The information in this article is up to date for tax year 2024 (returns filed in 2025).
Tax brackets are used to calculate your federal income taxes. It shows you the tax rate you will pay for each portion of your taxable income. The federal income tax rates are 10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35% and 37% for 2024 and 2025. However, the income limits for the 2024 tax brackets have been adjusted for inflation to minimize bracket creep. Bracket creep occurs when inflation pushes your wages into a higher tax bracket forcing you to pay more in taxes, even though your real income hasn’t changed.
The tax brackets that apply to you are determined by your filing status and taxable income. The filing statuses are single, head of household, married filing jointly, married filing separately, and qualifying widow(er). Generally, as your income increases, you’ll move into a higher tax bracket where you’ll pay more taxes. Here are the 2024 tax brackets and federal income tax rates for each filing status.
2024 tax brackets (for taxes due in 2025)
The 2024 tax brackets apply to this year’s earnings, which you will report on the tax returns you file in 2025.
| Tax rate | Single | Head of household | Married filing jointly or Qualifying widow(er) | Married filing separately |
| 10% | $0 to $11,600 | $0 to $16,550 | $0 to $23,200 | $0 to $11,600 |
| 12% | $11,601 to $47,150 | $16,551 to $63,100 | $23,201 to $94,300 | $11,601 to $47,150 |
| 22% | $47,151 to $100,525 | $63,101 to $100,500 | $94,301 to $201,050 | $47,151 to $100,525 |
| 24% | $100,526 to $191,950 | $100,501 to $191,950 | $201,051 to $383,900 | $100,526 to $191,950 |
| 32% | $191,951 to $243,725 | $191,951 to $243,700 | $383,901 to $487,450 | $191,951 to $243,725 |
| 35% | $243,726 to $609,350 | $243,701 to $609,350 | $487,451 to $731,200 | $243,726 to $365,600 |
| 37% | $609,351 or more | $609,350 or more | $731,201 or more | $365,601 or more |
2025 tax brackets (for taxes due in 2026)
Here are the 2025 tax brackets and federal income tax rates. This applies to the tax returns that you’ll file in 2026.
| Tax rate | Single | Head of household | Married filing jointly or Qualifying widow(er) | Married filing separately |
| 10% | $11,925 or less | $17,000 or less | $23,850 or less | $11,925 or less |
| 12% | $11,926 to $48,475 | $17,001 to $64,850 | $23,851 to $96,950 | $11,926 to $48,475 |
| 22% | $48,476 to $103,350 | $64,851 to $103,350 | $96,951 to $206,700 | $48,476 to $103,350 |
| 24% | $103,351 to $197,300 | $103,351 to $197,300 | $206,701 to $394,600 | $103,351 to $197,300 |
| 32% | $197,301 to $250,525 | $197,301 to $250,500 | $394,601 to $501,050 | $197,301 to $250,525 |
| 35% | $250,526 to $626,350 | $250,501 to $626,350 | $501,051 to $751,600 | $250,526 to $375,800 |
| 37% | $626,351 or more | $626,350 or more | $751,601 or more | $375,801 or more |
How do tax brackets work?
Most people have heard of tax brackets, but not everyone understands how they work. A common misconception is that you pay one rate for your entire income. That is not the case. The federal income tax rates are divided into seven chunks known as tax brackets. Each portion of your income is taxed at a different rate. Since the United States has a progressive tax system, you’ll pay a higher tax rate as you earn more money. For example, let’s say you’re single and have a taxable income of $60,000 in 2024. You wouldn’t pay 22% on your entire income. Instead, you would pay:
- 10% on the first $11,600 of your earnings
- 12% on the chunk of earning from $11,601 and $47,150
- 22% on the remaining income
Use the charts below to estimate how much taxes you’ll owe for your filing status.
Single
| Tax rate | Taxable income | Taxes owed in April 2025 |
| 10% | $0 to $11,600 | 10% of taxable income |
| 12% | $11,601 to $47,150 | $1,160 plus 12% of the amount over $11,600 |
| 22% | $47,151 to $100,525 | $5,426 plus 22% of the amount over $47,150 |
| 24% | $100,526 to $191,950 | $17,168.50 plus 24% of the amount over $100,525 |
| 32% | $191,951 to $243,725 | $39,110.50 plus 32% of the amount over $191,950 |
| 35% | $243,726 to $609,350 | $55,678.50 plus 35% of the amount over $243,725 |
| 37% | $609,351 or more | $183,647.25 plus 37% of the amount over $609,350 |
Head of Household
| Tax rate | Taxable income | Taxes owed in April 2025 |
| 10% | $0 to $16,550 | 10% of taxable income |
| 12% | $16,551 to $63,100 | $1,655 plus 12% of the amount over $16,500 |
| 22% | $63,101 to $100,500 | $7,241 plus 22% of the amount over $63,100 |
| 24% | $100,501 to $191,950 | $15,469 plus 24% of the amount over $100,500 |
| 32% | $191,951 to $243,700 | $37,417 plus 32% of the amount over $191,950 |
| 35% | $243,701 to $609,350 | $53,977 plus 35% of the amount over $243,700 |
| 37% | $609,350 or more | $181,954.50 plus 37% of the amount over $609,350 |
Married filing jointly or Qualifying widow(er)
| Tax rate | Taxable income | Taxes owed in April 2025 |
| 10% | $0 to $23,200 | 10% of taxable income |
| 12% | $23,201 to $94,300 | $2,320 plus 12% of the amount over $23,200 |
| 22% | $94,301 to $201,050 | $10,852 plus 22% of the amount over $94,300 |
| 24% | $201,051 to $383,900 | $34,337 plus 24% of the amount over $201,050 |
| 32% | $383,901 to $487,450 | $78,221 plus 32% of the amount over $383,900 |
| 35% | $487,451 to $731,200 | $111,357 plus 35% of the amount over $487,450 |
| 37% | $731,201 or more | $196,669.50 + 37% of the amount over $731,200 |
Married filing separately
| Tax rate | Taxable income | Taxes owed in April 2025 |
| 10% | $0 to $11,600 | 10% of taxable income |
| 12% | $11,601 to $47,150 | $1,160 plus 12% of the amount over $11,600 |
| 22% | $47,151 to $100,525 | $5,426 plus 22% of the amount over $47,150 |
| 24% | $100,526 to $191,950 | $17,168.50 plus 24% of the amount over $100,525 |
| 32% | $191,951 to $243,725 | $39,110.50 plus 32% of the amount over $191,950 |
| 35% | $243,726 to $365,600 | $55,678.50 plus 35% of the amount over $243,725 |
| 37% | $365,601 or more | $98,334.75 plus 37% of the amount over $365,600 |
What is taxable income?
Taxable income includes wages, salaries, tips, bonuses, and commissions, but the list doesn’t end there. Learn more about what’s considered taxable income.
What is a marginal tax rate?
Your marginal tax rate is the tax rate you pay on your last dollar of income. The marginal tax rate increases as your income grows. The easiest way to figure out your marginal tax rate is to look at the highest tax bracket you’ll be taxed in.
What is an effective tax rate?
Your effective tax rate is the percentage of your taxable income being paid in taxes. You can calculate your effective tax rate by dividing your tax owed by your total income. This rate is usually lower than your marginal tax rate.
How to get into a lower tax bracket
To get into a lower tax bracket, you’ll need to reduce your taxable income. You can do so by increasing your contributions to tax-deferred accounts like a 401(k), traditional IRA, or health savings account (HSA). Another option is to maximize your tax deductions. Tax deductions reduce your taxable income. If you itemize, you may be able to deduct your medical expenses, charitable contributions, and mortgage interest. Crunch the numbers to see whether taking the standard deduction or itemized deductions gets you the biggest savings. When you file your taxes with ezTaxReturn, we automatically compare the two, so you can decide which one is right for you.
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The articles and content published on this blog are provided for informational purposes only. The information presented is not intended to be, and should not be taken as, legal, financial, or professional advice. Readers are advised to seek appropriate professional guidance and conduct their own due diligence before making any decisions based on the information provided.
