Tax Estimator

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Try your tax scenario.

Explore a simplified 2026 federal return for wage-based households. Start with your contact information, then enter your scenario to estimate a refund or balance due.

Before you start: for adults ages 18–64, combined income up to $150,000, and supported filing statuses. This calculator does not cover all tax situations or file a return. Self-employment, retirement income, itemizing, state taxes, and many special deductions or credits need a preparer review.

Step 1 · Your information

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You’re ready to simulate your return.

Your contact information has been submitted. Use the simulator below to explore an example federal return.

Step 2 · Tax year 2026 · Typically filed in 2027

Let’s simulate your federal return.

Try different income and withholding amounts to see how your estimate changes. Calculator entries stay in this browser and are not included in the contact request you submitted.

Supported: wages, taxable interest, unemployment, standard deduction, eligible Child Tax Credit / Additional Child Tax Credit, and eligible Earned Income Tax Credit. Adults ages 18–64. Combined income up to $150,000. Single, married filing jointly, or eligible head of household.

Not a complete tax return: excludes state taxes, preparation fees, business or retirement income, capital gains, itemized deductions, new special deductions, and other credits. Your preparer must verify eligibility. Do not enter Social Security numbers or bank information.

Your household

Filing statusThis tool does not determine your eligibility for a filing status. Your age at December 31, 2026

I (and my spouse, if filing jointly) am a full-year U.S. resident taxpayer, lived in the United States for more than half the year, and cannot be claimed as someone else’s dependent.

Income and payments

Use combined amounts for both spouses when filing jointly. Enter annual taxable wages, not take-home pay. Use federal income tax withholding, not Social Security or Medicare withholding.

W-2 taxable wages · box 1 Taxable interest Unemployment compensation Federal income tax withheld Federal estimated tax payments

Child and earned-income credits

Select a credit only if you meet its requirements. Unsure? Leave it off and ask our team to review your situation.

Include the Child Tax Credit for eligible children under age 17. I confirm the qualifying children and taxpayer(s) meet the applicable dependency, residency, support, citizenship, and identification-number requirements. Review IRS requirements ↗ Include EITC. I meet the IRS rules, including valid work-authorized SSNs, U.S. residency, qualifying-child rules if applicable, and no disqualifying foreign-income or dependent status. Review IRS eligibility ↗

Anything outside this example?

I have self-employment, retirement income, stocks / capital gains, itemized deductions, tip or overtime deductions, car-loan deductions, other dependents, education / childcare credits, charitable-donation deductions, blindness, foreign income, combat pay, railroad income, or another situation not covered above.

Calculation sources and assumptions

Tax year 2026 standard deductions, ordinary income tax brackets, CTC / ACTC caps, EITC caps and phaseouts: IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32. Refundable child credit method: Schedule 8812 instructions. Results use statutory rate formulas rather than final return-table lookup values. No return is filed and no preparation fee quote is created. The deduction is the basic standard deduction, assuming no other deductions. Credit eligibility is based on the confirmations you provide.

Rules checked November 4, 2026. This version does not incorporate later tax-law changes automatically.

Privacy & client information · Request a team-reviewed estimate instead