TaxSaving

U.S. federal · Tax year 2025 (filed in 2026) · Last reviewed 2026-07-04

Keep more of what you earn.

Free, no-signup calculators that show your real tax rate, what every pre-tax dollar saves you, your estimated take-home pay, and plain-English guides to legal strategies that lower your bill.

Calculate my tax rate Read the guides

No account, no sign-up. Your numbers never leave your browser — every calculation runs client-side. (Typography is served by Google Fonts; we run no other third-party scripts by default.)

Educational only — not tax or financial advice. TaxSaving uses simplified, hardcoded 2025 U.S. federal figures (including the standard-deduction amounts updated by the 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill Act). It ignores state and local taxes, most credits, phase-outs, AMT, the QBI deduction, and many real-world details. Always verify current limits at IRS.gov and consult a qualified CPA or tax advisor before making decisions.

1 · Marginal vs. effective rate calculator

Enter your income to see your taxable income, total federal income tax, and the difference between your top bracket and what you actually pay. What's the difference? →

Pre-tax contributions (optional)

The 2025 standard deduction is applied automatically. We don't model itemizing here. Contributions are capped at their 2025 annual limits (401(k) $31,000 incl. age-50+ catch-up; IRA $8,000; HSA $8,550 family).

Taxable income —
Total federal income tax —
Marginal rate —
Effective rate —
Estimated take-home (after federal income tax only) —

Bracket-by-bracket breakdown

RateBracket rangeTaxed in bandTax
Enter income to see the breakdown.

Tax year 2025 (filed in 2026) Effective rate here = total federal income tax ÷ gross income; some definitions divide by AGI or taxable income instead, which produces a higher percentage. Brackets & standard deduction: IRS Rev. Proc. 2024-40, as amended by the 2025 OBBBA. Federal only — excludes state tax, FICA, credits, and phase-outs. Last reviewed 2026-07-04.

2 · Pre-tax contribution savings

Every dollar you put into a pre-tax account is deducted at your marginal rate. Drag the sliders to see federal tax saved and the real cost to your paycheck.

Your marginal rate: — (from calculator above)

$0
$0limit $23,500
$0
$0limit $7,000
$0
$0limit $4,300

Limits shown are 2025 base limits (under age 50, self-only HSA). Catch-up contributions (age 50+) and family HSA coverage ($8,550) allow more.

Total contributed $0
Estimated federal tax saved $0
Net cost to your take-home pay $0

Set a marginal rate by filling in the calculator above, then move the sliders.

3 · Take-home paycheck estimator

Estimate your net pay after federal income tax and FICA (Social Security + Medicare). It reuses the same bracket engine as the calculator above. State and local income tax are not included — see the notes.

401(k) deferrals lower federal income tax but not FICA. Section-125 health premiums and payroll HSA contributions lower both.

Estimated take-home $0.00 per biweekly check
  • Annual take-home$0
  • Federal income tax$0
  • Social Security (6.2%)$0
  • Medicare (1.45% +0.9%)$0
  • Pre-tax deductions$0
  • Effective federal + FICA rate0.0%

Excludes state and local income tax, employer benefit deductions beyond those entered, wage garnishments, and post-tax items. Assumes the standard deduction and no other credits. Your actual paycheck withholding depends on your W-4 and employer.

Tax year 2025 (filed in 2026) FICA: Social Security 6.2% up to the $176,100 wage base; Medicare 1.45% on all wages plus an additional 0.9% above $200,000 (single) / $250,000 (MFJ). Sources: SSA, IRS. Federal only. Last reviewed 2026-07-04.

4 · Tax-saving strategy library

Credible, legal strategies — what each is, who it helps, rough savings, and the catch. Filter by who you are, then read the full guide.

5 · Tax strategy guides

Deeper, plain-English explainers on the moves people ask about most. Each cites primary sources and links back to the calculators.

Fundamentals

Marginal vs. effective tax rate

Why a "raise into the next bracket" almost never cuts your take-home pay.

Read guide → Deductions

Standard vs. itemized deduction

How to know which one wins — and the bunching trick that flips the math.

Read guide → Retirement

401(k) vs. Roth IRA

Pre-tax now or tax-free later? A framework for choosing (or doing both).

Read guide → Health

The HSA triple tax advantage

The only account that's deductible going in, tax-free growing, and tax-free coming out.

Read guide → Retirement

Roth conversions explained

Moving pre-tax money to Roth in low-income years — the upside and the traps.

Read guide → High earners

The backdoor Roth IRA

How high earners fund a Roth anyway — and the pro-rata rule that bites.

Read guide → Investing

Tax-loss harvesting

Turn paper losses into a real tax deduction — without breaking the wash-sale rule.

Read guide → Self-employed

The QBI deduction (Section 199A)

Up to 20% off qualified business income — who qualifies and where it phases out.

Read guide →

6 · Your savings summary

A back-of-the-envelope tally of the potential annual federal tax savings you've modeled on this page.

  • Pre-tax contributions modeled$0
  • Marginal rate applied—
  • Estimated annual federal tax saved$0

This is an illustrative estimate from the pre-tax contribution tool only. Strategies in the library (HSA triple advantage, tax-loss harvesting, credits, QBI, etc.) can add substantially more — but their value is highly personal. Treat this as a starting point for a conversation with a tax professional.