The IRS quietly released new tax brackets for 2026. Some Americans will save thousands while others won't be so lucky

[Igel]

5. Those numbers by themselves don't mean much.

I was clearly in the 22% tax bracket last year. Officially.

I paid a bit more than 7% of my gross income in federal income taxes. Nowhere near 22%. After pre-tax stuff, retirement deductions, 45% of my gross was gone from my adjusted gross income. Then add in the standard deductions.

Making life easier was that I hit some magic age last year so a couple of categories of my property tax are frozen for as long as I own this house (and if I move, the freeze transfers, but I get the increased taxes on that house). And a set deduction in, I believe it is, the school tax ...? Or is it the property tax? (Doesn't matter--I get the bills and pay them, not like the choice isn't 'pay them' or 'take up renting'.)