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About
TrueTaxRate exists to help Americans understand how much of their income is actually lost to all forms of taxation.
Taxation goes way beyond income tax, and in many ways it is hard to quantify. Most people can estimate what they pay in income tax, but very few take the time to quantify the broader tax burden built into modern life: sales taxes, property taxes, fuel taxes, vehicle fees, capital gains taxes, and the countless indirect taxes embedded into goods, services, and commerce.
The result is that many Americans do not have a clear picture of what percentage of their earnings they truly keep. We want to change that.
Our Principles
Transparency
People should be able to clearly see and estimate their total tax burden, including taxes that are often fragmented, hidden, or difficult to calculate.
Nonpartisan
TrueTaxRate does not advocate for a political party, candidate, or ideology. The goal is visibility and understanding.
Privacy
People should be able to access this information freely and privately, which is why we will never save or share your information without your consent. Learn more on our Privacy Tab.
Editorial Standards
TrueTaxRate publishes educational tax explainers and calculator methodology for U.S. taxpayers. We aim to separate facts, assumptions, and estimates clearly. Pages that discuss tax rules cite public sources where practical and include update dates when the content is time-sensitive.
If a calculation assumption, source, or explanation looks wrong, please use the feedback page to report it. We review corrections and update affected articles or methodology notes when the issue is confirmed.
Methodology
The calculator is built around public tax data and user-entered values. Read the methodology for calculation scope, data sources, update cadence, known limitations, and privacy boundaries.
Learn more
Want to learn more about how taxes shape your real take-home income? Visit our Learn page for plain-English guides.
Disclaimer
TrueTaxRate is an educational estimator. It is not tax preparation software, does not provide tax advice, and should not be used to file or amend taxes.