US Federal Tax Calculator 2026

A free calculator for US W-2 employees who want a complete view of federal income tax, payroll tax, and tax advantaged savings in one place. Built for higher earners who are balancing 401(k) contributions, HSA eligibility, Roth IRA limits, and the standard deduction. Enter your gross wages and household profile to see federal tax owed, FICA withholding, retirement contribution capacity, and net take-home pay.

What this calculator handles

2026 federal income tax brackets for single, joint, and head of household filers
FICA payroll taxes covering Social Security at 6.2% and Medicare at 1.45%
Standard deduction of $16,100 single or $32,200 married filing jointly
401(k) pre-tax contributions up to $24,500 ($32,500 with catch-up)
Roth IRA contributions up to $7,500 with income based phase-out modeling
HSA contributions up to $4,400 self-only or $8,750 family with high deductible cover

2026 Federal Tax Brackets (Single Filer)

Federal income tax is progressive. Each bracket applies only to the dollars within that range, so your effective rate is always lower than your marginal rate.

Rate	Taxable income
10%	$0 to $12,400
12%	$12,401 to $50,400
22%	$50,401 to $105,700
24%	$105,701 to $201,775
32%	$201,776 to $256,225
35%	$256,226 to $640,600
37%	$640,601 and above

The HSA Triple Tax Advantage

A Health Savings Account is the only account in the US tax code that offers three separate tax breaks on the same dollar. Contributions are pre-tax, growth is tax-free, and qualified medical withdrawals are tax-free. No other vehicle, including the 401(k) or Roth IRA, combines all three. Contributions made through payroll also avoid the 7.65% FICA tax, which is a saving you cannot get from a traditional IRA or even an after-tax Roth conversion.

The strategic move for high earners is to treat the HSA as a stealth retirement account. Pay current medical bills out of pocket, invest the HSA balance in low cost index funds, and keep receipts. After age 65 the HSA functions like a traditional IRA for non-medical withdrawals, taxed at ordinary rates with no penalty, while qualified medical withdrawals remain entirely tax-free for life.

401(k) vs Roth IRA

A traditional 401(k) reduces this year's taxable income at your current marginal rate, and you pay ordinary income tax on every dollar withdrawn in retirement. A Roth IRA is funded with post-tax dollars but every dollar of qualified growth comes out tax-free. The right answer depends on whether your retirement tax rate will be higher or lower than today.

For most higher earners the rational sequence is to capture the full employer 401(k) match first, max the HSA second, then split additional capacity between Roth IRA (for tax diversification) and continued 401(k) contributions. The 401(k) has a much higher annual limit, no income phase-out, and offers the only way to defer FICA wages into the plan through a direct payroll deduction.

Calculate your US tax position