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Income Tax Calculator

Estimate your U.S. federal income tax refund or amount owed for 2025 or 2026 — from wages, self-employment, and investment income through deductions, credits, FICA, and withholding.

Maintained by CalculatorBuddy TeamEditorial methodology

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ExampleSample values — edit any field to see your result.

Qualify for the Child Tax Credit.

Qualify for the $500 credit for other dependents.

$

Results update as you type.

Refund / (Amount Owed)

$0.00

Estimated result

Total Federal Tax
$0.00
Adjusted Gross Income
$0.00
Deduction Applied
$15,750.00
Taxable Income
$0.00
Marginal Tax Rate
10%
Effective Tax Rate
0.00%
FICA (Social Security + Medicare)
$0.00
Estimated Take-Home Pay
$0.00

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Where your income goes

Take-home 0%, Federal tax 0%, FICA 0%, State + local 0%
  • Take-home0%
  • Federal tax0%
  • FICA0%
  • State + local0%

Compare scenarios

Keep a baseline, then change an assumption to see its effect side by side.

Tax bracket breakdown

RateTaxable RangeIncome TaxedTax
Refund / (Amount Owed)$0.00

Estimate your U.S. federal income tax refund or balance due for 2025 or 2026. Enter your wages, self-employment and investment income, adjustments, deductions, credits, and what you've already paid, and the calculator works through AGI, taxable income, the tax brackets, credits, FICA, and self-employment tax.

2025 standard deduction

Filing statusStandard deduction
Single$15,750
Married filing jointly$31,500
Married filing separately$15,750
Head of household$23,625

Examples

Single filer, $80,000 wages (2025)

With the $15,750 standard deduction, taxable income is $64,250. Federal income tax is $9,049 (a 22% marginal rate, an 11.3% effective rate), and FICA adds $6,120. With $9,000 withheld, this filer owes about $49.

Married, $150,000, two young children (2025)

Taxable income is $118,500. The bracket tax of $15,898 is reduced by a $4,400 Child Tax Credit (two children × $2,200) to $11,498 — a $8,502 refund against $20,000 withheld.

Formula

The federal return follows one pipeline:

AGI            = total income − above-the-line adjustments
Taxable income = AGI − max(standard, itemized deduction)
Income tax     = brackets(ordinary) + 0/15/20% (long-term gains & qualified dividends)
Total tax      = income tax − credits + self-employment tax + extra Medicare
Refund / owed  = withholding + estimated payments + refundable credits − total tax
Tax figures change every year. The 2025 and 2026 brackets, standard deductions, and capital-gain thresholds use published IRS figures, and the 2026 Social Security wage base uses the SSA figure. This tool still omits some return provisions, so confirm the result before filing.

Sources and scope

The estimate does not model every eligibility rule, phaseout, deduction, credit, alternative minimum tax item, or state return. Entering an expense does not determine whether it is deductible on a real return.

Frequently asked questions

How is federal income tax calculated?
Start with your total income, subtract above-the-line adjustments to get adjusted gross income (AGI), then subtract the larger of your standard or itemized deduction to get taxable income. Tax is applied through the progressive brackets, credits are subtracted, and the result is compared with what you already paid through withholding and estimated payments.
What is the difference between marginal and effective tax rate?
Your marginal rate is the rate on your last dollar of income — the top bracket you reach. Your effective rate is total tax divided by total income, which is always lower because the first dollars are taxed in lower brackets.
Should I take the standard or itemized deduction?
Whichever is larger. Most filers take the standard deduction. Itemizing wins when deductible expenses — state and local taxes (capped), mortgage interest, charitable gifts, and large medical bills — add up to more than the standard amount. This calculator can pick the larger of the two automatically.
How are capital gains and qualified dividends taxed?
Long-term capital gains and qualified dividends get preferential rates of 0%, 15%, or 20%, depending on your taxable income. They stack on top of your ordinary income, so the rate depends on where that income lands. Short-term gains and ordinary (non-qualified) dividends are taxed as ordinary income.
Is this calculator accurate for filing my taxes?
It is an estimate. It covers the major components — wages, self-employment, investment income, common deductions and credits, FICA, and self-employment tax — but it does not replace tax software or a professional, and it does not model every credit, the AMT, or every state. Verify the figures before filing.

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