The United States tax system uses a progressive tax code, which attempts to collect more taxes from higher wage earners. Income you receive from your work–earned income–falls into one of seven tax brackets, which range from 10 percent to 37 percent.
Increments of your income are taxed at different rates, with the tax rate rising as you reach each of the seven “marginal” levels in the current system. This means you may have several tax rates that determine how much you owe the IRS. Regardless of how much you earn, your first $10,000 of income is taxed at 10 percent. This is true for everyone. The next $30,000 of income is taxed at 12 percent. This stepwise process goes on until you reach your ultimate tax bracket. In addition to your taxable income, your tax bracket also depends on your filing status.
Find out your estimated tax rate using our tool.