2026 tax year · updated Oct 15, 2026

Tax refund calculator

Your refund is the tax withheld from your pay minus the tax you owe: a single filer with $60,000 of wages and $6,500 of federal withholding gets about $1,480 back for 2026. Enter the numbers from your W-2 to estimate your federal and state refund, or what you will owe; nothing you type leaves your browser.

Tax year

State

Filing status

SingleMarriedHead of HH

Wages (W-2 box 1)

Federal tax withheld (W-2 box 2)

State tax withheld (W-2 box 17)

Children under 17

Age 65 or older at the end of the year

You Your spouse (joint return)

Estimated payments, other income, self-employment

Estimated tax payments made

Other income (interest, 1099 jobs not self-employment, unemployment)

Self-employment profit (Schedule C)

Estimated refund

$1,480

Federal: $1,480 refund
State: $0 refund

How it adds up (federal)

Income tax before credits: $5,020
Child tax credit: −$0
Self-employment and Additional Medicare tax: $0
Tax on your return: $5,020
Already paid (withholding and estimates): $6,500

State tax on your return: $0. Standard deduction; local income taxes not included.

Full breakdown in the income tax calculator

Where to find the numbers

Wages: W-2 box 1. It is already lower than your gross pay by your 401(k) and other pre-tax deductions, so do not subtract them again.
Federal tax withheld: W-2 box 2. Add the boxes from every W-2 if you had more than one job.
State tax withheld: W-2 box 17.
No W-2 yet? Use your last pay stub of the year: year-to-date gross pay minus pre-tax deductions, and year-to-date federal and state income tax.

What the estimate includes

2026 federal brackets and the standard deduction ($16,100 single, $32,200 married filing jointly, $24,150 head of household), the child tax credit of $2,200 per child under 17 including its refundable part, self-employment tax, the 0.9% Additional Medicare tax and your state's income tax. It does not include itemized deductions, education or energy credits, the earned income credit or local income taxes, which can make your actual refund larger.

Your refund is only as accurate as the withholding you enter. The IRS Where's My Refund? tool tracks a return you have already filed.

Sources: IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32. See our methodology.

Frequently asked questions

How is a tax refund calculated?

Your refund is the tax already paid during the year (withholding from your paychecks, W-2 box 2, plus any estimated payments) minus the tax on your return. If more was withheld than you owe, the difference comes back as a refund; if less, you owe the rest when you file.

How much will my refund be on $60,000?

For a single filer with $60,000 of wages and $6,500 of federal tax withheld, the 2026 federal tax is about $5,020, so the refund is about $1,480 (no state income tax). Enter your own W-2 figures above.

Can I get a refund if no tax was withheld?

Yes, through refundable credits. A head of household earning $30,000 with one child under 17 and no withholding would get about $1,615 back in 2026, from the refundable part of the child tax credit.

When is the deadline to file a 2026 return?

April 15, 2027 for most people. An extension (Form 4868) gives more time to file, not to pay.

Why do I owe instead of getting a refund?

Usually because too little was withheld: two jobs, a spouse who also works, side income without estimated payments, or a W-4 that claims credits you no longer get. Adjusting your W-4 fixes it for next year.