How to use the tax refund calculator
- Pick the tax year and filing status.
- Enter wages, and any other income, adjustments and itemized deductions.
- Enter the federal tax withheld from box 2 of each W-2, plus any estimated payments.
- Add children and credits, then read the estimated refund or amount owed.
How a refund is calculated
A refund is the difference between what you paid in during the year and the tax you owe. Your employer sends the IRS a share of every paycheck, shown in box 2 of your W-2. When your return is done, that total is compared with the tax from the rate tables, less credits. If you paid in more, the extra comes back. This tax refund calculator does the same comparison. A single filer with $60,000 of wages and $7,000 withheld owes $5,023 for 2026 and gets $1,977 back.
What to enter from your W-2
Use box 1 for wages and box 2 for federal income tax withheld, adding up every job. Social Security and Medicare tax in boxes 4 and 6 are separate and do not count toward income tax. If you made estimated payments, add them to the withholding field. Credits that are paid out even when no tax is owed, such as the earned income credit, go in the refundable credits field using the amount from the IRS worksheet.
Refundable child tax credit
The child tax credit can create a refund by itself. A head of household filer with $20,000 of wages and two children has no income tax after the $24,150 standard deduction. The refundable part of the credit is the smaller of $3,400 (two children at $1,700) and 15% of the wages over $2,500, which is $2,625. With $900 withheld, this tax refund calculator shows $3,525 back.
Why a refund is not a bonus
A refund that comes from withholding means too much was withheld during the year, so you lent the IRS the difference; a refund from refundable credits, such as the refundable child tax credit or the earned income credit, is a different thing. A balance due means too little was withheld. Changing your Form W-4 shifts the amount between paychecks and the refund. The paycheck calculator shows how W-4 entries change each check.
Worked example: married with two children
A couple filing jointly in 2026 earns $150,000 and has $14,000 withheld. After the $32,200 standard deduction their taxable income is $117,800 and the tax before credits is $15,340. The two-child credit of $4,400 leaves $10,940. Their withholding is $14,000, so the estimate is a refund of $3,060.
Method and sources
Refund or balance due is payments less tax. Payments are the federal tax withheld and estimated payments you enter, other refundable credits, and the refundable part of the child tax credit; tax is the income tax after credits. Example: $900 withheld plus a $2,625 refundable credit against $0 of tax is a $3,525 refund. Credits are applied in the order of the Schedule 8812 Credit Limit Worksheet, so other non-refundable credits reduce the tax first and the child tax credit takes what remains. Whatever part of the child credit the tax cannot absorb is refundable, up to $1,700 per child and 15% of earned income above $2,500. Every entered amount is rounded to a whole dollar before use, the way each Form 1040 line is. For 2026 the tax comes from the Revenue Procedure 2025-32 schedules and for 2025 from Revenue Procedure 2024-40 with the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act deductions. No 2026 Tax Table exists yet, so the 2025 rule of taking the schedule tax at the middle of each income band is assumed for 2026. Phase-out and Social Security number rules follow 26 U.S.C. 24.
What this does not cover
This is an estimate for ordinary income only. It leaves out qualified dividends and long-term capital gains rates, the self-employment tax, the net investment income tax, the alternative minimum tax, the credit for other dependents, the earned income credit, deductions created by the 2025 tax law for tips, overtime and seniors (enter any such amount under other deductions), and all state taxes. It also leaves out the reduced standard deduction of a filer who can be claimed as a dependent (Standard Deduction Worksheet for Dependents) and the rule that gives no standard deduction to a married person filing separately whose spouse itemizes (Instructions for Form 1040, line 12). It is not a tax return, a filing tool or tax advice. Your real refund also depends on any tax from other sources, so compare it with your return before you plan around it.
Worked examples
| Example | Input | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Single, $60,000, $7,000 withheld | Tax year: 2026; Filing status: single; Wages and other earned income for the year ($): 60000; Other ordinary income ($): 0; Adjustments to income ($): 0; Itemized deductions ($, 0 to use the standard deduction): 0; Boxes for age 65 or older, or blind: 0; Other deductions from taxable income ($): 0; Qualifying children under 17: 0; Other non-refundable credits ($): 0; Federal tax withheld and paid in ($): 7000; Other refundable credits ($): 0 | Total income after adjustments: $60,000; Standard deduction: $16,100; Taxable income: $43,900; Tax before credits: $5,023; Income tax after credits: $5,023; Federal tax withheld and paid in: $7,000; Estimated refund: $1,977; Withholding as a share of tax: 139.36% |
| Head of household, two children, low wages | Tax year: 2026; Filing status: hoh; Wages and other earned income for the year ($): 20000; Other ordinary income ($): 0; Adjustments to income ($): 0; Itemized deductions ($, 0 to use the standard deduction): 0; Boxes for age 65 or older, or blind: 0; Other deductions from taxable income ($): 0; Qualifying children under 17: 2; Other non-refundable credits ($): 0; Federal tax withheld and paid in ($): 900; Other refundable credits ($): 0 | Total income after adjustments: $20,000; Standard deduction: $24,150; Taxable income: $0; Tax before credits: $0; Child tax credit used against tax: $0; Income tax after credits: $0; Federal tax withheld and paid in: $900; Refundable credits: $2,625; Estimated refund: $3,525; Withholding as a share of tax: n/a |
| Married, two children, $150,000 | Tax year: 2026; Filing status: mfj; Wages and other earned income for the year ($): 150000; Other ordinary income ($): 0; Adjustments to income ($): 0; Itemized deductions ($, 0 to use the standard deduction): 0; Boxes for age 65 or older, or blind: 0; Other deductions from taxable income ($): 0; Qualifying children under 17: 2; Other non-refundable credits ($): 0; Federal tax withheld and paid in ($): 14000; Other refundable credits ($): 0 | Total income after adjustments: $150,000; Standard deduction: $32,200; Taxable income: $117,800; Tax before credits: $15,340; Child tax credit used against tax: $4,400; Income tax after credits: $10,940; Federal tax withheld and paid in: $14,000; Estimated refund: $3,060; Withholding as a share of tax: 127.97% |
| Tax year 2025, single, $100,000 | Tax year: 2025; Filing status: single; Wages and other earned income for the year ($): 100000; Other ordinary income ($): 0; Adjustments to income ($): 0; Itemized deductions ($, 0 to use the standard deduction): 0; Boxes for age 65 or older, or blind: 0; Other deductions from taxable income ($): 0; Qualifying children under 17: 0; Other non-refundable credits ($): 0; Federal tax withheld and paid in ($): 15000; Other refundable credits ($): 0 | Total income after adjustments: $100,000; Standard deduction: $15,750; Taxable income: $84,250; Tax before credits: $13,455; Income tax after credits: $13,455; Federal tax withheld and paid in: $15,000; Estimated refund: $1,545; Withholding as a share of tax: 111.48% |
FAQ
How much will I get back in taxes?
Your refund is the federal tax withheld and paid in, plus refundable credits, minus the tax you owe for the year. Enter your W-2 numbers to see an estimate.
Where do I find the tax withheld?
In box 2 of Form W-2, for each job. Add estimated payments made during the year.
Why is my refund zero or negative?
If withholding is less than the tax you owe, the result is a balance due. A zero refund means the amounts match.
Can the child tax credit increase my refund?
Yes. Up to $1,700 per child is refundable, limited to 15% of earned income over $2,500, even when you owe no income tax.
Is this the same as what the IRS will pay me?
No. It is an estimate for ordinary income from the IRS rate tables. Your return decides the real refund.
How can I get a different refund next year?
Change the withholding on your Form W-4 or make estimated payments. The paycheck calculator shows the effect on each check.