Free Income Tax Calculator 2026: Estimate Your Federal Refund
Estimate your 2026 federal income tax, refund or balance due with the new brackets, the higher standard deduction, the $2,200 child tax credit, the earned income credit and the new deductions for tips, overtime, car loan interest and seniors.
Listen to this article
Will you get a refund for 2026 or owe the IRS? This free income tax calculator estimates your federal income tax with the 2026 brackets and standard deduction from IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32, the child tax credit and earned income credit, and the deductions for tips, overtime, car loan interest and seniors that apply from 2025 to 2028. Enter what you earned and what was withheld to see your refund or balance due.
2026 federal income tax calculator
An estimate of your 2026 federal income tax with the brackets, standard deduction and credits from IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32 and the new deductions for tips, overtime, car loan interest and seniors. Taxable income under $100,000 uses the IRS Tax Table method. Not included: capital gains rates, taxable Social Security benefits, the alternative minimum tax, the net investment income tax, the Additional Medicare Tax, education and energy credits, and state taxes. The child tax credit assumes fewer than three children for the refundable part.
Key takeaways
- A single filer with $65,000 of wages has $48,900 of taxable income after the $16,100 standard deduction and owes $5,623 of federal income tax, 8.65% of income. With $6,000 withheld, the refund is $377.
- A married couple with $120,000 of wages and two children owes $10,043 before credits and $5,643 after the $4,400 child tax credit.
- The standard deduction for 2026 is $16,100 single, $32,200 married filing jointly and $24,150 head of household.
- Deductions lower taxable income; credits lower the tax itself, and refundable credits can give you money back even if you owe no tax.
How your 2026 federal tax is calculated
- Total income: wages, self-employment profit, interest and other taxable income.
- Adjusted gross income (AGI): total income minus adjustments such as deductible IRA and HSA contributions and half of self-employment tax.
- Taxable income: AGI minus the standard or itemized deduction, the new deductions for tips, overtime, car loan interest and seniors, and the qualified business income deduction.
- Income tax: the tax brackets applied to taxable income. Below $100,000, the IRS Tax Table rounds to $50 steps.
- Credits: the child tax credit and credit for other dependents reduce the tax; the refundable part of the child tax credit and the earned income credit can be paid out.
- Refund or balance due: total tax, including self-employment tax, compared with what was withheld and paid in estimated taxes.
2026 federal income tax brackets
| Rate | Single | Married filing jointly | Head of household |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10% | Up to $12,400 | Up to $24,800 | Up to $17,700 |
| 12% | $12,401 to $50,400 | $24,801 to $100,800 | $17,701 to $67,450 |
| 22% | $50,401 to $105,700 | $100,801 to $211,400 | $67,451 to $105,700 |
| 24% | $105,701 to $201,775 | $211,401 to $403,550 | $105,701 to $201,750 |
| 32% | $201,776 to $256,225 | $403,551 to $512,450 | $201,751 to $256,200 |
| 35% | $256,226 to $640,600 | $512,451 to $768,700 | $256,201 to $640,600 |
| 37% | Over $640,600 | Over $768,700 | Over $640,600 |
Married couples filing separately use the single brackets, except that the 35% bracket ends at $384,350. Each rate applies only to the income within its bracket, so moving into a higher bracket never reduces your take-home pay. Our guide to tax brackets explains this in detail.
Standard deduction and the new deductions for 2026
| Deduction | 2026 amount | Income limit |
|---|---|---|
| Standard deduction | $16,100 single and married filing separately, $32,200 joint, $24,150 head of household | None |
| Extra for age 65+ or blind | $2,050 single or head of household, $1,650 per box if married | None |
| Senior deduction | $6,000 per person 65 or older | Reduced by 6% of MAGI above $75,000 ($150,000 joint) |
| Qualified tips | Up to $25,000 | Reduced by $100 per $1,000 above $150,000 ($300,000 joint) |
| Qualified overtime | Up to $12,500 ($25,000 joint) | Same as tips |
| Car loan interest | Up to $10,000 | Reduced by $200 per $1,000 above $100,000 ($200,000 joint) |
The tips, overtime, car loan and senior deductions apply for 2025 through 2028, whether or not you itemize, and are claimed on Schedule 1-A. Married couples must file jointly to claim the tips, overtime and senior deductions. Example: a server with $48,000 of wages, including $12,000 of reported tips, deducts the $16,100 standard deduction and $12,000 of tips, leaving $19,900 of taxable income and $2,143 of tax.
Credits that lower your tax
- Child tax credit: $2,200 per child under 17, up to $1,700 of it refundable, reduced by $50 per $1,000 of income above $200,000 ($400,000 joint). See our child tax credit guide.
- Credit for other dependents: $500 for each dependent who does not qualify for the child tax credit, such as an older child or a parent you support.
- Earned income credit: up to $664 with no children, $4,427 with one, $7,316 with two and $8,231 with three or more in 2026, for workers with low to moderate earnings and investment income of $12,200 or less.
Example: a head of household earning $32,000 with one child has $7,850 of taxable income and $788 of tax. The child tax credit wipes out the tax, $1,412 of it is refundable, and the earned income credit adds $3,131. With $1,200 withheld, the estimated refund is $5,743.
Self-employment income
If you work for yourself, you also owe self-employment tax of 15.3% on 92.35% of your profit, half of which you deduct from your income. Many sole proprietors can also deduct 20% of their qualified business income. A single freelancer with $60,000 of profit pays about $8,478 of self-employment tax and $3,559 of income tax in 2026, so with $8,000 of estimated payments about $4,037 would still be due. The self-employment tax calculator shows that part in detail.
What this calculator does not include
To keep it simple, the calculator leaves out the lower rates on qualified dividends and long-term capital gains (use the capital gains tax calculator), taxable Social Security benefits, the alternative minimum tax, the 3.8% net investment income tax, the 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax, education and energy credits, and state income tax. For the earned income credit, it uses the formula; the IRS table works in $50 steps, so the actual credit can differ by a few dollars.
Change your refund for next year
A big refund means you overpaid during the year; a large balance due can bring penalties. Adjust your withholding with a new Form W-4, or make quarterly estimated payments if you have income without withholding. The 2026 return is due April 15, 2027, and the tax refund timeline explains when refunds arrive.
Frequently asked questions
How much federal tax will I pay on $65,000?
As a single filer with only wages and the standard deduction, about $5,623 for 2026, or 8.65% of your income. Your top bracket is 12%.
What is the standard deduction for 2026?
$16,100 for single filers and married couples filing separately, $32,200 for married couples filing jointly and $24,150 for heads of household, plus extra amounts for people 65 or older or blind.
Why is my effective tax rate lower than my tax bracket?
Only the income above each bracket threshold is taxed at the higher rate, and the standard deduction is not taxed at all. So the share of your total income that goes to federal income tax is lower than your top rate.
Are tips and overtime tax-free in 2026?
Not completely. Qualified tips (up to $25,000) and the extra half of qualified overtime pay (up to $12,500, or $25,000 joint) can be deducted from income tax for 2025 through 2028, subject to income limits. Social Security, Medicare and state taxes still apply.
How accurate is this estimate?
For returns with wages, self-employment income, the standard or itemized deduction and the common credits, it follows the IRS rules for 2026 closely. Situations outside its scope, listed above, can change the result; tax software or a tax professional handles them.
