United States Income Tax Calculator

Tax = (band 1 income × basic rate) + (income above the threshold × higher rate) Progressive systems tax each slice of income at its own rate rather than applying one rate to the whole amount. That is why the effective rate is always below the marginal rate — only the last slice is taxed at the top rate you reach.

Indicative bands for United States. Confusing the marginal rate with the effective rate leads people to believe a pay rise leaves them worse off, which progressive banding never does.

This calculator takes 5 inputs: Annual taxable income, Tax-free allowance, Basic rate, Income where the higher rate starts, Higher rate. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.