Finding your income tax information depends on what you’re looking for: the amount withheld from your paychecks, what you owe for the current year, or records from previous years. Each one lives in a different place, but all are straightforward to track down once you know where to look.
Find Tax Already Withheld From Your Pay
If you work for an employer, federal and state income taxes are taken out of each paycheck automatically. You can see exactly how much has been withheld in two places.
Your pay stub (or earnings statement) breaks out each deduction from your gross pay. Look for a line labeled “Federal Tax,” “FWT,” or “Fed Income Tax.” There will usually be a year-to-date column showing the running total withheld so far. State income tax appears on a separate line, often labeled with your state’s abbreviation.
At the end of January each year, your employer sends you a W-2 form summarizing the prior year. Box 1 shows your total taxable wages, and Box 2 shows the total federal income tax withheld for the year. That Box 2 number is what you report on your tax return (Form 1040, line 25a) and compare against what you actually owe. State and local tax withholding appear in Boxes 17 and 19, respectively.
If you’re self-employed or earn freelance income, no one withholds tax for you. Instead, you receive a 1099 form showing what you were paid. You’re responsible for calculating and paying your own income tax, typically through quarterly estimated payments.
Calculate What You Owe for the Current Year
Your income tax bill isn’t a single flat percentage. The federal system uses a progressive structure with seven tax brackets, meaning different portions of your income are taxed at different rates. For the 2025 tax year, a single filer pays 10% on the first $11,925 of taxable income, 12% on income from $11,926 to $48,475, 22% from $48,476 to $103,350, and so on, up to 37% on income above $626,350.
To estimate your tax, start with your total income for the year, then subtract either the standard deduction or your itemized deductions. The result is your taxable income, which is the number you run through the brackets. For example, a single filer with $60,000 in taxable income would pay 10% on the first $11,925 ($1,192.50), 12% on the next chunk up to $48,475 ($4,386), and 22% on the remaining $11,525 ($2,535.50), for a total federal tax of roughly $8,114. That works out to an effective rate of about 13.5%, even though part of the income falls in the 22% bracket.
The IRS offers a free Tax Withholding Estimator on its website that walks you through this calculation. You plug in your filing status, income, deductions, and any credits you expect, and it tells you roughly what you’ll owe and whether your current withholding is on track.
Married couples filing jointly have wider brackets. The 10% rate covers the first $23,850, the 12% rate covers income up to $96,950, and the 22% rate applies up to $206,700. Head of household filers fall somewhere in between, with a 10% bracket covering the first $17,000.
Look Up Past Tax Returns and Records
If you need to find tax information from a previous year, whether to apply for a loan, verify income, or simply check what you filed, the IRS provides several ways to pull up your records.
The fastest option is your IRS Individual Online Account at irs.gov. Once you create an account or sign in, you can view, print, or download transcripts of your past returns. A tax return transcript shows most line items from the return you filed. A tax account transcript shows your balance, payments, and any adjustments the IRS made. Both are available immediately online.
If you can’t create an online account, you have other options. Call the IRS automated phone transcript service at 800-908-9946 to request a transcript by mail. You can also submit Form 4506-T to get any transcript type mailed to you, or Form 4506-T-EZ if you only need the basic tax return transcript. Mailed transcripts typically arrive in 5 to 10 calendar days at the address the IRS has on file for you. You’ll need your mailing address from your most recent return to verify your identity.
If you need an actual photocopy of your original return rather than a transcript, submit Form 4506. The IRS charges a fee for photocopies, and processing takes longer than a transcript request.
Find Your State Income Tax
Most states impose their own income tax on top of the federal tax. Your state tax amount appears on your state tax return, and your employer’s withholding shows up on your W-2 in Box 17.
To find past state tax records or check a refund status, go directly to your state’s department of revenue or taxation website. Most states now offer online accounts similar to the IRS system, where you can view filed returns, check payment history, and track refunds. The IRS maintains a directory of all state tax agency websites at irs.gov under “State Government Websites,” which is the quickest way to find the right agency if you’re unsure where to start.
A handful of states have no individual income tax at all, so if you live in one of those states, federal tax is your only income tax obligation.
Check Your Tax Refund or Balance Due
If you’ve already filed your return and want to know where your refund stands, the IRS “Where’s My Refund?” tool at irs.gov tracks your federal refund status. You’ll need your Social Security number, filing status, and the exact refund amount from your return. The tool updates once per day, usually overnight.
If you owe a balance instead, your IRS online account shows the current amount due, including any penalties or interest that have accrued. You can also find this information on any notice the IRS mails you, which will include a breakdown of the original tax, any late payment penalties, and interest charges.
Use Free Tools to File and Calculate
Tax preparation software does the bracket math and deduction calculations for you automatically. If your income is below a certain threshold, you may qualify for IRS Free File, which gives you access to brand-name tax software at no cost. Even above that threshold, the IRS offers Free File Fillable Forms for anyone comfortable doing their own calculations.
For a quick estimate before you’re ready to file, online tax calculators from major tax prep companies let you enter your income, filing status, and basic deduction information to see a projected tax bill in minutes. These are useful for planning purposes, like figuring out whether to adjust your withholding or make an estimated payment before the next quarterly deadline.