Tax Guides

Plain-English guides to federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and withholding for the 2026 tax year.

The 2026 federal brackets run from 10% to 37%. Here are the thresholds for each filing status and how they apply to…

Claiming exempt stops federal income tax withholding, but only if you owed nothing last year and expect to owe nothing this year.

Freelancers usually pay tax four times a year. Here are the 2026 due dates, a worked example and the rules for avoiding…

Additional Medicare Tax is an extra 0.9% on high wages. See when your employer starts withholding it and why married couples can…

Earning the same amount as a W-2 employee or a 1099 contractor leaves you with different take-home pay. Here is a side-by-side…