What Is My Tax Refund or Amount Owed?
Use the Tax Calculator below — modify the values and click Calculate to estimate your tax refund or amount owed.
| Gross Income | $0 |
| Pre-Tax Deductions | $0 |
| Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) | $0 |
| Standard / Itemized Deduction | $0 |
| Senior Deduction (65+) | $0 |
| Taxable Income | $0 |
| Effective Tax Rate | 0% |
| Marginal Tax Bracket | 0% |
| Child Tax Credit | $0 |
| Federal Tax Withheld | $0 |
| Social Security Tax (6.2%) | $0 |
| Medicare Tax (1.45%) | $0 |
| Additional Medicare (0.9%) | $0 |
| Total FICA (SS + Medicare) | $0 |
| Estimated Annual Take-Home Pay | $0 |
Tax Breakdown by Bracket
| Bracket | Rate | Taxable Amount | Tax |
|---|
How to Calculate Your 2026 Federal Income Tax
This calculator estimates your 2026 federal income tax using the progressive tax bracket system. Your income is taxed at different rates as it rises through each bracket. Here is how the math works:
- Start with your gross income from wages, salary, tips, and other taxable sources.
- Subtract pre-tax adjustments like traditional 401k contributions and HSA contributions to find your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI).
- Subtract the larger of the standard deduction or your itemized deductions to find your taxable income. Seniors 65 and older can also subtract the new $6,000 senior deduction.
- Apply the 2026 marginal tax brackets (10% to 37%) to each slice of taxable income.
- Subtract tax credits such as the Child Tax Credit, then compare your total tax with what was already withheld to estimate your refund or balance due.
2026 Federal Income Tax Brackets
| Rate | Single | Married Filing Jointly | Head of Household |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10% | $0 – $12,400 | $0 – $24,800 | $0 – $17,700 |
| 12% | $12,401 – $50,400 | $24,801 – $100,800 | $17,701 – $67,450 |
| 22% | $50,401 – $105,700 | $100,801 – $211,400 | $67,451 – $105,700 |
| 24% | $105,701 – $201,775 | $211,401 – $403,550 | $105,701 – $201,775 |
| 32% | $201,776 – $256,225 | $403,551 – $512,450 | $201,776 – $256,200 |
| 35% | $256,226 – $640,600 | $512,451 – $768,700 | $256,201 – $640,600 |
| 37% | $640,601+ | $768,701+ | $640,601+ |
Note: Married Filing Separately uses the Single bracket rates, except the 35% bracket runs to $384,350 and 37% starts above that. Brackets apply to taxable income (after deductions) and are based on the 2026 IRS figures.
2026 Standard Deduction
The standard deduction is a fixed dollar amount that reduces your taxable income. For the 2026 tax year, the standard deduction is $16,100 for single filers, $32,200 for married filing jointly, and $24,150 for head of household. Taxpayers age 65 or older or blind add an extra $2,050 on top (or $1,650 per qualifying spouse for joint filers).
Itemized deductions may benefit you if your eligible expenses exceed the standard deduction. Common itemized deductions include mortgage interest (up to $750,000 in loan principal, linkable from our mortgage calculator), state and local taxes (SALT, capped at $10,000), charitable donations, and medical expenses exceeding 7.5% of AGI. This calculator automatically uses whichever deduction method gives you the larger benefit.
The New $6,000 Senior Tax Deduction (2025–2028)
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act created a new $6,000 senior deduction for tax years 2025 through 2028. Taxpayers who turn 65 by the end of the year can deduct $6,000 on top of the standard deduction ($12,000 for married couples filing jointly when both spouses qualify).
The deduction begins to phase out when your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) exceeds $75,000 for single filers or $150,000 for married couples filing jointly, shrinking by $0.06 for every $1 above the threshold. Married filing separately does not qualify. Check the “65 or older” box in the calculator to see how much this deduction is worth to you — for a single senior with $50,000 of income it cuts federal tax by about $970, and up to $1,320 for seniors in the 22% bracket.
Social Security and Medicare (FICA) Taxes
On top of federal income tax, most workers pay FICA payroll taxes:
- Social Security: 6.2% of your wages, up to the 2026 wage base of $184,500.
- Medicare: 1.45% of all wages, with no income cap.
- Additional Medicare: an extra 0.9% on wages above $200,000 (single), $250,000 (married joint), or $125,000 (married separate).
W-2 employees split these taxes with their employer (your half is shown in the results). Self-employed workers pay the full 12.4% Social Security and 2.9% Medicare as self-employment tax — try our freelance rate calculator to price your 1099 work. The take-home pay figure in the results subtracts your federal income tax and your half of FICA, before state taxes and other payroll deductions like health insurance.
How Much Tax Will I Pay? Worked Examples (2026)
- $60,000 single: $16,100 standard deduction leaves $43,900 taxable. Tax ≈ $5,020 (10% on $12,400 plus 12% on the rest). Effective rate 8.4%; marginal bracket 12%. Add about 7.65% in FICA.
- $70,000 single: $53,900 taxable. Tax ≈ $6,570 — $1,240 + $4,560 + 22% on the final $3,500. Effective rate 9.4%; marginal bracket 22%.
- $100,000 single: $83,900 taxable. Tax ≈ $13,170 at a 22% marginal rate. After $7,650 of FICA, take-home pay is roughly $79,180.
- $120,000 married filing jointly: $32,200 standard deduction leaves $87,800 taxable. Tax ≈ $10,040 — the joint brackets keep couples in lower rates far longer than single filers.
Key Tax Credits
Tax credits directly reduce your tax liability dollar-for-dollar, making them more valuable than deductions. This calculator includes the Child Tax Credit of up to $2,000 per qualifying child under age 17 for 2026, with up to $1,700 refundable. The credit begins to phase out at $200,000 of income ($400,000 for joint filers). Other common credits not included in this calculator are the Earned Income Tax Credit, the American Opportunity Credit for education expenses, and the Saver's Credit for retirement contributions.
Understanding Your Tax Results
- Effective Tax Rate: The percentage of your gross income that you pay in federal income tax. This is your total tax divided by your gross income.
- Marginal Tax Bracket: The highest tax rate applied to any portion of your income. Only the income within that bracket is taxed at that rate, not your entire income.
- Refund vs Amount Owed: If your total tax is less than what was withheld from your paychecks, you will receive a refund. If more tax is owed, you will need to pay the difference.
- Taxable Income: Your gross income minus pre-tax deductions and the applicable standard, itemized, and senior deductions. This is the amount actually subject to income tax.
- Take-Home Pay: An estimate of your annual take-home pay after federal income tax and your half of FICA, before state taxes and benefits.
Frequently Asked Questions
Start with your gross income from wages, self-employment, tips, and investments. Subtract pre-tax adjustments (like 401(k) contributions) to get your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI). Subtract the standard deduction or your itemized deductions to arrive at taxable income. Apply the 2026 marginal tax brackets (10% to 37%) to each slice of taxable income, then subtract any tax credits you qualify for, such as the Child Tax Credit.
A single filer earning $70,000 in 2026 with the $16,100 standard deduction has $53,900 of taxable income. Their federal income tax is about $6,570: $1,240 on the first $12,400 (10%), $4,560 on the next $38,000 (12%), and $770 on the remaining $3,500 (22%). That is an effective rate of about 9.4% and a 22% marginal bracket.
A single filer earning $60,000 in 2026 takes the $16,100 standard deduction, leaving $43,900 of taxable income. Their federal income tax is about $5,020: $1,240 at 10% plus $3,780 at 12%. That is an effective rate of roughly 8.4%. Social Security and Medicare (FICA) add about 7.65% on top of that for W-2 employees.
For the 2026 tax year, the 22% bracket covers taxable income between $50,401 and $105,700 for single filers, $100,801 to $211,400 for married filing jointly, and $67,451 to $105,700 for head of household. Only income inside that range is taxed at 22%.
A single W-2 employee earning $100,000 in 2026 pays roughly $13,170 in federal income tax plus about $7,650 in FICA (Social Security 6.2% and Medicare 1.45%), leaving approximately $79,180 of take-home pay before state taxes and other payroll deductions like health insurance.
For 2026, the standard deduction is $16,100 for single filers and married filing separately, $32,200 for married filing jointly, and $24,150 for head of household. Taxpayers age 65 or older or blind can add an extra $2,050 ($1,650 per qualifying spouse for joint filers).
The new $6,000 senior deduction from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act is available to taxpayers age 65 or older. It stacks on top of the standard deduction and phases out above $75,000 of MAGI for single filers ($150,000 for married couples filing jointly). Married filing separately does not qualify. The deduction applies to tax years 2025 through 2028.
There is no age at which seniors stop paying income tax, but 65+ filers get the extra $2,050 standard deduction add-on and the new $6,000 senior deduction, which shields significantly more income from tax. Many retirees with modest income end up owing nothing, but everyone must still file a return if their income exceeds the IRS filing thresholds.
Taxable income equals gross income minus pre-tax adjustments minus the standard or itemized deduction. Federal tax is then the sum of each bracket rate multiplied by the taxable income inside that bracket, minus credits. For example: $70,000 – $16,100 = $53,900 taxable; (0.10 × $12,400) + (0.12 × $38,000) + (0.22 × $3,500) = $6,570.
Your employer withholds federal income tax based on your Form W-4, filing status, and paycheck amount using the IRS wage-bracket tables. Social Security (6.2% up to the $184,500 wage base) and Medicare (1.45%, plus 0.9% above $200,000) are withheld separately as FICA taxes. Your actual tax liability is reconciled on your Form 1040 when you file.
Self-employed and 1099 workers have no employer withholding, so they pay estimated taxes quarterly on Form 1040-ES. Estimate your annual income, subtract deductions to find taxable income, apply the same 2026 brackets, then add self-employment tax (12.4% Social Security plus 2.9% Medicare on net earnings up to the wage base) and divide by four.
Your marginal tax rate is the rate you pay on your last dollar of income. For example, if you are in the 22% bracket, only the income above the 12% threshold is taxed at 22%. Your effective tax rate is the average rate you pay on all your income, calculated as total tax divided by gross income. It is always lower than your marginal rate because of the lower brackets below it.
Whether you receive a refund or owe money depends on how much federal income tax was withheld from your paychecks compared to your actual tax liability. If your employer withheld more than you owe, you get a refund. If they withheld less, you will owe the difference. You can adjust your withholding by submitting a new W-4 form to your employer. This calculator shows both your total tax and the difference after accounting for amounts already withheld.
Pre-tax deductions such as traditional 401k contributions, HSA, FSA, and health insurance premiums are subtracted from your gross income before taxes are calculated. This lowers your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI), which may reduce your taxable income and could even push you into a lower tax bracket. For example, contributing $5,000 to a 401k could save you $1,100 in taxes if you are in the 22% bracket.
The Child Tax Credit (CTC) for 2026 provides up to $2,000 per qualifying child under age 17. Up to $1,700 of this amount is refundable (meaning you can receive it even if you owe no tax). The credit begins to phase out at $200,000 of modified AGI for single filers and $400,000 for married joint filers. This calculator automatically includes the CTC based on the number of dependents you enter.
You should itemize if your total eligible expenses (mortgage interest, state and local taxes up to $10,000, charitable donations, and medical expenses) exceed the standard deduction for your filing status. For 2026, the standard deduction is $16,100 for single, $32,200 for married joint, and $24,150 for head of household. This calculator automatically uses the larger of the two, but you can manually enter your itemized deductions to compare.
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About This Estimator
This calculator provides an estimate only and is not a substitute for professional tax advice. Tax laws change annually and individual circumstances vary. Use this tool for planning purposes and consult a qualified tax professional for your actual return.