Deadlines · calculator
Federal tax refund estimator for 2026 and 2025
The whole return in a few fields: income, deductions, credits, then the gap with what was withheld.
Estimate your federal refund
Estimated refund
$1,420
Taxable income $41,900 · marginal bracket 12% · effective rate 8.2%
- Adjusted gross income$58,000
- Standard deduction$16,100
- Schedule 1-A deductions (tips, overtime, seniors)$0
- Tax before credits$4,780
- Child tax credit used against tax$0
- Refundable credits (ACTC, EITC)$0
- Withholding$6,200
Wage earner return: no self-employment tax, education credits, AMT or state tax. The EITC also assumes no investment income.
A federal refund is the difference between the tax withheld from your pay, plus refundable credits, and the tax your return finally shows. This estimator runs the same sequence as Form 1040 for a wage earner: wages and other income give AGI; the standard deduction (or itemized deductions if larger) and the new Schedule 1-A deductions for tips, overtime and seniors give taxable income; the 2026 or 2025 brackets give the tax; the child tax credit reduces it; the additional child tax credit and the earned income credit are added as refundable credits. A single filer with $58,000 of wages and $6,200 withheld in 2026 has $41,900 of taxable income, owes $4,780 and gets about $1,420 back; on the 2025 return the same figures give $1,369. A married couple with two children, $85,000 of wages, $5,000 of overtime premium and $5,200 withheld, would get about $4,360. Self-employment tax, education credits and state taxes are left out.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How we calculate
What the estimator computes, line by line
Total income is wages from box 1 of your W-2s, which already include reported tips and overtime pay, plus other income such as interest or a side job; the tips and overtime fields only tell the estimator how much of those wages qualifies for the new deductions. Adjusted gross income is that total; the estimator does not take adjustments such as deductible IRA contributions, which you can subtract from other income yourself. The deduction is the larger of the standard deduction, with the age additions, and the itemized amount you enter. The Schedule 1-A deductions come next, each with its phase-out computed on AGI. The tax is computed with the rate schedule, then the child tax credit reduces it, and the refundable credits are added to withholding.
| Line | Single, $58,000, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Adjusted gross income | $58,000 |
| Standard deduction | $16,100 |
| Taxable income | $41,900 |
| Tax (marginal bracket 12%) | $4,780 |
| Withholding | $6,200 |
| Refund | $1,420 |
Where the estimate can differ from your return
The IRS tax table used under $100,000 of taxable income rounds to $50 bands, so the tax can differ by a few dollars. The earned income credit is computed from the section 32 amounts rather than the EITC table. The estimator does not include self-employment tax, the alternative minimum tax, education credits, the premium tax credit, retirement savings credits, excess Social Security from two employers or state income tax. A large difference with your return usually comes from one of those items or from income not entered.
When the money arrives
Once the return is accepted, most refunds arrive within 21 days with direct deposit; returns claiming the earned income credit or the additional child tax credit are held until mid-February by law. The refund schedule gives an expected date for your filing day, and the refund timing guide explains each status of the IRS tracker. If the estimate shows a balance due for 2026, the estimated tax page says how to avoid a penalty next year.
Sources: IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32: 2026 inflation-adjusted items and 2025 items modified by Public Law 119-21 (October 9, 2025); IRS Rev. Proc. 2024-40: 2025 inflation-adjusted items; IRS Schedule 1-A (Form 1040) 2025, Additional Deductions: tips, overtime, car loan interest, seniors; IRS: Where's my refund? Status timing and when to expect a refund, read on October 11, 2026.