Tax Bracket

Personal Finance

A tax bracket is a range of income taxed at a specific federal rate. The 2026 single brackets are: 10% up to $11,925; 12% to $48,475; 22% to $103,350; 24% to $197,300; 32% to $250,525; 35% to $626,350; 37% above. Married filing jointly brackets are roughly double. Importantly, you pay each rate only on income within that bracket — you don't jump to a higher rate on all your income when crossing a threshold. This 'marginal' structure is why earning $1 more never reduces your take-home pay, despite common misunderstanding.