Enter your income, filing status, and withholding to see whether you're getting a refund or owe money — plus the exact bracket-by-bracket breakdown behind the number, not just a total.
This calculator uses the official 2026 IRS tax brackets and standard deductions (IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32) to estimate your federal tax and refund — and shows you exactly how much of your income was taxed at each rate, not just a single number.
Seven rates apply to 2026 income, same as 2025 — only the income thresholds moved with inflation.
| Rate | Single | Married filing jointly |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $0 – $12,400 | $0 – $24,800 |
| 12% | $12,400 – $50,400 | $24,800 – $100,800 |
| 22% | $50,400 – $105,700 | $100,800 – $211,400 |
| 24% | $105,700 – $201,775 | $211,400 – $403,550 |
| 32% | $201,775 – $256,225 | $403,550 – $512,450 |
| 35% | $256,225 – $640,600 | $512,450 – $768,700 |
| 37% | Over $640,600 | Over $768,700 |
Source: IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32. Applies to income earned in 2026, filed in 2027.
Most filers take the standard deduction rather than itemizing.
| Filing status | Standard deduction |
|---|---|
| Single | $16,100 |
| Married filing jointly | $32,200 |
| Head of household | $24,150 |
| Married filing separately | $16,100 |
The Child Tax Credit is $2,200 per qualifying child under 17 for 2026, with up to $1,700 refundable. The credit phases out above $200,000 (single/HOH/MFS) or $400,000 (MFJ) in income.
Source: IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32; IRS 2026 inflation adjustments (One Big Beautiful Bill Act).
Beelinger subtracts your pre-tax retirement contributions and the 2026 standard deduction for your filing status from your gross income to get taxable income, applies the 2026 marginal tax brackets bracket-by-bracket, then subtracts the Child Tax Credit (with its income phase-out) to get total tax. Your refund or amount owed is your federal withholding minus that total tax. This is an estimate of federal income tax only.
Use these related tools to plan around your refund or your tax bill.
Beelinger's Money Coach can help you decide between paying down debt, building your emergency fund, or investing it — based on your full financial picture.
There are seven brackets for 2026: 10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35%, and 37%. The income thresholds for each bracket rose with inflation from 2025, but the rates themselves didn't change. For a single filer, the top rate applies only to taxable income above $640,600.
$16,100 for single filers and those married filing separately, $32,200 for married filing jointly, and $24,150 for head of household. Filers 65 or older get an additional deduction on top of these amounts.
Your refund is the difference between the federal income tax withheld from your paychecks and your actual tax liability after deductions and credits. If withholding was higher than what you owed, you get a refund. If it was lower, you owe the difference.
It's a directional estimate, not a filed return. It doesn't account for itemized deductions, self-employment income, capital gains, education credits, the earned income tax credit, or state taxes. Use it to get a sense of where you stand, then confirm with tax software or a tax professional.
The seven tax rates stayed the same as 2025, but the income thresholds and standard deduction both increased with inflation under IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act made the current bracket structure permanent, so rates weren't scheduled to change regardless.