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Tax Refund Calculator

Estimate your 2026 federal tax refund or balance due: brackets, standard or itemized deduction, the Child Tax Credit, and your withholding, line by line.

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Estimated refund

$230.00

Estimated amount owed
Nothing owed at these inputs
Taxable income
$63,900.00
Tax before credits
$8,770.00
Credits applied against tax
$0.00
Refundable child credit (ACTC)
$0.00
Total tax after credits
$8,770.00

Quick answer: With the example inputs this page loads by default, the headline result (Estimated refund) comes to $230.00. Estimate your 2026 federal tax refund or balance due: brackets, standard or itemized deduction, the Child Tax Credit, and your withholding, line by line. Change any input above and every figure updates instantly in your browser.

Figures shown are for the 2026 tax year. The calculator always applies the current year's figures.

Your inputs never leave your browser, and nothing is stored. See our privacy policy .

Fact-check: results on this page are verified against an independently coded reference oracle that covers all 106 calculators on this site. See how we verify .

Your refund is not free money; it is the difference between what was withheld from your pay and the federal tax you actually owe. This calculator estimates your 2026 federal income tax from your income, deduction, and dependents, applies the $2,200 Child Tax Credit with its refundable portion, and compares the result with your withholding to show a refund or a balance due.

What this result means

A large refund means you over-withheld: the government held your money all year without interest, and a W-4 adjustment could move it into your paychecks instead. A balance due under about $1,000 is generally penalty-free; owing more than that repeatedly is the signal to raise withholding or make estimated payments. This is a federal-only planning estimate using the standard rules; credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit and education credits are not modeled and can raise a real refund. Not tax advice.

Assumptions

  • Estimates are for the 2026 federal tax year. Taxable income is your income minus pre-tax deductions minus the deduction you choose: the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100 single, $32,200 married filing jointly, $24,150 head of household) or your entered itemized total, taken literally as entered.
  • Tax before credits runs taxable income through the 2026 marginal brackets (10 to 37 percent) for your filing status, the same bracket walk as the federal income tax calculator.
  • The Child Tax Credit is $2,200 per qualifying child and the Credit for Other Dependents is $500 per dependent for 2026. The combined credit phases out by $50 per $1,000 (or fraction) of income above $200,000 ($400,000 married filing jointly); the reduction is applied to the other-dependent credit first.
  • Up to $1,700 per child of unused Child Tax Credit is refundable as the Additional Child Tax Credit, limited to 15 percent of earned income over $2,500. Earned income and adjusted gross income are both modeled as your entered income minus pre-tax deductions, a wage-income simplification.
  • The refund or amount owed is your withholding plus the refundable credit minus tax after credits. FICA (Social Security and Medicare) is not income tax withholding and never enters a refund.
  • Not modeled: state refunds, the Earned Income Tax Credit, education and child care credits, capital gains stacking, self-employment tax, the Alternative Minimum Tax, and Social Security number requirements for the credits. Real refunds can differ substantially when those apply.
  • This is an estimate for educational purposes only, not tax advice or a filing calculation. Confirm current figures with the IRS or a tax professional.

Key terms

Definitions for the terms this calculator uses, in our finance glossary .

How it works

A refund is bookkeeping, not a bonus: it is what was withheld from your pay minus the federal tax you actually owe. The calculator builds that comparison in four steps.

1. Taxable income. Income minus pre-tax deductions minus your deduction, either the 2026 standard deduction ($16,100 single, $32,200 married filing jointly, $24,150 head of household, per IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32) or your itemized total, taken as entered.

2. Tax before credits. Taxable income runs through the 2026 marginal brackets (10 to 37 percent), the same bracket walk as the federal income tax calculator: each bracket taxes only the slice of income inside its range.

3. Credits. The Child Tax Credit is $2,200 per qualifying child under 17 for 2026, and the Credit for Other Dependents is $500 per dependent. The combined credit shrinks by $50 per $1,000 (or fraction) of income above $200,000 ($400,000 married filing jointly). Credits offset tax first; if unused Child Tax Credit remains, up to $1,700 per child is refundable as the Additional Child Tax Credit, limited to 15 percent of earned income over $2,500 (IRC 24(d), Schedule 8812).

4. Refund or balance due. Withholding plus the refundable credit minus tax after credits. Positive is a refund; negative is an amount owed at filing.

Worked example

Married filing jointly, $120,000 income, two children under 17, $10,000 withheld, standard deduction, for 2026.

  • Taxable income: $120,000 minus $32,200 = $87,800.
  • Tax before credits: 10% of $24,800 + 12% of $63,000 = $2,480 + $7,560 = $10,040.
  • Child Tax Credit: 2 x $2,200 = $4,400, no phase-out at $120,000. Tax after credits: $5,640.
  • Refund: $10,000 withheld minus $5,640 = $4,360.

Scope and limitations

Federal only, for 2026, wage-style income. Adjusted gross income and earned income are both modeled as income minus pre-tax deductions. Not modeled: state refunds, the Earned Income Tax Credit, education and dependent care credits, capital gains stacking, self-employment tax, the Alternative Minimum Tax, and the credits’ Social Security number requirements. FICA is excluded on purpose: Social Security and Medicare are not income tax withholding and never come back through a refund. This is an estimate for education, not tax advice or a filing calculation.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

Why is my tax refund so low this year?
A refund is just the gap between withholding and your actual tax, so a smaller refund usually means your withholding tracked your tax more closely, not that you paid more tax. Life changes matter too: a raise, a second job, or a child aging past 16 for the Child Tax Credit all shift the math.
Is getting a big refund a good thing?
It feels good, but it means you loaned the government money interest-free all year. A $3,000 refund is $250 a month that could have been in your paycheck paying down debt or earning interest. If you consistently get large refunds, adjusting your W-4 moves that money back into each check.
How does the Child Tax Credit affect my refund?
Each qualifying child under 17 cuts your 2026 tax by up to $2,200. If the credit is larger than your tax, up to $1,700 per child can still come back as a refundable payment, limited to 15 percent of earned income over $2,500. Above $200,000 of income ($400,000 married filing jointly) the credit shrinks.
Should I take the standard deduction or itemize?
Take whichever is larger. For 2026 the standard deduction is $16,100 single and $32,200 married filing jointly, high enough that most filers take it. Itemizing wins mainly when large mortgage interest, state and local taxes at the cap, and charitable giving together exceed those amounts.
Does this calculator include FICA or state taxes?
No. Social Security and Medicare are separate payroll taxes that are never refunded through your return, so they are excluded on purpose. State income tax refunds follow each state's own rules and are not modeled; this tool estimates the federal refund only.

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Learn how this works

New to this topic? Our companion guide explains it in plain language: Will OBBBA Increase My Tax Refund? How to Update Your W-4 Without Guessing

By Sam Sage Last reviewed .