The taxes we pay depend on two things.
Congress sets the rates and income that falls into them when a tax law is created or changed. Then the Internal Revenue Service adjusts the income brackets each year, usually in late October or early November, based on inflation.
Here's a look at income tax rates and brackets over the years.
2019 tax rates and income brackets
As enacted under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017
USE THESE RATES AND INCOME BRACKETS FOR 2019 RETURNS FILED IN 2020
| Tax Rate | Single | Head of Household | Married Filing Jointly or Surviving Spouse |
Married Filing Separately |
| 10% | Up to $9,700 | Up to $13,850 | Up to $19,400 | Up to $9,700 |
| 12% | $9,701 to $39,475 | $13,851 to $52,850 | $19,401 to $78,950 |
$9,701 to $39,475 |
| 22% | $39,476 to $84,200 | $52,851 to $84,200 | $78,951 to $168,400 | $39,476 to $84,200 |
| 24% | $84,201 to $160,725 | $84,201 to $160,700 | $168,401 to $321,450 | $84,201 to $160,725 |
| 32% | $160,726 to $204,100 | $160,701 to $204,100 | $321,451 to $408,200 | $160,726 to $204,100 |
| 35% | $204,101 to $510,300 | $204,101 to $501,300 | $408,201 to $612,350 | $204,101 to $306,175 |
| 37% | $510,301 or more |
$510,301 or more |
$612,351 or more |
$306,176 or more |
2018 tax rates and income brackets
As enacted under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act
USE THESE RATES AND INCOME BRACKETS FOR 2018 RETURNS FILED IN 2019
| Tax Rate | Single | Head of Household | Married Filing Jointly or Surviving Spouse |
Married Filing Separately |
| 10% | Up to $9,525 | Up to $13,600 | Up to $19,050 | Up to $9,525 |
| 12% | $9,526 to $38,700 | $13,601 to $51,800 | $19,051 to $77,400 |
$9,526 to $38,700 |
| 22% | $38,701 to $82,500 | $51,801 to $82,500 | $77,401 to $165,000 | $38,701 to $82,500 |
| 24% | $82,501 to $157,500 | $82,501 to $157,500 | $165,001 to $315,000 | $82,501 to $157,500 |
| 32% | $157,501 to $200,000 | $157,501 to $200,000 | $315,001 to $400,000 | $157,501 to $200,000 |
| 35% | $200,001 to $500,000 | $200,001 to $500,000 | $400,001 to $600,000 | $200,001 to $300,000 |
| 37% | $500,001 or more |
$500,001 or more |
$600,001 or more |
$300,001 or more |
2018 tax rates and income brackets
Issued by IRS before consideration of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act
FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY. DO NOT USE FOR FILING
| Tax Rate | Single | Head of Household | Married Filing Jointly or Surviving Spouse |
Married Filing Separately |
| 10% | Up to $9,525 | Up to $13,600 | Up to $19,050 | Up to $9,525 |
| 15% | $9,526 to $38,700 | $13,601 to $51,850 | $19,051 to $77,400 |
$9,526 to $38,700 |
| 25% | $38,701 to $93,700 | $51,851 to $133,850 | $77,401 to $156,150 | $38,701 to $78,075 |
| 28% | $93,701 to $195,450 | $133,851 to $216,700 | $156,151 to $237,950 | $78,076 to $118,975 |
| 33% | $195,451 to $424,950 | $216,701 to $424,950 | $237,951 to $424,950 | $118,976 to $212,475 |
| 35% | $424,951 to $426,700 | $424,951 to $453,350 | $424,951 to $480,050 | $212,476 to $240,025 |
| 39.6% | $426,701 or more |
$453,351 or more |
$480,051 or more |
$240,026 or more |
2017 tax rates and income brackets
| Tax Rate | Single | Head of Household | Married Filing Jointly or Surviving Spouse |
Married Filing Separately |
| 10% | Up to $9,325 | Up to $13,350 | Up to $18,650 | Up to $9,325 |
| 15% | $9,326 to $37,650 | $13,351 to $50,800 | $18,651 to $75,900 |
$9,326 to $37,950 |
| 25% | $37,951 to $91,900 | $50,801 to $131,200 | $75,901 to $153,100 | $37,951 to $76,550 |
| 28% | $91,901 to $191,650 | $131,201 to $212,500 | $153,101 to $233,350 | $76,551 to $116,675 |
| 33% | $191,651 to $416,700 | $212,501 to $416,700 | $233,351 to $416,700 | $116,676 to $208,350 |
| 35% | $416,701 to $418,400 | $416,701 to $444,550 | $416,701 to $470,700 | $208,351 to $235,350 |
| 39.6% | $418,401 or more |
$444,501 or more |
$470,701 or more |
$235,351 or more |
2016 tax rates and income brackets
| Tax Rate | Single | Head of Household | Married Filing Jointly or Surviving Spouse |
Married Filing Separately |
| 10% | Up to $9,275 | Up to $13,250 | Up to $18,550 | Up to $9,275 |
| 15% | $9,276 to $37,650 | $13,251 to $50,400 | $18,551 to $75,300 |
$9,276 to $37,650 |
| 25% | $37,651 to $91,150 | $50,401 to $130,150 | $75,301 to $151,900 | $37,651 to $75,950 |
| 28% | $91,151 to $190,150 | $130,151 to $210,800 | $151,901 to $231,450 | $75,951 to $115,725 |
| 33% | $190,151 to $413,350 | $210,801 to $413,350 | $231,451 to $413,350 | $115,726 to $206,675 |
| 35% | $413,351 to $415,050 | $413,351 to $441,000 | $413,351 to $466,950 | $206,676 to $233,475 |
| 39.6% | $415,051 or more |
$441,001 or more |
$466,951 or more |
$233,476 or more |
2015 tax rates and income brackets
| Tax Rate | Single | Head of Household | Married Filing Jointly or Surviving Spouse |
Married Filing Separately |
| 10% | Up to $9,225 | Up to $13,150 | Up to $18,450 | Up to $9,225 |
| 15% | $9,226 to $37,450 |
$13,151 to $50,200 |
$18,451 to $74,900 |
$9,226 to $37,450 |
| 25% | $37,451 to $90,750 |
$50,201 to $129,600 |
$74,901 to $151,200 |
$37,451 to $75,600 |
| 28% | $90,751 to $189,300 |
$129,601 to $209,850 |
$151,201 to $230,450 |
$75,601 to $115,225 |
| 33% | $189,301 to $411,500 |
$209,851 to $411,500 |
$230,451 to $411,500 |
$115,226 to $205,750 |
| 35% | $411,501 to $413,200 |
$411,501 to $439,000 |
$411,501 to $464,850 |
$205,751 to $232,425 |
| 39.6% | $413,201 or more | $439,001 or more | $464,851 or more | $232,426 or more |
2014 tax rates and income brackets
| Tax Rate | Single | Head of Household | Married Filing Jointly or Surviving Spouse |
Married Filing Separately |
| 10% | Up to $9,075 | Up to $12,950 | Up to $18,150 | Up to $9,075 |
| 15% | $9,076 to $36,900 |
$12,951 to $49,400 |
$18,151 to $73,800 |
$9,076 to $36,900 |
| 25% | $36,901 to $89,350 |
$49,401 to $127,550 |
$73,801 to $148,850 |
$36,901 to $74,425 |
| 28% | $89,351 to $186,350 |
$127,551 to $206,600 |
$148,851 to $226,850 |
$74,426 to $113,425 |
| 33% | $186,351 to $405,100 |
$206,601 to $405,100 |
$226,851 to $405,100 |
$113,426 to $202,550 |
| 35% | $405,101 to $406,750 |
$405,101 to $432,200 |
$405,101 to $457,600 |
$202,551 to $228,800 |
| 39.6% | $406,751 or more | $432,201 or more | $457,601 or more | $228,801 or more |
2013 tax rates and income brackets
| Tax Rate | Single | Head of Household | Married Filing Jointly or Surviving Spouse |
Married Filing Separately |
| 10% | Up to $8,925 | Up to $12,750 | Up to $17,850 | Up to $8,925 |
| 15% | $8,926 to $36,250 |
$12,751 to $48,600 |
$17,851 to $72,500 |
$8,926 to $36,250 |
| 25% | $36,251 to $87,850 |
$48,601 to $125,450 |
$72,501 to $146,400 |
$36,251 to $73,200 |
| 28% | $87,851 to $183,250 |
$125,451 to $203,150 |
$146,401 to $223,050 |
$73,201 to $111,525 |
| 33% | $183,251 to $398,350 |
$203,151 to $398,350 |
$223,051 to $398,350 |
$111,526 to $199,175 |
| 35% | $398,351 to $400,000 |
$398,351 |
$398,351 to $450,000 |
$199,176 to $225,000 |
| 39.6% | $400,001 or more | $425,001 or more | $450,001 or more | $225,001 or more |
2012 tax rates and income brackets
| Tax Rate | Single | Head of Household | Married Filing Jointly or Surviving Spouse |
Married Filing Separately |
| 10% | Up to $8,700 | Up to $12,400 | Up to $17,400 | Up to $8,700 |
| 15% | $8,701 to $35,350 |
$12,401 to $47,350 |
$17,401 to $70,700 |
$8,701 to $35,350 |
| 25% | $35,351 to $85,650 |
$47,351 to $122,300 |
$70,701 to $142,700 |
$35,351 to $71,350 |
| 28% | $85,651 to $178,650 |
$122,301 to $198,050 |
$142,701 to $217,450 |
$71,351 to $108,725 |
| 33% | $178,651 to $388,350 |
$198,051 to $388,350 |
$217,451 to $388,350 |
$108,726 to $194,175 |
| 35% | $388,351 or more | $388,351 or more | $388,351 or more | $194,175 or more |
2011 tax rates and income brackets
| Tax Rate | Single | Head of Household | Married Filing Jointly or Surviving Spouse |
Married Filing Separately |
| 10% | Up to $8,500 | Up to $12,150 | Up to $17,000 | Up to $8,500 |
| 15% | $8,501 to $34,500 |
$12,151 to $46,250 |
$17,001 to $69,000 |
$8,501 to $34,500 |
| 25% | $34,501 to $83,600 |
$46,251 to $119,400 |
$69,001 to $139,350 |
$34,501 to $69,675 |
| 28% | $83,601 to $174,400 |
$119,401 to $193,350 |
$139,351 to $212,300 |
$69,676 to $106,150 |
| 33% | $174,401 to $379,150 |
$193,351 to $379,150 |
$212,301 to $379,150 |
$106,151 to $189,575 |
| 35% | $379,151 or more | $379,151 or more | $379,151 or more | $189,576 or more |
2010 tax rates and income brackets
| Tax Rate | Single | Head of Household | Married Filing Jointly or Surviving Spouse |
Married Filing Separately |
| 10% | Up to $8,375 | Up to $11,950 | Up to $16,750 | Up to $8,375 |
| 15% | $8,376 to $34,000 |
$11,951 to $45,550 |
$16,751 to $68,000 |
$8,376 to $34,000 |
| 25% | $34,001 to $82,400 |
$45,551 to $117,650 |
$68,001 to $137,300 |
$34,001 to $68,650 |
| 28% | $82,401 to $171,850 |
$117,651 to $190,550 |
$137,301 to $209,250 |
$68,651 to $104,625 |
| 33% | $171,851 to $373,650 |
$190,551 to $373,650 |
$209,251 to $373,650 |
$104,626 to $186,825 |
| 35% | $373,651 or more | $373,651 or more | $373,651 or more | $186,826 or more |
For prior tax years, check out the historical inflation adjustments
archived by the Internal Revenue Service.