Tax calculators TY 2026

Interactive federal estimators. Results update as you type. For education and planning — not official filing software.

Tax Bracket Visualizer

See how progressive federal ordinary income tax applies after the standard deduction.

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We subtract the standard deduction to estimate taxable income.

Your snapshot

Gross / AGI—
Std. deduction—
Taxable income—
Marginal rate—
Effective rate—
Est. federal tax—

Tax by bracket

Bars show how much of your taxable income falls in each bracket and the tax from that slice.

Standard vs. Itemized Deduction Estimator

Compare the standard deduction to your potential itemized total (federal simplified rules).

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Used for the 7.5% medical expense floor.

Itemized expenses

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Capped at $10,000 federal.

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Comparison

Standard deduction

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Best choice

Itemized total

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Best choice
Medical allowed—
Recommendation—
Difference—

Winner is highlighted in green. Does not include every Schedule A limitation or state rule.

Self-Employment Tax Estimator

Estimate SE tax on net profit from freelancing, gig work, or a sole proprietorship.

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Profit after business expenses (Schedule C style).

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Reduces remaining Social Security wage base.

SE tax breakdown

Net earnings (92.35%)—
Social Security portion—
Medicare (+ add’l if any)—
Effective on profit—
Total SE tax—
½ SE tax deduction—

SE tax is separate from income tax. You can usually deduct half of SE tax when computing AGI.

Tax Refund Estimator

Rough federal refund or balance due from income, withholding, and child tax credit.

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Refund / balance

Gross income—
Deduction used—
Taxable income—
Tax before credits—
Child tax credit—
Tax after credits—
Withholding + estimates—
Estimated refund —

Simplified model: ordinary tax + CTC phaseout. Omits many credits, state tax, and SE tax.

Capital Gains Tax Estimator

Estimate tax on short-term (ordinary rates) vs. long-term preferential rates.

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Wages etc. We apply the standard deduction for stacking LT rates.

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Gains tax estimate

Tax on short-term—
Tax on long-term—
Effective on total gains—
Total gains tax—

Does not include NIIT (3.8%), collectibles rates, or state tax. Losses and wash sales ignored.

Paycheck Tax Estimator

Approximate take-home pay after federal income tax and FICA (Social Security + Medicare).

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401(k), HSA, etc.

Rough legacy-style reduction (~$4,300 each).

Per paycheck

Gross pay—
Pre-tax deductions—
Federal income tax—
Social Security—
Medicare—
Est. net pay—
Est. annual net—

No state tax, local tax, or employer benefits. W-4 step 3/4 credits are simplified.

Child Tax Credit Estimator

Estimate the Child Tax Credit and Credit for Other Dependents with income phaseout.

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~$500 credit each (ODC).

Credit estimate

Child Tax Credit—
Other dependents—
Refundable portion cap—
Total credit—

Phaseout starts at $200k ($400k MFJ). Actual refundability depends on earned income and tax liability.

Want the plain-English version?

Our guides explain brackets, deductions, and more — self-serve, no personal tax advice.

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