2021-2022 Federal Income Tax Brackets

Tax Rates for the Tax Years 2021 and 2022 by Filing Status

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Updated May 27, 2022
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Ebony J. Howard
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The U.S. imposes an income tax by using progressive rates. An individual's tax liability gradually increases as their income increases.

As of 2022, there are seven marginal tax rates or brackets: 10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35%, and 37%. The income ranges that these rates apply to adjust every year to take inflation into account.

Marginal Tax Brackets

Ordinary income tax rates apply to most kinds of income, and they're distinguished from the capital gains tax rate that's imposed on long-term gains and qualified dividends. Your marginal tax bracket is the highest tax rate imposed on your income. Marginal tax brackets refer to the tax imposed on the next dollar earned.

This is a useful concept for tax planning, because it enables people to analyze the tax impact of additional income or deductions.

Tax rates are defined by year and by filing status. Below, find a breakdown of the tax brackets, per filing status, for tax years 2021 and 2022.

Tax Tables for Tax Year 2021 (Filed in 2022)

2021 Tax Brackets
2021 Tax Rate For Single Filers For Married Individuals Filing Joint Returns For Heads of Households
10% Up to $9,950 Up to $19,900 Up to $14,200
12% $9,951 to $40,525 $19,901 to $81,050 $14,201 to $54,200
22% $40,526 to $86,375 $81,051 to $172,750 $54,201 to $86,350
24% $86,376 to $164,925 $172,751 to $329,850 $86,351 to $164,900
32% $164,926 to $209,425 $329,851 to $418,850 $164,901 to $209,400
35% $209,426 to $523,600 $418,851 to $628,300 $209,401 to $523,600
37% $523,601 or more $628,301 or more $523,601 or more
Source: IRS

These tax rates are in effect for income earned from January 1 through December 31, 2021.

Tax Tables for Tax Year 2022 (Filed in 2023)

2022 Tax Rate For Single Filers For Married Individuals Filing Joint Returns For Heads of Households
10% $0 to $10,275 $0 to $20,550 $0 to $14,650
12% $10,275 to $41,775 $20,550 to $83,550 $14,650 to $55,900
22% $41,775 to $89,075 $83,550 to $178,150 $55,900 to $89,050
24% $89,075 to $170,050 $178,150 to $340,100 $89,050 to $170,050
32% $170,050 to $215,950 $340,100 to $431,900 $170,050 to $215,950
35% $215,950 to $539,900 $431,900 to $647,850 $215,950 to $539,900
37% $539,900 or more $647,850 or more $539,900 or more
Source: IRS

These tax rates are in effect for income earned from January 1 through December 31, 2022.

The "Hidden" 0% Tax Bracket

Every taxpayer is entitled to claim a standard deduction or to itemize their deductions. These deductions effectively constitute a 0% tax bracket in the sense that there's no tax imposed on income represented by these deductible expenses. They're subtracted from gross income to arrive at the income levels referenced in the federal tax brackets cited above.

Progressive Structure of the Tax Rates

U.S. tax rates are referred to as "progressive," because the tax rate that applies increases incrementally as an individual's income increases. For example, someone with $1 million in income would have their income taxed at every tax bracket. Someone with $5,000 in income after deductions would be taxed only at the 10% bracket.

Progressive tax rates are different from a flat tax, where one tax rate applies to all income, and from regressive tax rates, in which tax rates decrease as income increases.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What's the difference between a marginal tax rate and an average tax rate?

An individual's average rate, which is referred to as the "effective tax rate," is their overall federal tax liability, divided by their total income. Your marginal tax rate is the rate you pay on your top dollar of income.

Do the percentages of the federal tax rates ever change?

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act introduced new tax rates effective 2018. The rates of all tax brackets were reduced, with the exception of the lowest 10% bracket. President Biden's American Families Plan proposes increasing the highest rate from 37% to 39.6%.

Updated by
Jess Feldman
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Jess Feldman has been writing and editing for over five years, and currently focuses on financial topics. As an associate editor on the special projects team, she writes, edits, and develops tentpole brand projects across a variety of platforms. Since joining the financial space, she's developed an interest in finding ways to make the complex topic of finance relatable to younger generations, specifically via TikTok. Jess has a journalism degree from the University of Maryland Philip Merrill College of Journalism.
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Article Sources

  1. IRS. "IRS Provides Tax Inflation Adjustments for Tax Year 2021."

  2. IRS. "IRS Provides Tax Inflation Adjustments for Tax Year 2022."

  3. The Tax Foundation. "Preliminary Details and Analysis of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act."

  4. The Tax Foundation. "Tracking the 2021 Biden Tax Plan and Federal Tax Proposals."