Federal Income Tax Calculator and Refund Estimator 2026
Estimate your tax refund or bill using our free income tax calculator. Enter your income, age and filing status to get started.
How this federal tax calculator works
How to fill out your tax details
Tax year: The calculator is automatically set to 2026, which will help you estimate the bill or refund you may receive when you file your taxes in 2027. If have yet to file taxes that were due this year, you can also toggle to 2025.
Tax filing status: Choose from one of the four tax filing statuses available (single, head of household, married filing separately or married filing jointly). Your filing status helps determine which deductions and credits you can claim.
Annual gross income: In this field, enter your projected total household income before taxes (also known as your gross income). Include expected wages from W-2 work, income from 1099 work, tips, commission, and income earned from interest, dividends, investments, rental income, retirement distributions, unemployment compensation and Social Security benefits.
Age: Enter your age as of Dec. 31 of this year. Your age can affect certain tax rules and deductions. For example, people 65 and older get a higher standard deduction.
Standard/itemized deductions: Select either “standard deduction” or “itemized deductions.” Most Americans claim the standard deduction, which we’ve pre-filled. If you’re not one of them, fill in the sum of your itemized deductions. (Exclude 401(k) and traditional IRA contributions.)
🤓 Tax tip for seniors: Filers who are 65 and older may be able to claim a "senior bonus deduction" of up to $6,000 ($12,000 for joint filers). This deduction is in addition to the existing standard deduction for age, which this tool automatically calculates. If you are eligible for the bonus senior deduction, enter it in the "Other deductions" field.
Taxes withheld: Enter how much your expect your employer to withhold on your behalf or how much you expect to pay in estimated taxes for the year. If you're unsure, estimate. You will still get insights into how much you may owe.
401(k) contributions: Enter your expected pre-tax contributions to your traditional 401(k) account. In 2026, the maximum 401(k) contribution amount is $24,500 (under the age of 50) and $32,500 (50 and older). People ages 60, 61, 62 and 63 get a larger 401(k) catch-up, allowing for a total maximum contribution of $35,750.
IRA contributions: Enter your expected contributions to a traditional IRA. In 2026, the IRA contribution limit for 2025 is $7,500 ($8,600 for those 50 and older).
📝 An important note: Contributing to a traditional IRA may not have any immediate tax benefits if your income exceeds a threshold set by the IRS and you or your spouse is also covered by a 401(k).
Other deductions: In this field, enter any other contribution you plan to make throughout the year not accounted for elsewhere (e.g., HSA or student loan deduction).
Tax credits: Enter how much you expect to claim in tax credits on your return. Common tax credits include the child tax credit, the child and dependent care credit, the earned income credit, and the American opportunity credit.
About this income tax calculator
This estimator takes your expected gross income and then subtracts applicable deductions and adjustments, such as 401(k) contributions, HSA contributions, and your standard or itemized deductions. This, among other factors, determines your taxable income, or the amount of income subject to tax.
Then, we apply the appropriate tax bracket and rate(s) based on your filing status to calculate what amount in taxes the government expects you to pay.
Keep in mind that federal tax rates aren't flat — the U.S. has a progressive tax system. Generally speaking, this means your income is divided into portions, and each portion is taxed at a different rate. Tax rates can range from 10% to 37% depending on how much you make.
The calculator also accounts for tax credits, which can further reduce your bill.
If you have a simple tax situation and have filled out your W-4 correctly, taxes already withheld from your paychecks might cover that bill for the year. Likewise, if you’re a freelancer or a taxpayer who must pay estimated taxes, payments you made during the year might also cover your bill.
If it turns out that your tax withholding, payments, or any credits you qualify for did not cover your liability, you may need to pay the rest at tax time. If you’ve paid too much, you’ll get a refund.
This estimator assumes:
A standard deduction, but you may change to itemized deductions in the “deductions” section.
Tax credit amounts entered are assumed to be nonrefundable. Although a handful of credits can result in a refund of the overage, we do not factor this into our calculations.
The rules for whether a traditional IRA contribution is tax-deductible are complex, so this calculator assumes your IRA contributions are not tax-deductible if you already contribute to a 401(k).
Numbers entered in the “withheld” field include taxes withheld by your employer and/or any estimated taxes you have paid.
Note that this calculator does not take into account state income taxes, another type of income tax you may have to account for when filing your tax return.
How tax refunds work
When you file your taxes, you may either get a tax bill or a tax refund. When you receive a refund, it generally means you overpaid your taxes the previous year, and the government is now reimbursing you for that overpayment. This can happen, for example, when your W-4 isn't optimized, leading your employer to withhold too much from your paycheck.
The estimated wait time for the IRS to process your tax return and refund is 21 days for e-filed returns. The wait time can increase if you file by paper. Your refund may also be delayed if the IRS finds an error on your return that needs to be corrected.
IRS acceptance time:
E-filed returns: 24 to 48 hours.
Paper returns: four weeks.
Estimated refund time:
E-filed returns: 21 days.
Paper returns: four-plus weeks.
You can find the status or your tax return and refund directly on the IRS website. Most state websites also have tools for tracking down your state refund.
» Next step: Learn how to track the status of your tax refund
Frequently asked questions
When should I itemize deductions vs. taking the standard deduction?
Deciding how to take your deductions — that is, how much to subtract from your adjusted gross income, thus reducing your taxable income — can make a huge difference in your tax bill. But making that decision isn’t always easy.
The standard deduction is a flat reduction in your adjusted gross income. The amount is determined by Congress and meant to keep up with inflation. Nearly 90% of filers take it because it makes the tax-prep process quick and easy. People 65 and older are eligible for a higher standard deduction and another bonus deduction.
People who itemize tend to do so because their deductions exceed the standard deduction, saving them money. The IRS allows you to deduct a litany of expenses from your income, but record-keeping is key — you need to be able to prove, usually with receipts, that the expenses you’re deducting are valid. This means effort, but it might also mean savings.
How do deductions and credits work?
Both reduce your tax bill but in different ways. Tax credits directly reduce the amount of tax you owe, dollar for dollar. A tax credit valued at $1,000, for instance, lowers your tax bill by $1,000.
Tax deductions, on the other hand, reduce how much of your income is subject to taxes. Deductions lower your taxable income by the percentage of your highest federal income tax bracket. For example, if you fall into the 25% tax bracket, a $1,000 deduction saves you $250.
What does a big refund mean?
This could be a sign that you’re having too much tax withheld from your paycheck and living on less of your earnings all year. You can use Form W-4 to reduce your withholding easily now so you don’t have to wait for the government to give you your money back later.
How can you deal with an unexpected tax bill?
You can sign up for a payment plan on the IRS website. There are several to choose from, and they can provide peace of mind. Here’s how IRS installment plans work, plus some other options for paying a big tax bill.