTC) for 2026: Up to $1,700 per child.
Age limit: Under 17 at the end of the year.
Partly. The CTC first cancels your income tax.
Yes, but only at higher incomes. The credit starts to shrink when modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) passes $200,000, or $400,000 on a joint return.
If your credit came out lower than you expected, the usual causes are the age test, a missing or invalid SSN, low earned income or the income phaseout.
Can I get the child tax credit if I have no income? You can claim it, but with no tax to reduce and no earned income, nothing is paid.
The child tax credit is $2,200 per child under 17 for 2025 and 2026, up to $1,700 refundable. See who qualifies, the income limits and how to claim it.
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Earned income credit: what it is, how much it pays and who gets it
The earned income credit (EITC) is a refundable federal credit for people who work and earn low to moderate pay.
Maximum credit, tax year 2026: $664 (no children) to $8,231 (three or more children).
Highest income that still qualifies: Under $70,244, married filing jointly with three or more children.
Investment income limit: $12,200 for 2026.
For tax year 2026, the returns filed in early 2027, the maximum EITC ranges from $664 to $8,231.
The credit ends at a completed phaseout amount. Your AGI and your earned income must both be below that figure.
Everyone who claims the credit must meet a short list of basic rules.
Is the earned income credit the same as the EITC? Yes. Earned income credit, earned income tax credit, EITC and EIC are all names for the same federal credit under section 32 of the tax code.
The earned income credit pays up to $8,231 for 2026 returns. See EITC amounts by children, income limits, eligibility rules and how the credit is paid.
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Education tax credits and other individual credits for 2026
There are two federal education tax credits for 2026: the American Opportunity Credit, worth up to $2,500 per student with $1,000 refundable, and the lifetime learning credit, worth up to $2,000 per return and nonrefundable.
American Opportunity Credit: Up to $2,500 per student, $1,000 refundable.
Lifetime learning credit: Up to $2,000 per return, nonrefundable.
Education credit income cutoff: MAGI $90,000 ($180,000 joint).
Beyond education, the main federal tax credits for individuals on 2026 returns are the child tax credit, the earned income credit, the child and dependent care credit, the adoption credit and the saver's credit.
A refundable credit is paid to you even when it is larger than your tax, while nonrefundable credits can only reduce your tax to zero.
Can I claim both the American Opportunity Credit and the lifetime learning credit? Yes, on the same return for different students, but not both for the same student in the same year.
Education tax credits for 2026: the American Opportunity Credit pays up to $2,500 per student and the lifetime learning credit up to $2,000. Other credits too.
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Georgia income tax rate: the 4.99% flat tax for 2026 and the cuts still to come
The Georgia income tax rate is a flat 4.99% for tax year 2026, down from 5.19% for 2025, under House Bill 463 signed on May 11, 2026.
Georgia rate, tax year 2026: 4.99% flat.
Georgia rate, tax year 2025: 5.19% flat.
Standard deduction, 2026: $15,000 single, head of household, married separate; $30,000 joint.
Georgia has no brackets left to climb. Your tax is Georgia taxable income multiplied by 4.99%, and the only way to lower it is to shrink taxable income or claim credits.
No. Georgia cities and counties do not levy a local income tax on wages, so the 4.99% state rate is the only income tax a Georgia resident pays on top of federal tax.
Yes. The rate fell from 5.19% in 2025 to 4.99% in 2026, reaching a rate below 5% three years ahead of the earlier schedule, according to the Governor's office.
Is Georgia a flat tax state? Yes. Since 2024 Georgia has taxed all taxable income at one rate.
The Georgia income tax rate is a flat 4.99% for 2026, down from 5.19%. See the new $15,000 standard deduction, future cuts toward 3.99% and worked examples.