Tax Bracket
Definition
The percentage of income you owe in federal taxes, based on how much you earn. The U.S. uses marginal tax brackets — you don't pay the same rate on all income. Earn $0-$12,400 of taxable income in 2026 → 10% tax rate. $12,400-$50,400 → 12%. And so on up to 37%. Only income in each bracket is taxed at that rate.
Why It Matters
Understanding your bracket helps with decisions like traditional vs. Roth IRA, timing bonuses, and charitable donations. A $10,000 bonus might be taxed at your marginal rate (up to 37%) not your effective rate (lower). Strategies like bunching donations or deferring income can save taxes.
Example
Earn $80,000 of taxable income as a single filer in 2026. You're in the 22% bracket. But you don't pay 22% on all $80,000. You pay 10% on the first $12,400, 12% on the next $38,000, 22% on the remaining $29,600. Total tax: $12,312, an effective rate of ~15%.
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