About taxes in United States
The United States taxes income at both the federal level and (in most states) the state level. The federal system is progressive, with 2026 brackets ranging from 10% to 37% depending on taxable income. Employees pay FICA payroll taxes: 6.2% Social Security on the first $176,100 of annual earnings, plus 1.45% Medicare with no cap, plus an extra 0.9% Medicare surtax above $200,000 single ($250,000 married filing jointly). State income tax varies dramatically — from 0% in states like Texas, Florida, Washington and Tennessee, to over 10% at high incomes in California and New Jersey. The calculator covers 10 representative states and lets you choose Single or Married Filing Jointly. We assume a standard W-2 employee taking the standard deduction; city/local income taxes are not included, so major metro areas like New York City or San Francisco may show higher tax than estimated.