Income Tax Calculator
Estimate your combined federal and state income tax.
Your Details
How It Works
- Enter your gross annual income.
- Enter your state's approximate income tax rate.
- Press Calculate to see your combined federal and state tax.
Formula Used
Good to Know
- • Several states have no state income tax at all.
- • Some states use progressive brackets too, not a flat rate.
Important Notes
- • State tax is simplified to a flat rate here for estimation.
- • Doesn't include payroll (FICA) taxes or credits.
Federal Tax Is Just One Piece
Total income tax burden depends on where you live as much as what you earn. Several U.S. states charge no state income tax at all, while others have their own progressive brackets that can add a meaningful percentage on top of federal tax. This calculator simplifies state tax to a flat rate for estimation — for states with graduated brackets, the actual amount may differ somewhat from this flat-rate approximation.
Why Location Can Be a Real Financial Factor
For people with flexibility in where they live or work, the state tax difference shown in the sensitivity chart above can represent a meaningful amount of money over a career — though it's worth weighing against cost of living, which often correlates with state tax policy in ways that can offset or amplify the difference.
Terms Explained Simply
- State income tax — a separate tax layered on top of federal tax, varying widely (or absent) by state.
- Combined effective rate — total tax (federal + state) divided by gross income.
A Concrete Example: $80,000 in a 5% State
State tax = $80,000 × 5% = $4,000
Combined tax ≈ $13,988 (17.5% combined effective rate)
Moving to a state with no income tax would save this filer the full $4,000 state portion — a meaningful difference over a career, though often offset by cost-of-living differences between states.
State Tax Impact Table
$80,000 income, federal tax ≈$9,988:
| State Rate | Combined Tax |
|---|---|
| 0% (no state tax) | $9,988 |
| 5% | $13,988 |
| 9% | $17,188 |
Common Missteps Estimating Combined Tax
- Forgetting some states have no income tax — a meaningful factor for relocation decisions.
- Treating state tax as flat when it's progressive — many states use their own bracket structure.