United States · Tax year 2026, filed in 2027
Tax refund calculator 2026
A married couple on $100,000 of wages, with $10,000 of tips, a $5,000 overtime premium, $2,000 of new-car loan interest, two children and $6,000 withheld, can expect a $4,800.00 refund for 2026. The four new deductions add $2,040.00 of it.
All the 2025 law’s changes in one form: the four new deductions, the bigger child tax credit and the new SALT limit. No sign-up, and nothing you type leaves your browser.
Federal tax refund, 2026 return · married filing jointly
$4,800.00 refund
The four new deductions add $2,040.00 to it ($2,760.00 refund without them).
What the new deductions are worth to you
| With the new deductions | Without them | |
|---|---|---|
| Taxable income | $50,800.00 | $67,800.00 |
| Tax for the year | $1,200.00 | $3,240.00 |
| Refund (or to pay) | $4,800.00 refund | $2,760.00 refund |
Your return, step by step
| Wages (your adjusted gross income) | $100,000.00 |
|---|---|
| Standard deduction | −$32,200.00 |
| No tax on tips | −$10,000.00 |
| No tax on overtime | −$5,000.00 |
| Car loan interest | −$2,000.00 |
| Taxable income | $50,800.00 |
| Federal income tax (top bracket 12%) | $5,600.00 |
| Child tax credit and credit for other dependents | −$4,400.00 |
| Tax for the year | $1,200.00 |
| Federal tax withheld from your pay | $6,000.00 |
| Your refund | $4,800.00 |
An estimate for wages only, not a filed return. Federal only: no state refund.
What changed for 2026?
- No tax on tips: deduct up to $25,000 of qualified tips (tips calculator).
- No tax on overtime: deduct the extra “half” of overtime pay, up to $12,500 ($25,000 joint) (overtime calculator).
- Senior deduction: $6,000 more for each person 65 or over (senior deduction calculator).
- Car loan interest: deduct up to $10,000 of interest on a loan for a new US-assembled car (car loan calculator).
- Child tax credit: $2,200 a child, up to $1,700 of it refundable (child tax credit calculator).
- State and local taxes (SALT): itemizers can deduct up to $40,400, cut by 30% of income over $505,000 but never below $10,000.
- Gifts to charity: new for 2026, people who take the standard deduction can deduct up to $1,000 ($2,000 joint) of cash gifts; itemizers can deduct only gifts over 0.5% of their income.
A worked example
A married couple on $100,000 of wages, with $10,000 of tips, a $5,000 overtime premium, $2,000 of new-car loan interest, two children and $6,000 withheld, can expect a $4,800.00 refund for 2026. The four new deductions add $2,040.00 of it.
| With the new deductions | Without them | |
|---|---|---|
| Taxable income | $50,800.00 | $67,800.00 |
| Tax for the year | $1,200.00 | $3,240.00 |
| Refund (or to pay) | $4,800.00 refund | $2,760.00 refund |
The result panel above starts on this example, step by step.
How is the refund worked out?
- Income. Your wages for the year (box 1 of your W-2) are your adjusted gross income here.
- Deductions. The larger of the standard deduction (more at 65) and your itemized deductions, with state and local taxes up to the SALT limit.
- The four new deductions come off next, each shrinking above its own income limit. You get them either way.
- Tax on what is left, bracket by bracket, using the 2026 federal brackets.
- Credits. The child tax credit and the credit for other dependents come off the tax; part of the child credit can come back even with no tax to pay.
- The refund is the tax withheld from your pay, plus that refundable credit, less the tax. A negative refund is an amount to pay.
“What the new deductions are worth to you” runs the same return twice, with and without the four new deductions, and shows the difference. Each step is also on how we calculate.
What does this estimate leave out?
- It is an estimate, not tax advice and not a filed return.
- State refunds: no state income tax is included, in any state. It is your federal refund only. States decide for themselves whether to follow the new federal deductions, and many do not.
- Self-employment income and self-employment tax, investment income (interest, dividends, capital gains) and any other income besides wages.
- Credits other than the child tax credit and the credit for other dependents: no earned income credit, education credits or child care credit.
- The Additional Medicare Tax (for one job it is withheld as it is owed), the 37% bracket’s trim of itemized deductions, and the route to the refundable child credit for families with three or more children and very low pay.
What else can I work out?
- Child tax credit calculator Work out your 2026 child tax credit: $2,200 a child under 17, up to $1,700 of it refundable, $500 for other dependents, and the income limits.
- No tax on tips calculator See what the no tax on tips deduction is worth to you in 2026: up to $25,000 of tips off your taxable income, the income limit, and your refund.
- No tax on overtime calculator Work out the 2026 no tax on overtime deduction: the “half” of time-and-a-half, up to $12,500 ($25,000 joint), the income limit, and your refund.
- Senior deduction calculator Work out the 2026 senior deduction: $6,000 for each person 65 or over, how it shrinks above $75,000 of income, and your refund.
- Car loan interest deduction calculator Work out the 2026 car loan interest deduction: up to $10,000 of interest on a new US-assembled car, the income limit, and your refund.
- Paycheck calculator 2026 Take-home pay per paycheck in 19 states, with 401(k), HSA and every pay schedule.
- Pay by job BLS pay and take-home for 830 jobs, to fill in your wages.
How withholding works: the W-4 form.
Questions about your 2026 tax refund
Will my tax refund be bigger in 2027?
It will if you qualify for one of the new deductions and your employer withheld tax as before, because the deductions lower your tax for 2026 but not what was taken from your pay (unless you claimed them on a new W-4). In our example the four deductions add $2,040.00 to the refund.
What are the four new deductions?
No tax on tips (up to $25,000), no tax on overtime (up to $12,500, $25,000 joint), the senior deduction ($6,000 for each person 65 or over) and car loan interest (up to $10,000). Each shrinks at higher incomes and runs from 2025 to 2028.
Do I have to itemize to get them?
No. All four come on top of the standard deduction or your itemized deductions, whichever you take.
How much is the child tax credit for 2026?
$2,200 for each child under 17, and up to $1,700 of that can be paid to you even if you owe no tax. It shrinks above $200,000 of income ($400,000 for a joint return).
Does this include my state tax refund?
No. It is your federal refund only. State income tax is not included for any state, and states choose for themselves whether to follow the new federal deductions.
Is this my real refund?
No. It is an estimate for someone whose income is wages. Your return decides your refund. To set your withholding now, the IRS has its own Tax Withholding Estimator.