U.S. federal income tax, in plain English

The Internal Revenue Service building in Washington, D.C.. Photo: Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.

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A hand holding a stack of U.S. dollar bills. Photo: Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.

Federal income tax touches almost every adult in the United States, and almost nobody is taught how it works. This site explains it in plain English: how tax is collected during the year, how the brackets and the standard deduction turn income into a tax bill, which deductions and credits are worth knowing about, why refunds happen, and what to do when things go wrong. Every figure is for tax year 2026, from IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32, announced in IRS news release IR-2025-103 on 9 October 2025, and every guide links to the official IRS sources.

Start here, in five minutes

If you have never read a tax guide before, start with how federal income tax works, then read the 2026 brackets and the standard deduction. If you are choosing how to file, read filing statuses. If you owe money or have a notice, go straight to paying the IRS or IRS audits.

All eleven guides

How the system works

How tax works — How Federal Income Tax Works. 2026 brackets — 2026 Federal Tax Brackets Explained. Standard vs itemizing — Standard Deduction vs Itemizing in 2026. Filing statuses — Tax Filing Statuses Compared.

Money: deductions, credits, and refunds

Common deductions — Common Tax Deductions Explained. Tax credits — Tax Credits Overview. Refund or owing — Why You Get a Tax Refund — or Owe Tax. Estimated taxes — Estimated Taxes Explained.

Deadlines, paying, and audits

Deadlines & extensions — Tax Filing Deadlines and Extensions. Cannot pay — Paying the IRS: What If You Cannot Pay. IRS audits — IRS Audits Explained.

What this site will not do

This site will not tell you what to claim, what you owe, or whether a particular deduction or credit applies to you. Only your own return, using your income, household, and circumstances, can do that. It will not prepare your return, and it is not affiliated with the Internal Revenue Service or the U.S. Department of the Treasury. What it will do is explain the rules clearly enough that you can read your own return and spot when something looks wrong.

Sources: Internal Revenue Service, IR-2025-103 and Revenue Procedure 2025-32 (tax year 2026), https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-releases-tax-inflation-adjustments-for-tax-year-2026-including-amendments-from-the-one-big-beautiful-bill; IRS Forms 1040, 1040-ES, and 4868 instructions.

General information only. This page explains U.S. federal income tax in plain English. It is general information only, not tax advice, and it cannot tell you what to claim, what you owe, or what is right for your situation. Tax rules and figures change, and your own result depends on your income, household, and circumstances. Always confirm the current rules and figures on irs.gov before you act. Contact: hello [at] tapetoolhq.com.