US Tax Refund Calculator
Compare a wage-only federal tax estimate with payments and credits you have already established. See the refund and balance-due cases separately.
Rule year: 2026 · USD · Sources checked
Estimated federal refund
Wage-only ordinary-income scenario; under 65, not blind or claimable as a dependent. No spouse earnings unless already included for a joint return, capital gains, self-employment tax, AMT, NIIT, special deductions or state/local taxes. Credits and itemized deductions must be independently established.
For informational purposes only. This estimate is not financial advice, a tax return, a payroll calculation or a lender decision. See the supported circumstances and exclusions below.
How this calculator works
A refund is the excess of eligible payments and refundable credits over tax owed. This model applies ordinary federal brackets to wage income after the selected deduction, then limits entered nonrefundable credits to that tax. Refundable credits are added to withholding and estimated payments. It does not decide whether you qualify for any credit, and it does not reconcile payroll taxes. This is tax year 2026 (income earned in 2026), normally reported on a return filed in 2027; it does not calculate tax year 2025 simply because you file in 2026. Use federal taxable wages, such as the relevant W-2 federal wage amount, rather than gross pay before payroll benefit exclusions.
Formula and rules
Taxable income = max(0, federal wages − selected deduction). Tax due = max(0, bracket tax − entered nonrefundable credits). Refund or balance = withholding + estimated payments + refundable credits − tax due.
Assumptions and limitations
Wage-only ordinary-income scenario; under 65, not blind or claimable as a dependent. No spouse earnings unless already included for a joint return, capital gains, self-employment tax, AMT, NIIT, special deductions or state/local taxes. Credits and itemized deductions must be independently established.
Worked example
A single filer with $65,000 federal wages and the $16,100 standard deduction has $48,900 taxable income and $5,620 bracket tax. With $7,000 federal withholding and no credits, the illustration gives a $1,380 refund.
- Estimated federal refund
- $1,380.00
- Estimated federal balance due
- $0.00
- Ordinary taxable income
- $48,900.00
- Federal tax after entered nonrefundable credits
- $5,620.00
Official sources and review
Reviewed against the sources below on 2026-10-06. Rates are held in versioned rule modules. Versioned rules, official source review and year-specific calculation tests.
- IRS Publication 505 (2026) ↗
2026 ordinary-income rate schedules, standard deductions and capital-gain worksheet thresholds.
- IRS: estimated-tax underpayment rules ↗
90% current-year or 100%/110% prior-year safe-harbor rules; payment timing and special exceptions remain relevant.
Common questions
Do I enter Social Security withholding?
No. Enter federal income-tax withholding. Social Security and Medicare are separate payroll taxes and this tool does not reconcile them.
Does this check my eligibility for tax credits?
No. Enter only credits you have established using the relevant IRS requirements. The tool applies the nonrefundable tax cap.
Can a negative refund appear?
The result separates estimated refund from estimated balance due, so one is zero when the other is positive.