Tax refund calculator
Enter your income, the tax that was withheld and your credits to estimate whether you will get a refund or owe tax for 2026. The child tax credit is included.
This answer is for the example values in the boxes above. Income $70,000, $7,500 withheld, 0 children. Change the boxes to see your own answer.
This is an estimate for the tax year 2026. The earned income credit, the education credits and state tax are not in it, and the refundable child tax credit takes your total income as your earned income.
How it works
The calculator first works out your federal income tax for 2026: your income, less adjustments and your deduction, run through the bracket tables. Then it takes off the credits. The child tax credit lowers the tax first, and what is left of it is refunded, up to $1,700 for each child, if your earned income is high enough.
Your refund is what you paid in less the tax. What you paid in is the tax withheld from your pay, any estimated payments and the refundable part of the child tax credit. A negative result is what you owe.
A worked example
A single filer has $70,000 of income and takes the standard deduction of $16,100. The taxable income is $53,900 and the tax is $6,570. The employer withheld $7,500, so the refund is $930.
A married couple filing jointly with two children has $60,000 of income. After the standard deduction of $32,200 the tax is $2,840. The child tax credit is $4,400. It wipes out the tax, and $1,560 of what is left is refunded. With $3,000 withheld, the refund is $4,560.
What it leaves out
The earned income credit, the education credits and state tax are not in the estimate. The refundable child tax credit takes your total income as your earned income, which is close for a worker and not for someone who lives on investments. Credits that you enter under other credits lower your tax but are not refunded.
Sources
Questions
How is a tax refund calculated?
Work out your tax, then compare it with what you paid in. Tax withheld from your pay, estimated payments and refundable credits count as paid. If you paid in more than your tax, the difference is your refund. If you paid in less, you owe it.
What part of the child tax credit is refundable?
For 2026 the credit is up to $2,200 for each child, and up to $1,700 of it can be refunded. The refundable part is also limited to 15% of earned income above $2,500, and the calculator takes your total income as your earned income.
Why might I owe tax when I file?
Your tax can be more than what was withheld, for example when you hold more than one job and your employers do not know about each other, or when you have income that has no tax withheld. Compare the result with your pay stubs.
Does a big refund mean I paid less tax?
No. A refund is money that you paid in beyond your tax. The tax itself is the same, and a refund only says that your withholding was higher than it had to be.
Is the earned income credit included?
No. The earned income credit depends on more facts than this calculator asks for, so it is left out. If you qualify for it, your refund will be larger than the estimate.
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