{
  "id": "income-tax",
  "version": "d878114218cc",
  "status": "published",
  "name": "Income Tax Calculator",
  "question": "How much income tax do I owe?",
  "summary": "Estimates your 2026 federal income tax on Form 1040 from wages and other income, deductions, and credits, with the marginal and effective rate and your refund or amount owed.",
  "category": "finance",
  "subcategory": "tax-and-pay",
  "url": "https://www.acalculator.org/finance/income-tax-calculator",
  "markdown": "https://www.acalculator.org/finance/income-tax-calculator.md",
  "kind": "function",
  "method": "Form 1040 (2026): AGI = income − adjustments; taxable income = AGI − deduction − Schedule 1-A − QBI; tax by the Tax Table or rate schedule and capital gains rates − child tax credit + other taxes = total tax; refund = payments − (total tax − refundable credits).",
  "assumptions": [
    "An estimate for tax year 2026, not tax advice.",
    "Not modelled: AMT, the premium tax credit, education and other credits, QBI above the Form 8995 threshold, EIC for a separated spouse, the tips, overtime, and car loan deductions, taxable Social Security (type it as other income), 25% and 28% gains, and state tax.",
    "Everyone 65 or older has an SSN; children under 17 also qualify for the EIC; with no child, someone is 25 to 64.",
    "Self-employment profit belongs to the wage earner; QBI is profit less half of self-employment tax."
  ],
  "inputs": {
    "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
    "type": "object",
    "properties": {
      "status": {
        "title": "Filing status",
        "description": "Federal filing status.",
        "type": "string",
        "enum": [
          "single",
          "mfj",
          "mfs",
          "hoh",
          "qss"
        ]
      },
      "wages": {
        "title": "Wages",
        "description": "Form W-2 box 1 wages, both spouses if joint.",
        "type": "number",
        "x-unit": "USD",
        "minimum": 0,
        "maximum": 1000000000
      },
      "withheld": {
        "title": "Federal tax withheld",
        "description": "Federal tax withheld (W-2 box 2).",
        "type": "number",
        "x-unit": "USD",
        "minimum": 0,
        "maximum": 1000000000
      },
      "children": {
        "title": "Children under 17",
        "description": "Children under 17 with an SSN.",
        "type": "integer",
        "minimum": 0,
        "maximum": 20
      },
      "estimated": {
        "title": "Estimated tax paid",
        "description": "Estimated tax paid for the year.",
        "type": "number",
        "x-unit": "USD",
        "minimum": 0,
        "maximum": 1000000000
      },
      "selfEmployment": {
        "title": "Self-employment profit",
        "description": "Schedule C net profit.",
        "type": "number",
        "x-unit": "USD",
        "minimum": 0,
        "maximum": 1000000000
      },
      "interest": {
        "title": "Taxable interest",
        "description": "Taxable interest (1099-INT).",
        "type": "number",
        "x-unit": "USD",
        "minimum": 0,
        "maximum": 1000000000
      },
      "dividends": {
        "title": "Ordinary dividends",
        "description": "Form 1099-DIV box 1a.",
        "type": "number",
        "x-unit": "USD",
        "minimum": 0,
        "maximum": 1000000000
      },
      "qualifiedDividends": {
        "title": "Qualified dividends",
        "description": "Form 1099-DIV box 1b.",
        "type": "number",
        "x-unit": "USD",
        "minimum": 0,
        "maximum": 1000000000
      },
      "shortTermGains": {
        "title": "Short-term capital gains",
        "description": "Held a year or less; a loss is negative.",
        "type": "number",
        "x-unit": "USD",
        "minimum": -1000000000,
        "maximum": 1000000000
      },
      "longTermGains": {
        "title": "Long-term capital gains",
        "description": "Held over a year; a loss is negative.",
        "type": "number",
        "x-unit": "USD",
        "minimum": -1000000000,
        "maximum": 1000000000
      },
      "otherIncome": {
        "title": "Other income",
        "description": "Pensions, unemployment, taxable Social Security.",
        "type": "number",
        "x-unit": "USD",
        "minimum": 0,
        "maximum": 1000000000
      },
      "adjustments": {
        "title": "Adjustments to income",
        "description": "IRA, HSA, student loan interest, and the like.",
        "type": "number",
        "x-unit": "USD",
        "minimum": 0,
        "maximum": 1000000000
      },
      "itemized": {
        "title": "Itemized deductions",
        "description": "Schedule A total, used if above the standard deduction.",
        "type": "number",
        "x-unit": "USD",
        "minimum": 0,
        "maximum": 1000000000
      },
      "otherDependents": {
        "title": "Other dependents",
        "description": "Dependents who are not children under 17.",
        "type": "integer",
        "minimum": 0,
        "maximum": 20
      },
      "over65": {
        "title": "People 65 or older",
        "description": "People on the return aged 65 or older.",
        "type": "integer",
        "minimum": 0,
        "maximum": 2
      },
      "blind": {
        "title": "People who are blind",
        "description": "People on the return who are blind.",
        "type": "integer",
        "minimum": 0,
        "maximum": 2
      },
      "claimedAsDependent": {
        "title": "Someone can claim me as a dependent",
        "description": "Limits the standard deduction.",
        "type": "boolean"
      },
      "year": {
        "title": "Tax year",
        "description": "Later years use the latest rates.",
        "type": "integer",
        "minimum": 2026,
        "maximum": 2035
      }
    }
  },
  "outputs": {
    "totalTax": {
      "label": "Federal income tax",
      "description": "Form 1040 line 24.",
      "format": "money"
    },
    "balance": {
      "label": "Refund or amount owed",
      "description": "Payments minus tax after credits; negative: you owe.",
      "format": "money"
    },
    "effectiveRate": {
      "label": "Effective tax rate",
      "description": "Tax after credits over total income.",
      "format": "percent"
    },
    "marginalRate": {
      "label": "Marginal tax rate",
      "description": "Bracket rate on the next dollar.",
      "format": "percent"
    },
    "agi": {
      "label": "Adjusted gross income",
      "description": "Form 1040 line 11.",
      "format": "money"
    },
    "taxableIncome": {
      "label": "Taxable income",
      "description": "Form 1040 line 15.",
      "format": "money"
    },
    "totalIncome": {
      "label": "Total income",
      "description": "Form 1040 line 9.",
      "format": "money"
    },
    "deduction": {
      "label": "Deduction taken",
      "description": "Standard or itemized, whichever is larger.",
      "format": "money"
    },
    "deductionType": {
      "label": "Deduction type",
      "description": "Standard or itemized.",
      "format": "text"
    },
    "scheduleOneA": {
      "label": "Senior deduction",
      "description": "$6,000 per person 65 or older (Schedule 1-A).",
      "format": "money"
    },
    "qbiDeduction": {
      "label": "QBI deduction",
      "description": "Form 8995.",
      "format": "money"
    },
    "incomeTax": {
      "label": "Tax on taxable income",
      "description": "Form 1040 line 16.",
      "format": "money"
    },
    "childTaxCredit": {
      "label": "Child and other dependent credit",
      "description": "Form 1040 line 19.",
      "format": "money"
    },
    "selfEmploymentTax": {
      "label": "Self-employment tax",
      "description": "Schedule SE tax.",
      "format": "money"
    },
    "otherTaxes": {
      "label": "Additional Medicare and NIIT",
      "description": "Forms 8959 and 8960.",
      "format": "money"
    },
    "earnedIncomeCredit": {
      "label": "Earned income credit",
      "description": "Refundable EIC.",
      "format": "money"
    },
    "netTax": {
      "label": "Tax after refundable credits",
      "description": "Total tax less refundable credits.",
      "format": "money"
    },
    "at10": {
      "label": "Taxed at 10%",
      "description": "In the 10% bracket.",
      "format": "money"
    },
    "at12": {
      "label": "Taxed at 12%",
      "description": "In the 12% bracket.",
      "format": "money"
    },
    "at22": {
      "label": "Taxed at 22%",
      "description": "In the 22% bracket.",
      "format": "money"
    },
    "at24": {
      "label": "Taxed at 24%",
      "description": "In the 24% bracket.",
      "format": "money"
    },
    "at32": {
      "label": "Taxed at 32%",
      "description": "In the 32% bracket.",
      "format": "money"
    },
    "at35": {
      "label": "Taxed at 35%",
      "description": "In the 35% bracket.",
      "format": "money"
    },
    "at37": {
      "label": "Taxed at 37%",
      "description": "In the 37% bracket.",
      "format": "money"
    },
    "atCapitalGainsRates": {
      "label": "At capital gains rates",
      "description": "Taxed at 0%, 15%, or 20%.",
      "format": "money"
    },
    "ratesYear": {
      "label": "Rates of tax year",
      "description": "Year of the rates used.",
      "format": "integer"
    },
    "notice": {
      "label": "Note",
      "description": "Rates year or a limit left out.",
      "format": "text"
    }
  },
  "defaultAnswer": {
    "inputs": {
      "status": "single",
      "wages": 75000,
      "withheld": 0,
      "children": 0,
      "claimedAsDependent": false,
      "year": 2026
    },
    "outputs": {
      "totalTax": 7676,
      "balance": -7676,
      "effectiveRate": 10.234666666666667,
      "marginalRate": 22,
      "agi": 75000,
      "taxableIncome": 58900,
      "totalIncome": 75000,
      "deduction": 16100,
      "deductionType": "standard",
      "scheduleOneA": 0,
      "qbiDeduction": 0,
      "incomeTax": 7676,
      "childTaxCredit": 0,
      "selfEmploymentTax": 0,
      "otherTaxes": 0,
      "earnedIncomeCredit": 0,
      "netTax": 7676,
      "at10": 12400,
      "at12": 38000,
      "at22": 8500,
      "at24": 0,
      "at32": 0,
      "at35": 0,
      "at37": 0,
      "atCapitalGainsRates": 0,
      "ratesYear": 2026
    },
    "text": "On $75,000.00 of wages, filing Single, your 2026 federal income tax is $7,676.00 (10.23% effective)."
  },
  "examples": [
    {
      "given": {
        "status": "single",
        "wages": 75000
      },
      "expect": {
        "agi": 75000,
        "taxableIncome": 58900,
        "totalTax": 7676,
        "marginalRate": 22,
        "effectiveRate": 10.234666666666667
      },
      "source": "Rev. Proc. 2025-32 brackets and $16,100 standard deduction; 2025 Form 1040 Tax Table row; Python 3: docs/progress/WP-82/fed.py"
    },
    {
      "given": {
        "status": "mfj",
        "wages": 150000,
        "children": 2
      },
      "expect": {
        "taxableIncome": 117800,
        "incomeTax": 15340,
        "childTaxCredit": 4400,
        "totalTax": 10940,
        "marginalRate": 22
      },
      "source": "Tax Computation Worksheet and Schedule 8812 ($2,200 a child); Python 3: docs/progress/WP-82/fed.py"
    },
    {
      "given": {
        "status": "single",
        "wages": 60000,
        "longTermGains": 20000
      },
      "expect": {
        "taxableIncome": 63900,
        "atCapitalGainsRates": 20000,
        "totalTax": 7190.5,
        "marginalRate": 27
      },
      "source": "Qualified Dividends and Capital Gain Tax Worksheet (Form 1040 line 16); Python 3: docs/progress/WP-82/fed.py"
    },
    {
      "given": {
        "status": "single",
        "wages": 500000
      },
      "expect": {
        "taxableIncome": 483900,
        "incomeTax": 138134.25,
        "otherTaxes": 2700,
        "totalTax": 140834.25,
        "marginalRate": 35
      },
      "source": "Rev. Proc. 2025-32 Table 3 (single) and Form 8959 (0.9% over $200,000); Python 3: docs/progress/WP-82/fed.py"
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    "IRS, Rev. Proc. 2025-32 (Internal Revenue Bulletin 2025-45), section 4: 2026 tax rate tables, standard deduction, capital gains breakpoints, child tax credit, earned income credit. https://www.irs.gov/irb/2025-45_IRB",
    "IRS, 2025 Instructions for Form 1040: Tax Table, Tax Computation Worksheet, Qualified Dividends and Capital Gain Tax Worksheet, EIC Table. https://www.irs.gov/instructions/i1040gi",
    "IRS, Schedule 8812 (Form 1040), Credits for Qualifying Children and Other Dependents. https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040s8.pdf",
    "IRS, Schedule SE (Form 1040), Self-Employment Tax. https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040sse.pdf",
    "IRS, draft Schedule 1-A (Form 1040) 2026, Additional Deductions. https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-dft/f1040s1a--dft.pdf",
    "IRS, Form 8959 (Additional Medicare Tax) and Form 8960 (Net Investment Income Tax) instructions. https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-8960"
  ],
  "related": [
    "tax-refund",
    "effective-tax-rate",
    "tax-bracket",
    "taxable-income",
    "california-income-tax",
    "capital-gains-tax",
    "self-employment-tax"
  ],
  "changelog": []
}