Tax Refund Calculator

How to use this calculator

1. Filing status. Choose the status you’ll use on your 2026 return.
2. Your pay. With Full-year totals, enter gross wages, any pre-tax deductions (traditional 401(k), payroll HSA, health premiums) and the federal tax withheld for the year. Your W-2 shows these in boxes 1 and 2; box 1 is already after pre-tax deductions, so enter 0 for them if you use it.
3. Or use a pay stub. Choose Latest pay stub and copy the year-to-date federal taxable wages and federal income tax withheld, then say how many paychecks you’ve received this year. The calculator annualizes both.
4. Other income. Add interest, dividends, unemployment benefits and other taxable income that had no withholding.
5. Deductions and dependents. Keep the standard deduction unless your itemized deductions are larger. Enter children under 17 and other dependents for the child tax credit and the credit for other dependents.
6. More options covers estimated tax payments, the new charitable deduction for non-itemizers, filers 65 and older, and the age rule for the earned income credit. Pick a state to estimate your state refund too.

The result shows your estimated refund or balance due, then a line-by-line breakdown that mirrors Form 1040.

How your refund is calculated

1. Adjusted gross income is wages (after pre-tax deductions) plus other income.
2. Taxable income subtracts the standard deduction ($16,100 single, $32,200 joint, $24,150 head of household for 2026) or your itemized deductions, plus the senior and charitable deductions if they apply.
3. Tax applies the 2026 brackets, 10% to 37%, to taxable income.
4. Nonrefundable credits reduce the tax, but not below zero: up to $2,200 per child under 17 and $500 per other dependent.
5. Refundable credits are paid even if you owe no tax: the refundable part of the child tax credit (up to $1,700 per child) and the earned income credit.
6. A negative result means you owe that amount when you file.

Worked examples

Single, $55,000 salary. Taxable income is $55,000 − $16,100 = $38,900. Tax is 10% of the first $12,400 plus 12% of the rest, $4,420. With $5,200 withheld, the refund is $780.

Same worker, from a pay stub. After 20 biweekly paychecks the stub shows $42,300 of federal taxable wages and $4,000 withheld. Annualized over 26 paychecks that’s $54,990 and $5,200, for an estimated refund of $781.

Head of household, two children, $38,000. Taxable income is $13,850 and the tax is $1,385, which the child tax credit wipes out. The remaining $3,015 of the credit is refundable, and the earned income credit adds $4,344. With $1,500 withheld, the estimated refund is $8,859.

Married couple, two children, $120,000. Using the standard deduction and $2,000 of cash gifts to charity, taxable income is $85,800 and tax before credits $9,800. The $4,400 child tax credit brings it to $5,400, so $9,000 of withholding means a $3,600 refund.

2026 earned income credit

“Single” here covers single and head of household filers. You need earned income, investment income of $12,200 or less, and, with no qualifying children, an age of 25 to 64.

Refundable credits by family size (2026)

What a head of household with children (or a single filer without) gets back from the child tax credit and earned income credit, before any withholding. All income is wages.

Add the federal tax withheld from your paychecks to these figures to see your refund. This is why a working parent can get back far more than was withheld.

Tips for a bigger refund (or a smaller bill)

• Claim every dependent and credit. The child tax credit and earned income credit are worth thousands, and the earned income credit goes unclaimed by many eligible workers.
• Use the new 2026 deductions. You can deduct up to $1,000 ($2,000 joint) of cash gifts to charity without itemizing, and those 65 or older may get an extra $6,000 deduction. Tips and overtime deductions are covered in our overtime calculator.
• Fix your withholding for next year. A big refund or a big bill both mean your Form W-4 is off. The W-4 calculator shows exactly what to enter, and the paycheck calculator shows the effect on each check.
• Self-employed or a side gig? Self-employment tax isn’t in this estimate; use the self-employment tax calculator.

Assumptions & limitations

• Figures are for tax year 2026, the return you file in early 2027, using Rev. Proc. 2025-32 and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act changes.
• Income is treated as wages plus ordinary other income. Capital gains rates, self-employment tax, education credits, the premium tax credit, the alternative minimum tax and the tips, overtime and car loan deductions aren’t included. See the income tax calculator for a bracket-by-bracket view.
• The earned income credit uses the exact formula; the IRS table works in $50 steps, so it can differ by a few dollars. Married filing separately is treated as ineligible, though separated spouses can sometimes claim it.
• The refundable child tax credit uses the earned-income method. Additional Medicare Tax is included for wages over the threshold, assuming one job.
• The state estimate treats all income as wages and ignores local taxes and state credits.

Sources

• IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32: 2026 brackets, standard deduction, child tax credit and earned income credit
• IRS: Tax inflation adjustments for tax year 2026
• IRS: Earned income tax credit
• IRS: When to expect your refund if you claimed the EITC or ACTC
• IRS: Refunds (timing)
• 2026 Form W-4, Deductions Worksheet (charitable deduction for non-itemizers)

This estimate is for planning only and isn’t tax advice. Your actual refund depends on your complete return.

Updated November 2026. Results are estimates for educational purposes and depend on the inputs you provide.