IRS releases 2026 income tax brackets with Trump law changes

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Source: Quartz

Here are the 2026 tax brackets for single individuals and married couples:

10% for single incomes of $12,400 or less ($24,800 for married couples filing jointly)

12% for single incomes over $12,400 ($24,800 for married couples filing jointly)

22% for single incomes over $50,400 ($100,800 for married couples filing jointly)

24% for single incomes over $105,700 ($211,400 for married couples filing jointly)

32% for single incomes over $201,775 ($403,550 for married couples filing jointly)

35% for single incomes over $256,225 ($512,450 for married couples filing jointly)

37% for single incomes greater than $640,600 ($768,700 for married couples filing jointly)

Read more: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/irs-releases-2026-income-tax-170000718.html

[AZJonnie]

1. And 1.5% for incomes greater than $2M year

They missed that part.

Joking aside, anyone know what it was before this year? And is there any change in the standard deduction?

[rubbersole]

2. Just that last year your money went to the federal government...

..to help fund programs meant for the general good. Now it's getting funneled to the 1% as fast as possible. The proletariat is stirring.

[MichMan]

9. From the link...

Other changes include a boost in the standard deduction as a result of the GOP tax law. That will be increased to $16,100 for singles and $32,200 for married couples.

This helps the nearly 90% of taxpayers who don't itemize

[somsai]

11. Increasing the standard deduction so most people don't itemize

was one of the best recent changes. Getting rid of mortgage deduction, SALT deduction, tax free 401K matches from companies, tax free health insurance, would make things a lot more equal too. Basically, if you deduct, you make a lot of money.

[progree]

12. Raising the standard deduction was nice, but they got rid of the personal exemption ($4,050 for singles in 2017)

too with the tax law changes the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) which first took effect in 2018.

For singles, the standard deduction increased from $6,350 to $12,000, a $5,650 increase.

But the $4,050 personal exemption was eliminated.

So on net, the point that income begins to be taxed only increased by $5,650 minus $4,050 = $1,600 between 2017 and 2018.

For married filing jointly, it was double that -- a $3,200.increase in the point that income begins to be taxed.

Not a big windfall that some make it out to be, but still a benefit, along with lowered marginal tax rates, e.g. 15% to 12% and 25% to 22% and so on.

Myself, I itemized in both 2017 and 2018, so the higher standard deduction did me no good, but the loss of the $4,050 pesonal exemption hurt.

Dependent exemptions were also eliminated by the TCJA, but the child tax credit was doubled, the result being that as far as having children, it depended on what tax bracket someone was in whether on net that hurt or helped.

Note to myself: to Schwab 11/26/18 e;mail;b

[progree]

4. People should realize that the bracket changes do not and have not been keeping up with inflation

Last edited Fri Oct 10, 2025, 04:04 AM - Edit history (5)

since 2017 when they first started adjusting tax brackets according to the CHAINED CPI.

The chained CPI is a little less than the CPI (consumer price index) so the effect is slow bracket creep where people whose income has been keeping up with inflation, for example, pay slightly higher average tax rates with each passing year.

The chained CPI runs lower because it fully includes substitution. For example, if beef prices are skyrocketing and people switch some of their beef consumption to turkey necks and other lower cost meat, that reduces the increase in meat prices and may even result in lower overall average meat prices in the chained CPI.

The regular CPI has less of these substitution effects and is more in line with overall actual price increases.

Another thing: neither CPI measure includes actual home ownership costs -- not house prices, not mortgage payments, not homeowner insurance, not property taxes, not maintenance costs.

Instead, they use something called "owners' equivalent rent" where they ask homeowners what they think they can rent their house for if they were to move out. https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1116&pid=101079

There doesn't appear to be a seasonally adjusted version of the chained CPI, so for comparison purposes, here are the time series for the CPI and chained CPI, both not-seasonally adjusted

CPI-U, NOT Seasonally Adjusted: https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CUUR0000SA0

Chained CPI-U - NOT seasonally adjusted https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/SUUR0000SA0

Over 8 years:
Jan 2025 / Jan 2017
CPI 317.671/242.839 = 1.30818
Chained CPI 176.268/138.035 = 1.27698

1.30818/1.27698 = 1.02443

==================================================

Over 25 years:
Jan 2025 / Jan 2000
CPI 317.671/168.8 = 1.88194
Chained CPI 176.268/100.3 = 1.75741

1.88194 / 1.75741 = 1.07086

Edited to add the BLS time series links for the CPI and Chained CPI, and comparing the increase in both from January 2000 to January 2025. Also January 2017 to January 2025.

[Igel]

6. Assuming that CPI is more accurate than chained CPI.

At some point they're asymptotic. I know that as the CPI went up my choices by price went down. Some there's (based on my narrow anecdotal evidence) that chained CPI isn't all wrong.

Put me in 1983 where everything was always at the lowest price, depending on the 'basket' of goods I was purchasing it would be pure CPI. (But there's that 'depending upon' bit.)

[Stargazer99]

5. You the middle class will be supporting the wealthy with IRS agents being let go

It will be harder to catch the tricks of the wealthy, if you knew how they screw you over legally and illegally you would be "madder than hell". AOC could tell you a few of their legal tricks and also Jasmine Crockett

[3Hotdogs]

7. Now me and the missus can each afford a Big Mac once a month. . Just like our president.

Don't tell our daughter we're getting all this. They'll be asking for another handout to buy a box of pampers for the baby.

[Snoopy 7]

8. wakie wakie hands off snakie

Everyone should be screaming WHERE IS MY TAX DEDUCTION! For almost 100 days trump has been cutting aid and benefits for everyone but the billionaires. SO if wer'e not paying for all the buildings and their bills, employees and their benefits, the senate & house aren't working at all, and the like so, there are billions of dollars save (?) what a joke. All trump is doing is taxing you and not giving you anything for your taxes therefore, where is my MONEY? TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION...

[somsai]

10. This is after the 0% standard deduction of $31,500 for married filing joint, plus $6000 for being old

and another 1600 or 2000 I can't figure out which for being old. I figure I have no taxes for the first $38K or so. Then once I figure taxes I get the education tax credit for a couple of kids. But the biggest gift of all is that all the appreciation on my house and all the appreciation on equities I pay nothing on.

Altogether taxes are way too low. Poor people pay Social Security taxes on the first dollar they earn and the first dollar they spend in the form of sales tax. The middle class should pay taxes too.

[LtTx]

13. The 6k is in the Big Beautiful Bill

so it is not law yet. Hopefully, but not so far.

[progree]

14. The One, Big, Beautiful Bill was signed into law July 4. The extra $6k senior deduction is effective in 2025

and expires at the end of 2028.

https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/one-big-beautiful-bill-act-tax-deductions-for-working-americans-and-seniors

The additional $6,000 deduction for seniors is effective for the 2025 tax year, meaning you can first claim it when you file your taxes in early 2026. The deduction is part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which was signed into law on July 4, 2025.

Effective for 2025 through 2028, individuals who are age 65 and older may claim an additional deduction of $6,000. This new deduction is in addition to the current additional standard deduction for seniors under existing law.
The $6,000 senior deduction is per eligible individual (i.e., $12,000 total for a married couple where both spouses qualify).
Deduction phases out for taxpayers with modified adjusted gross income over $75,000 ($150,000 for joint filers).

[LtTx]

15. Thanks! nt