Rates and Limits
A comprehensive, source-linked reference for every US tax rate, limit, and threshold.
About Rates and Limits
What it does
Rates and Limits is a web-based reference tool that aggregates and publishes US federal tax rates, contribution limits, wage thresholds, and related figures in a single, continuously updated database. It covers retirement account contribution limits (401(k), 403(b), 457(b), IRA, Roth IRA, SEP IRA, and SIMPLE IRA), health account caps (HSA, FSA, QSEHRA, and Dependent Care FSA), estate and gift tax exemptions, capital gains brackets, Social Security wage bases and cost-of-living adjustments, AMT exemptions, payroll tax rates such as FUTA and self-employment tax, mileage and per diem rates, and more. At the time of publication the site lists figures for 2026 across dozens of categories.
Every figure is linked directly to its originating government source and stamped with a verification date, tracing each number back to the authoritative regulatory or legislative document from which it derives. For accounting and tax professionals, the site functions as a quick-look-up companion during return preparation, payroll processing, or tax planning engagements, saving the step of hunting across IRS publications, Social Security Administration announcements, and Department of Labor releases.
Who it suits
The tool suits accounting and tax professionals who need a consolidated cheat-sheet of US federal parameters and state minimum wage figures during day-to-day work. It is US-focused exclusively, covering federal parameters and state-level minimum wage and tipped minimum wage data only, with no international tax content, so practitioners with cross-border client work will need to look elsewhere.
The site explicitly disclaims any professional review of its content and states that nothing published constitutes advice, which means practitioners must treat it as a starting point for verification rather than an authoritative compliance tool. It does not replace tax research software or professional guidance.
Setup and integrations
The tool is deployed entirely as a public website requiring no installation, account creation, or login. Users can filter and search across limits by category, including brackets and rates, deductions and credits, estate and gift, health accounts, mileage and COLA, payroll and wages, and retirement. A glossary, sitemap, and methodology page are also available.
An API is listed as available, suggesting that developers or software vendors may be able to integrate the data programmatically, though no pricing or documentation details are surfaced on the public-facing page. There is no workflow integration with practice management, tax preparation, or accounting software beyond that developer-facing API.
Where it falls short
The absence of interactive calculators on the main listing page means the site does not perform computations — it surfaces figures but leaves all calculation to the user, though a calculators section is referenced. No AI-driven features are described anywhere on the site.
Pricing information is entirely absent from the public-facing content, leaving the cost of API access or any premium tier unknown. The tool carries no stated compliance certifications, and no support channels are indicated beyond a contact link.
Best for
Tax practitioners and payroll professionals at any firm size who need a fast, source-verified lookup of current US federal tax rates and contribution limits.
Key Features
- Comprehensive database of 2026 US federal tax rates, brackets, and contribution limits across 50+ categories
- Every figure hyperlinked to its originating government or regulatory source with a verification date
- Searchable and filterable by category (retirement, payroll, health accounts, deductions, estate/gift, and more)
- State-level minimum wage and tipped minimum wage data
- Developer API for programmatic access to rate and limit data
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Every figure links directly to its originating government source, making it easy to verify data provenance without additional research.
- The site covers an unusually broad range of parameters—from retirement contribution limits and health account caps to mileage rates, per diem figures, and state minimum wages—in one place.
- The tool is instantly accessible as a public website with no account, login, or installation required, reducing friction to near zero.
Cons
- The site explicitly disclaims professional review and states that nothing published constitutes advice, so practitioners cannot rely on it as a compliance authority.
- Coverage is limited to US federal and state figures only, with no international tax content, making it unsuitable for firms handling cross-border work.
- The tool does not perform any calculations; it surfaces rates and limits but leaves all computation to the user, requiring separate tools for actual tax work.
- Pricing, terms, and capabilities of the API are not disclosed on the public site, making it difficult to evaluate programmatic integration options.
- No support channels, compliance certifications, or SLA commitments are described, which may be a concern for firms with data governance requirements.