Tax Refund Estimator 2026 (and 2025)
Use this free tax return calculator to estimate your tax refund for 2026 or 2025.
Enter your pay and withholding to see how much you’ll get back or owe. The new deductions for tips, overtime, seniors and car loan interest are already built in.
This calculator gives an estimate for information only. It isn’t tax, legal or financial advice. Your actual refund or balance due is set when you file your return.
What this estimator does and doesn’t include
- Estimate only. Results rely only on what you enter and on federal rules for tax years 2025 and 2026 under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32, as of October 2026. Tax laws, IRS guidance and inflation adjustments can change. We aren’t affiliated with the IRS.
- Federal only. State and local income taxes, refunds and credits aren’t calculated.
- Not included: the Alternative Minimum Tax, the 3.8% Net Investment Income Tax, the 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax, the kiddie tax, household employment tax, early-withdrawal penalties, the underpayment penalty and the excess Social Security tax credit.
- Assumptions about you. No one can claim you as a dependent. You and your spouse aren’t blind. Everyone on the return has a valid SSN and meets the residency and relationship tests, and you were a U.S. citizen or resident all year. If you’re married filing separately, we assume your spouse doesn’t itemize and you lived together during the year.
- Credits. The Child Tax Credit, Credit for Other Dependents, Additional Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit are estimated automatically. The EITC uses a formula that can differ from IRS tables by a few dollars, and the separated-spouse exception for married filing separately isn’t applied. The alternative refundable Child Tax Credit method for three or more children isn’t applied. Other credits (child and dependent care, education, energy, adoption, premium tax credit, Saver’s Credit) aren’t calculated, so enter them under “Other nonrefundable credits.” Their refundable portions aren’t supported.
- Deductions. The tips, overtime, car loan interest and senior deductions assume you meet every eligibility rule: a qualifying tipped job with reported tips, FLSA overtime premium only, and a new personal-use vehicle with final assembly in the U.S. Adjusted gross income stands in for modified AGI. The 2026 limit on itemized deductions in the 37% bracket isn’t applied. IRA and HSA amounts you enter are treated as fully deductible.
- Self-employment. The 20% qualified business income deduction is estimated only below the IRS income threshold and assumes all self-employment profit qualifies. Above the threshold it’s set to zero. Self-employed health insurance, SEP and SIMPLE contributions and business loss limits aren’t modeled. Self-employment tax assumes the business income and W-2 wages belong to the same person.
- Investments. Collectibles, unrecaptured Section 1250 gain, passive activity and rental loss rules and capital loss carryovers aren’t modeled.
- Calculation method. Tax is figured with bracket formulas, not the IRS Tax Table, so results can differ by a few dollars. All amounts are rounded to whole dollars.
- Your refund may differ. The IRS can reduce a refund to cover past-due federal or state debts, child support or student loans. Timing depends on how and when you file.
- Privacy. Every calculation runs in your browser. We don’t store or send the numbers you enter.
- Professional help. For complex situations, talk to a qualified tax professional or use the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator.
Tax figures last checked October 13, 2026.
What This Estimator Does and Doesn’t Include
- Estimate only. Results rely only on what you enter and on federal rules for tax years 2025 and 2026 under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and IRS Rev. Proc. 2024-40 and 2025-32, as of October 2026. Tax laws, IRS guidance and inflation adjustments can change. We aren’t affiliated with the IRS.
- Federal only. State and local income taxes, refunds and credits aren’t calculated.
- Not included: the Alternative Minimum Tax, the 3.8% Net Investment Income Tax, the 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax, the kiddie tax, household employment tax, early-withdrawal penalties, the underpayment penalty and the excess Social Security tax credit.
- Assumptions about you. No one can claim you as a dependent. You and your spouse aren’t blind. Everyone on the return has a valid SSN and meets the residency and relationship tests, and you were a U.S. citizen or resident all year. If you’re married filing separately, we assume your spouse doesn’t itemize and you lived together during the year.
- Credits. The Child Tax Credit, Credit for Other Dependents, Additional Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit are estimated automatically. The EITC uses a formula that can differ from IRS tables by a few dollars, and the separated-spouse exception for married filing separately isn’t applied. The alternative refundable Child Tax Credit method for three or more children isn’t applied. Other credits (child and dependent care, education, energy, adoption, premium tax credit, Saver’s Credit) aren’t calculated, so enter them under “Other nonrefundable credits.” Their refundable portions aren’t supported.
- Deductions. The tips, overtime, car loan interest and senior deductions assume you meet every eligibility rule: a qualifying tipped job with reported tips, FLSA overtime premium only, and a new personal-use vehicle with final assembly in the U.S. Adjusted gross income stands in for modified AGI. The 2026 limit on itemized deductions in the 37% bracket isn’t applied. IRA and HSA amounts you enter are treated as fully deductible.
- Self-employment. The 20% qualified business income deduction is estimated only below the IRS income threshold and assumes all self-employment profit qualifies. Above the threshold it’s set to zero. Self-employed health insurance, SEP and SIMPLE contributions and business loss limits aren’t modeled. Self-employment tax assumes the business income and W-2 wages belong to the same person.
- Investments. Collectibles, unrecaptured Section 1250 gain, passive activity and rental loss rules and capital loss carryovers aren’t modeled.
- Calculation method. Tax is figured with bracket formulas, not the IRS Tax Table, so results can differ by a few dollars. All amounts are rounded to whole dollars.
- Your refund may differ. The IRS can reduce a refund to cover past-due federal or state debts, child support or student loans. Timing depends on how and when you file.
- Privacy. Every calculation runs in your browser. We don’t store or send the numbers you enter. Learn more about how we protect your data in our Security Center.
- Professional help. For complex situations, talk to a qualified tax professional or use the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator.
Tax figures last checked October 13, 2026 in line with our editorial policy.
How to Calculate Your Tax Refund
Your refund is the difference between the tax you’ve already paid during the year and the tax you actually owe. Our tax refund estimator follows the same order as Form 1040:
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Add up your income: wages, self-employment profit, interest, dividends, capital gains, retirement income and the taxable part of Social Security.
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Subtract adjustments such as deductible IRA and HSA contributions and student loan interest. The result is your adjusted gross income (AGI).
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Subtract deductions: the larger of the standard deduction or your itemized deductions, plus any new deductions for tips, overtime, car loan interest and seniors. What’s left is your taxable income.
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Apply the tax brackets for your filing status to get your income tax.
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Subtract credits like the Child Tax Credit, then add self-employment tax if you have it.
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Compare with what you’ve paid through withholding, estimated payments and refundable credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit. If you paid more, you get a refund. If you paid less, you owe the difference.
Example
A single filer earns $60,000 in 2026 and has $6,000 withheld. Taxable income is $60,000 minus the $16,100 standard deduction, or $43,900. Tax is 10% of the first $12,400 ($1,240) plus 12% of the remaining $31,500 ($3,780), for a total of $5,020. With $6,000 already withheld, the refund is about $980.
For comparison, the average refund in the 2026 filing season was $3,275 as of April 17, up 11.3% from the same point in 2025, according to IRS filing season statistics.
2026 Income Tax Estimate: Brackets and Standard Deduction
Federal income tax is progressive. Each slice of your taxable income is taxed at its own rate, so moving into a higher bracket only affects the dollars above that line. Use the 2026 figures for the return you’ll file in 2027 and the 2025 figures for the one you file in 2026.
2026 federal tax brackets (taxable income)
| Rate | Single | Married filing jointly | Head of household | Married filing separately |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10% | $0–$12,400 | $0–$24,800 | $0–$17,700 | $0–$12,400 |
| 12% | $12,401–$50,400 | $24,801–$100,800 | $17,701–$67,450 | $12,401–$50,400 |
| 22% | $50,401–$105,700 | $100,801–$211,400 | $67,451–$105,700 | $50,401–$105,700 |
| 24% | $105,701–$201,775 | $211,401–$403,550 | $105,701–$201,750 | $105,701–$201,775 |
| 32% | $201,776–$256,225 | $403,551–$512,450 | $201,751–$256,200 | $201,776–$256,225 |
| 35% | $256,226–$640,600 | $512,451–$768,700 | $256,201–$640,600 | $256,226–$384,350 |
| 37% | Over $640,600 | Over $768,700 | Over $640,600 | Over $384,350 |
2025 federal tax brackets (taxable income)
| Rate | Single | Married filing jointly | Head of household | Married filing separately |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10% | $0–$11,925 | $0–$23,850 | $0–$17,000 | $0–$11,925 |
| 12% | $11,926–$48,475 | $23,851–$96,950 | $17,001–$64,850 | $11,926–$48,475 |
| 22% | $48,476–$103,350 | $96,951–$206,700 | $64,851–$103,350 | $48,476–$103,350 |
| 24% | $103,351–$197,300 | $206,701–$394,600 | $103,351–$197,300 | $103,351–$197,300 |
| 32% | $197,301–$250,525 | $394,601–$501,050 | $197,301–$250,500 | $197,301–$250,525 |
| 35% | $250,526–$626,350 | $501,051–$751,600 | $250,501–$626,350 | $250,526–$375,800 |
| 37% | Over $626,350 | Over $751,600 | Over $626,350 | Over $375,800 |
Standard deduction
| Filing status | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Single or married filing separately | $15,750 | $16,100 |
| Married filing jointly or surviving spouse | $31,500 | $32,200 |
| Head of household | $23,625 | $24,150 |
| Extra for age 65+, single or head of household | $2,000 | $2,050 |
| Extra for age 65+, per married spouse | $1,600 | $1,650 |
Sources: IRS Rev. Proc. 2024-40 and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act for 2025, Rev. Proc. 2025-32 for 2026.
What’s New for 2025 and 2026 Tax Returns
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed on July 4, 2025, changed several rules that affect refunds in both years. All of these are built into the estimator:
- Higher standard deduction: $15,750 for single filers and $31,500 for joint filers in 2025, rising to $16,100 and $32,200 in 2026.
- No tax on tips: deduct up to $25,000 of qualified tips. The deduction shrinks once modified AGI passes $150,000 ($300,000 for joint filers).
- No tax on overtime: deduct the overtime premium, up to $12,500 ($25,000 jointly), with the same income limits.
- Car loan interest: deduct up to $10,000 of interest on a loan for a new U.S.-assembled personal vehicle. It shrinks above $100,000 of income ($200,000 jointly).
- Senior deduction: an extra $6,000 for each person 65 or older, reduced above $75,000 of income ($150,000 jointly).
- Child Tax Credit: $2,200 per child under 17, with up to $1,700 per child refundable.
- SALT cap: the state and local tax deduction limit rises to $40,000 for 2025 and $40,400 for 2026, with a phase-down at very high incomes.
- Donations without itemizing: starting in 2026, up to $1,000 ($2,000 jointly) in cash gifts to charity.
The tips, overtime, car loan and senior deductions apply from 2025 through 2028. Married couples must file jointly to claim the tips, overtime and senior deductions. See the IRS fact sheet for the full eligibility rules.
When Will I Get My Refund?
The IRS issues most refunds within 21 days of accepting an e-filed return with direct deposit. Paper returns take several weeks longer. By law, refunds that include the Earned Income Tax Credit or the Additional Child Tax Credit can’t be released before mid-February. Once you’ve filed, track your refund with Where’s My Refund? on IRS.gov.
Single parents waiting on these credits can find other options in our guide to emergency cash for single mothers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this an IRS refund calculator?
No. This is an independent estimator built on published IRS rules and the 2025 and 2026 inflation adjustments. It isn’t affiliated with the IRS. For official tools, use the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator to check your withholding or Where’s My Refund? to track a return you’ve already filed.
Is the tax refund estimator free?
Yes. This tax refund estimator is free, needs no sign-up and runs entirely in your browser, so nothing you enter is saved or sent.
How accurate is this tax return calculator?
It follows the same steps as Form 1040 with the official 2025 and 2026 figures, so the biggest source of error is usually incomplete inputs. It uses bracket formulas rather than the IRS Tax Table, which can shift the result by a few dollars. It doesn’t cover state taxes, the Alternative Minimum Tax and the other situations listed in the disclaimer above.
Can I estimate my 2025 tax refund if I haven’t filed yet?
Yes. Switch the tax year to 2025 and enter the figures from your W-2 and other tax forms. If you missed the deadline and you’re owed a refund, there’s no penalty for filing late, and you have three years to claim it.
What if I owe more than I can pay?
File anyway, even if you can’t pay it all. The penalty for filing late is much bigger than the penalty for paying late, so if the deadline has already passed, file as soon as you can. Then pay what you can and apply for an IRS payment plan online. A short-term plan gives you up to 180 days to pay the rest.