2026 TAX YEAR · NEW DEDUCTIONS INCLUDED · PRIVATE

2026 Federal Income Tax & Refund Estimator

Estimate your 2026 federal income tax and whether you can expect a refund or will owe, with every line explained. Includes the new deductions for tips, overtime, car-loan interest and seniors, the higher state and local tax limit, the child tax credit, the earned income credit, self-employment tax and capital gains.

Brackets and amounts come from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 and current IRS guidance. This is an estimate for planning, not tax advice or a filed return.

  1. 1Filing status & family
  2. 2Income, deductions & payments
  3. 3Refund, lines & PDF

    How your taxable income is taxed

    Using 2026 Federal Income Tax & Refund Estimator

    Estimate your 2026 federal income tax and see whether you are on track for a refund or a balance due. Enter your filing status, family, income, deductions and the tax already withheld; the estimator applies the 2026 IRS brackets and standard deduction, the new deductions for tips, overtime, car-loan interest and seniors, credits for children and low-income workers, self-employment tax and capital gains, and explains every line.

    1. In You, choose your filing status, tick age 65+ or blindness, and enter children and other dependents.
    2. In Income, enter wages from your pay stubs or W-2, qualified tips and overtime premium, self-employment profit, investment income and benefits.
    3. In Deductions, add retirement and HSA contributions, student loan interest, car loan interest and possible itemized deductions; the larger of standard or itemized is used automatically.
    4. In Paid, enter federal tax withheld and estimated payments, or project the full year from your latest pay stub.
    5. Read the refund or amount owed, the bracket chart and the line-by-line table, compare scenarios and download a PDF summary.

    Example

    A married couple filing jointly with $118,000 of wages (including $4,000 of overtime premium), two children under 17 and $9,800 withheld: taxable income of $81,800 after the $32,200 standard deduction and the $4,000 overtime deduction, income tax of $9,320 before a $4,400 child tax credit, and an estimated refund of $4,880.
A single 66-year-old with $80,000 of income gets the $16,100 standard deduction plus $2,050 for age, and a $5,700 senior deduction ($6,000 reduced by 6% of the $5,000 above $75,000).

    Questions & answers

    What are the 2026 federal tax brackets?

    Rates stay at 10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35% and 37%. For single filers the 12% bracket starts above $12,400 and the 37% bracket above $640,600; for married couples filing jointly the thresholds are $24,800 and $768,700 (IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32).

    What is the 2026 standard deduction?

    $16,100 for single filers and married filing separately, $32,200 for married filing jointly and surviving spouses, and $24,150 for heads of household. People 65 or older or blind add $1,650 each ($2,050 if unmarried).

    How do the no tax on tips and overtime deductions work?

    From 2025 through 2028 you can deduct up to $25,000 of qualified tips and the overtime premium up to $12,500 ($25,000 joint), even without itemizing. Both shrink by $100 for each $1,000 of modified AGI above $150,000 ($300,000 joint). Married couples must file jointly.

    Is there a new deduction for seniors?

    Yes. For 2025 through 2028, each person 65 or older can deduct an extra $6,000, reduced by 6% of modified AGI above $75,000 ($150,000 joint). It comes on top of the regular extra standard deduction for age.

    How accurate is this refund estimate?

    It follows the IRS formulas for the items it covers, so typical wage-earner returns land within a few dollars of the tax tables. It does not cover AMT, education or child-care credits, state taxes and some rare situations, so treat the result as a planning estimate.

    Will I owe if my refund estimate is negative?

    A negative result means the tax withheld and paid so far is less than the estimated tax. You can raise withholding with a new Form W-4 or make estimated payments; owing more than $1,000 can trigger an underpayment penalty unless a safe harbor applies.

    Is my information stored or sent anywhere?

    No. The estimate is calculated in your browser. Only a copy in this browser's storage is kept so you can return; download or clear it at any time.

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