2026 Federal Tax Brackets: Complete Guide to Income Tax Rates
Quick Answer
- *The 2026 federal income tax has 7 brackets ranging from 10% to 37%, unchanged from 2025 rates.
- *The standard deduction rises to $16,100 (single), $32,200 (married filing jointly), and $24,150 (head of household).
- *All bracket thresholds increased by roughly 2–3% from 2025 due to inflation adjustments.
- *The TCJA tax structure was made permanent by the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act — no more sunset risk.
2026 Tax Brackets Overview
The federal income tax uses a progressive system with seven tax brackets. In 2026, the rates remain at 10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35%, and 37% — the same rates established by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017. The One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), signed into law in 2025, made these rates permanent and eliminated the scheduled 2026 sunset that would have reverted brackets to pre-TCJA levels.
According to the IRS (Revenue Procedure 2025-32), all income thresholds were adjusted upward by approximately 2–3% to account for inflation. This means you can earn slightly more in each bracket before moving to the next rate.
2026 Tax Brackets for Single Filers
| Tax Rate | Taxable Income Range | Tax Owed |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $0 – $12,400 | 10% of taxable income |
| 12% | $12,401 – $50,400 | $1,240 + 12% of amount over $12,400 |
| 22% | $50,401 – $105,700 | $5,800 + 22% of amount over $50,400 |
| 24% | $105,701 – $201,775 | $17,966 + 24% of amount over $105,700 |
| 32% | $201,776 – $256,225 | $41,024 + 32% of amount over $201,775 |
| 35% | $256,226 – $640,600 | $58,448 + 35% of amount over $256,225 |
| 37% | Over $640,600 | $192,979 + 37% of amount over $640,600 |
2026 Tax Brackets for Married Filing Jointly
| Tax Rate | Taxable Income Range | Tax Owed |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $0 – $24,800 | 10% of taxable income |
| 12% | $24,801 – $100,800 | $2,480 + 12% of amount over $24,800 |
| 22% | $100,801 – $211,400 | $11,600 + 22% of amount over $100,800 |
| 24% | $211,401 – $403,550 | $35,932 + 24% of amount over $211,400 |
| 32% | $403,551 – $512,450 | $82,048 + 32% of amount over $403,550 |
| 35% | $512,451 – $768,700 | $116,896 + 35% of amount over $512,450 |
| 37% | Over $768,700 | $206,584 + 37% of amount over $768,700 |
2026 Tax Brackets for Married Filing Separately
| Tax Rate | Taxable Income Range |
|---|---|
| 10% | $0 – $12,400 |
| 12% | $12,401 – $50,400 |
| 22% | $50,401 – $105,700 |
| 24% | $105,701 – $201,775 |
| 32% | $201,776 – $256,225 |
| 35% | $256,226 – $384,350 |
| 37% | Over $384,350 |
Married filing separately brackets generally mirror single filer thresholds for the 10% through 32% brackets. The 35% and 37% brackets use half of the married filing jointly thresholds.
2026 Tax Brackets for Head of Household
| Tax Rate | Taxable Income Range |
|---|---|
| 10% | $0 – $17,700 |
| 12% | $17,701 – $67,450 |
| 22% | $67,451 – $105,700 |
| 24% | $105,701 – $201,750 |
| 32% | $201,751 – $256,200 |
| 35% | $256,201 – $640,600 |
| 37% | Over $640,600 |
Head of household status is available to unmarried taxpayers who pay more than half the cost of maintaining a home for a qualifying dependent. It offers wider brackets and a larger standard deduction than single filing status.
2026 Standard Deduction Amounts
The standard deduction reduces your taxable income before the brackets apply. Most taxpayers (roughly 87%, according to the Tax Policy Center) claim the standard deduction rather than itemizing.
| Filing Status | 2026 Standard Deduction | 2025 Standard Deduction | Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single | $16,100 | $15,000 | +$1,100 |
| Married Filing Jointly | $32,200 | $30,000 | +$2,200 |
| Married Filing Separately | $16,100 | $15,000 | +$1,100 |
| Head of Household | $24,150 | $22,500 | +$1,650 |
If you are 65 or older, you can claim an additional standard deduction of $2,050 (single/head of household) or $1,650 per qualifying spouse (married filing jointly).
How Tax Brackets Actually Work: Marginal vs. Effective Rate
One of the most common tax misconceptions is the belief that moving into a higher bracket means all your income is taxed at the higher rate. That is not how the U.S. progressive tax system works.
Marginal Tax Rate
Your marginal tax rate is the rate applied to your last dollarof taxable income. If you are a single filer with $60,000 in taxable income, your marginal rate is 22% because $60,000 falls in the $50,401–$105,700 bracket.
Effective Tax Rate
Your effective tax rate is the total tax you owe divided by your total taxable income. It is always lower than your marginal rate because each chunk of income is taxed at progressively higher rates.
Example: Single Filer with $85,000 Salary
Assume a single filer earns $85,000 in gross income with no adjustments. After the $16,100 standard deduction, taxable income is $68,900.
| Bracket | Income in Bracket | Tax |
|---|---|---|
| 10% on first $12,400 | $12,400 | $1,240 |
| 12% on $12,401–$50,400 | $38,000 | $4,560 |
| 22% on $50,401–$68,900 | $18,500 | $4,070 |
| Total | $68,900 | $9,870 |
This person’s marginal rate is 22%, but their effective tax rate is only 14.3%($9,870 ÷ $68,900). Add FICA taxes (7.65%) and the total effective federal rate climbs to about 22% — still well below the 37% top bracket many people worry about.
See your exact federal tax and take-home pay
Use our free Take Home Pay Calculator →Also see: Self-Employment Tax Estimator
Key Changes from 2025 to 2026
The most significant development for 2026 is what did not happen. Under the original TCJA, the lower tax rates were set to expire after December 31, 2025, which would have caused rates to revert to higher pre-2018 levels. The One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) made the TCJA rate structure permanent.
What Changed
- Bracket thresholds: All income thresholds increased by approximately 2–3% due to inflation indexing. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Consumer Price Index rose 2.8% for the 12 months ending September 2025, which the IRS uses to calculate adjustments.
- Standard deduction: Increased across all filing statuses (see table above).
- Additional inflation adjustment: The OBBBA provided an extra 4% inflation boost to the 10% and 12% bracket thresholds, slightly widening those lower brackets beyond what normal CPI adjustments would have produced.
What Did Not Change
- The seven-rate structure (10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35%, 37%) remains identical.
- The $10,000 SALT (state and local tax) deduction cap remains in effect.
- The qualified business income (QBI) deduction under Section 199A continues at up to 20%.
Other Key Tax Numbers for 2026
| Item | 2026 Amount |
|---|---|
| Social Security wage base | $176,100 |
| Social Security tax rate (employee) | 6.2% |
| Medicare tax rate (employee) | 1.45% |
| Additional Medicare surtax threshold (single) | $200,000 |
| 401(k) employee contribution limit | $24,500 |
| IRA contribution limit | $7,500 |
| HSA contribution limit (individual) | $4,400 |
| HSA contribution limit (family) | $8,750 |
| Child Tax Credit | $2,000 per qualifying child |
| EITC maximum (3+ children) | $8,046 |
| AMT exemption (single) | $88,100 |
| AMT exemption (married filing jointly) | $137,000 |
How to Reduce Your Taxable Income
Knowing the brackets is useful, but the real benefit comes from legally reducing the income that gets taxed. Here are the most effective strategies:
Maximize Retirement Contributions
Traditional 401(k) and IRA contributions reduce your taxable income dollar for dollar. If you are in the 22% bracket, maxing out your 401(k) at $24,500 saves you $5,390 in federal income tax alone. For more on this, see our 2026 401(k) contribution limits guide.
Contribute to an HSA
Health Savings Accounts offer a triple tax advantage: contributions are tax-deductible, growth is tax-free, and qualified withdrawals are tax-free. The 2026 limits are $4,400 (individual) and $8,750 (family).
Harvest Capital Losses
You can offset capital gains with capital losses and deduct up to $3,000 in net losses against ordinary income each year. Excess losses carry forward to future years.
Time Your Income and Deductions
If you expect to be in a lower bracket next year (for example, if you are retiring), consider deferring income to the lower-bracket year. Conversely, if you expect higher income next year, accelerate deductions into the current year.
Self-Employed? Your Brackets Work Differently
If you are self-employed, the same seven brackets apply to your income, but you also owe self-employment tax (15.3% on 92.35% of net earnings) on top of income tax. The effective federal tax burden for self-employed individuals is typically 5–7 percentage points higher than W-2 employees at the same income level.
The good news: you can deduct half of your SE tax from your adjusted gross income, and business expenses reduce both your income tax and SE tax. Use our Self-Employment Tax Estimator to see your total liability.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the 2026 federal tax brackets?
The 2026 federal income tax has seven brackets: 10% (up to $12,400 for single filers), 12% ($12,401–$50,400), 22% ($50,401–$105,700), 24% ($105,701–$201,775), 32% ($201,776–$256,225), 35% ($256,226–$640,600), and 37% (over $640,600). Married filing jointly thresholds are roughly double. Head of household filers get wider brackets than single filers.
What is the standard deduction for 2026?
The 2026 standard deduction is $16,100 for single filers and married filing separately, $32,200 for married filing jointly, and $24,150 for head of household. Taxpayers 65 and older can claim an additional $2,050 (single) or $1,650 per qualifying spouse (married).
What changed in the 2026 tax brackets compared to 2025?
The seven tax rates (10%–37%) remain identical. All income thresholds increased by approximately 2–3% due to inflation adjustments, and the standard deduction rose for all filing statuses. The biggest structural change is that the TCJA rate structure was made permanent by the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act, eliminating the previously scheduled 2026 sunset.