How to Use the IRS Tax Rate Table

While many taxpayers choose to utilize the advantages and convenience of electronic tax filing by using online tax-preparation companies that calculate your taxes electronically, many still choose to do taxes by hand. Deciding to do your taxes by hand requires use of the instruction booklet for the specific form you file. The instructions guide you line by line in filling out your return, even providing a tax-rate table for you. The Internal Revenue Services (IRS) tax-rate table lets you figure out exactly how much tax you owe to the IRS.

Instructions

1

Complete the information on your federal income-tax return until you figure out the dollar amount of your taxable income, which is the amount you enter on line 43 of your federal form 1040. This amount is the outcome of subtracting your tax deductions from your adjusted gross income.

2

Find your taxable income on the IRSs tax-rate table. For example, if the taxable income on line 43 of your income tax return is $87,067, locate the $87,000 section on the tax-rate table and find the line where the table states your income is At least X amount but less than X amount until you find the line where $87,067 fits.

3

Use your filing status to determine the amount of tax you owe. Next to the line where your taxable income is located you will see four different dollar amounts. Your total tax due is the amount in the column of your filing status, which is either single, married filing jointly, married filing separately or head of household. If you are married filing jointly you will locate that column next to your taxable income to determine your tax liability, which in this case is $14,019.