What the calculator counts
- Your household: your filing status, the standard deduction (more if you or your spouse are 65 or older, or blind), and each child or relative you support, with their age, months at home, and whether they're a student or disabled.
- Credits for children and family: the child tax credit ($2,200 per child under 17, up to $1,700 of it refundable), the $500 credit for other dependents, the earned income tax credit, and the child and dependent care credit (up to 50% of daycare costs in 2026).
- The new deductions (2025 to 2028): qualified tips (up to $25,000), the extra pay for overtime (up to $12,500, or $25,000 married filing jointly), interest on a loan for a new car (up to $10,000) and $6,000 for each person 65 or older. They shrink at higher incomes.
- Work and other income: W-2 wages, self-employment and gig work (with self-employment tax and the 20% business deduction), unemployment, Social Security (only the taxable part counts), pensions, interest, dividends and stock or crypto sales.
- What you paid for: college (the American opportunity and lifetime learning credits), retirement savings (the saver's credit), student loan interest, cash gifts to charity (up to $1,000, or $2,000 married filing jointly, without itemizing, new in 2026), and itemized deductions such as mortgage interest, state and local taxes (up to $40,400) and large medical bills.
- Marketplace health insurance: the premium tax credit from your Form 1095-A, including any advance credit you have to pay back. In 2026 there's no cap on paying it back.
Why your real refund may be different
- It's an estimate from what you type. Your return uses the amounts on your actual forms, like your W-2s and 1099s.
- State taxes aren't included. Florida has no state income tax, but most states do.
- Some rare parts of a return are left out, such as the alternative minimum tax and foreign income. The calculator tells you when the additional Medicare tax or the net investment income tax may apply.
- The IRS can change a refund. It can correct a return, or use part of a refund to pay past-due child support or other debts.
No one can promise when a return will be accepted or when a refund will arrive. The IRS issues most refunds within 21 days. If you claim the earned income tax credit or the additional child tax credit, the law holds your whole refund until mid-February. See Where's my refund?
What happens to what you type
Nothing leaves your device. The calculator runs in your browser: what you type isn't sent to us or saved, and it's gone when you leave the page. If you'd like a tax pro to check your estimate, you choose what to share in the chat or on the call.
Common questions
How accurate is this refund calculator?
It uses the IRS's 2026 tax rates, standard deductions and credit amounts, and figures them the way the 2026 forms do. It's only as accurate as what you type, and it leaves out state taxes and some rare parts of a return. Your actual refund depends on your full return and the IRS.
Is this for my 2025 taxes?
No. It estimates your 2026 taxes, the return you file in early 2027. For a 2025 return, or an earlier year, a tax pro can help you on the phone or in the chat.
Does it include no tax on tips, no tax on overtime and the senior deduction?
Yes. Type your qualified tips and the extra pay for overtime (they stay in your wages too), and your ages. The deductions are figured for 2026, and they get smaller at higher incomes.
When will I get my refund?
The IRS issues most refunds within 21 days. If you claim the earned income tax credit or the additional child tax credit, the law holds your whole refund until mid-February. No one can promise when a return will be accepted or when a refund will arrive. Track your refund
What does it cost to talk with a tax pro?
Talking with a tax pro costs nothing, whether or not you file with us. Filing starts at $75. Your fee depends on the forms your return needs and is shown on your agreement before anything is filed. Paying from your refund is optional and may include a bank fee.
Is my information saved?
No. The calculator runs in your browser, and what you type isn't sent to us or saved.
Official sources
We checked this calculator against these official pages:
- IRS releases tax inflation adjustments for tax year 2026 (Rev. Proc. 2025-32) irs.gov
- Publication 505 (2026), Tax withholding and estimated tax: what's new for 2026 irs.gov
- Tax deductions for working Americans and seniors (tips, overtime, car loan interest, seniors) irs.gov
- Schedule 1-A, the new deductions (FS-2026-04) irs.gov
- Publication 501, Dependents, standard deduction and filing information irs.gov
- Child tax credit irs.gov
- Who qualifies for the earned income tax credit irs.gov
- Instructions for Form 2441 (2026), child and dependent care expenses (draft) irs.gov
- Instructions for Form 8863 (2026), education credits (draft) irs.gov
- New Social Security number requirements for education tax credits irs.gov
- 2026 retirement limits and the saver's credit (IR-2025-111) irs.gov
- About Schedule R, Credit for the elderly or the disabled irs.gov
- Social Security 2026 fact sheet (wage base) ssa.gov
- Rev. Proc. 2025-25, premium tax credit percentages for 2026 irs.gov
- 2025 HHS poverty guidelines (used for 2026 Marketplace coverage) govinfo.gov
- About Form 8962, Premium tax credit irs.gov
- Repayment caps eliminated for excess advance payments of the premium tax credit irs.gov
- Questions and answers on the premium tax credit irs.gov
- Refunds irs.gov
- When to expect your refund if you claimed the EITC or ACTC irs.gov
This calculator gives general information, not tax advice for your situation, and its estimate is not a promise. No one can promise when a return will be accepted or when a refund will arrive. Nationwide Tax Pro is a private tax preparation company and an authorized IRS e-file provider. We are not affiliated with the IRS or any government agency.