The Federal Tax Code

How brackets actually work

Interactive bracket breakdown
2024 Single filer rates
Enter your income
$/yr
$17,053
Federal tax
17.1%
Effective rate
$82,947
You keep
22%
marginal bracket — but that’s not what you pay

Most people think moving to a higher bracket means all their income is taxed at the higher rate. It doesn’t. Each bracket only applies to income within that range.

Your income through the brackets

$100,000 broken down

Each portion of your income is taxed at its own rate

10%
12%
22%
10% bracket
$0 — $11,600
$11,600 taxed at this rate
−$1,160
12% bracket
$11,600 — $47,150
$35,550 taxed at this rate
−$4,266
22% bracket
$47,150 — $100,525
$52,850 taxed at this rate
−$11,627
The biggest tax myth

You save $4,947

What people think

“If I make $100,000, I’m in the 22% bracket, so I pay 22% on everything.”

$22,000
22% flat on all income
What actually happens

Each bracket only applies to income within that range. Your first $11,600 is always taxed at 10%, no matter what.

$17,053
17.1% effective rate
You save $4,947 because of how brackets actually work
Where your tax dollars go
Social Security$3,581
21% of federal taxes
Health (Medicare/Medicaid)$4,263
25% of federal taxes
Defense$2,217
13% of federal taxes
Income Security$2,217
13% of federal taxes
Net Interest on Debt$2,387
14% of federal taxes
Veterans Benefits$853
5% of federal taxes
Education$512
3% of federal taxes
Everything Else$1,023
6% of federal taxes
Source: CBO 2024 estimates
The tax code in numbers
70,000+
pages in the tax code
800+
forms the IRS publishes
6.5B
hours spent on tax prep
$260B
annual compliance cost
1913
year income tax began
7% → 37%
original vs current top rate
State income tax comparison

Where you live matters

State income tax on $100,000 annual salary

California
Progressive (up to 13.3%)
$9,300
New York
Progressive (up to 10.9%)
$10,900
Texas
No state income tax
$0
Florida
No state income tax
$0
Washington
No state income tax
$0
Tennessee
No state income tax
$0
Nevada
No state income tax
$0
Illinois
Flat rate
$4,950
Pennsylvania
Flat rate
$3,070
New Jersey
Progressive (up to 10.75%)
$10,750
Oregon
Progressive (up to 9.9%)
$9,900
Hawaii
Progressive (up to 11%)
$11,000
Massachusetts
Flat rate (+ 4% surtax >$1M)
$9,000
Colorado
Flat rate
$4,400
North Carolina
Flat rate
$4,500

See the full picture.

Federal brackets are just the start. See how much of $1,000 actually survives after every tax.

See your full tax death →

Disclaimer: Federal brackets shown are for Single filers (2024). Does not include deductions, credits, or AMT. Consult a qualified tax professional.

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