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📋 Tax tool

Tax Refund Estimator

By · Published · Updated

Direct answer: estimate your federal refund by subtracting estimated federal tax after credits from federal withholding. If withholding is higher, the difference is a likely refund; if tax is higher, the difference is a likely balance due.

Browser-only This tool runs locally in your browser. Do not enter full account numbers, SSNs, or private tax identifiers.

Estimate refund or balance due

Important: This simplified estimator uses broad 2026-style brackets and common deductions for planning only. It does not handle state taxes, AMT, self-employment tax, itemized deductions, phase-outs, or every credit.
Refund formulaEstimated refund = federal withholding − estimated federal tax after credits.
Balance-due formulaIf estimated tax after credits is higher than withholding, the difference is the balance-due estimate.
VariablesFiling status, income before standard deduction, federal withholding, estimated credits.
Source snapshotUpdated 2026-06-21 from saved GSC signal: 274 impressions, 0 clicks, avg position 70.9. Official IRS and state guidance controls.
Examples: child tax credit, education credits, EV credits.
Compare tax software

When to use tax software

Use guided software if you have multiple jobs, dependents, student loan interest, marketplace insurance, crypto, business income, rental income, or state returns.

GSC rescue: fast answer, verification, and next steps

Why this was refreshed: saved GSC signal shows 274 impressions / 0 clicks / avg position 70.9. This update moves the formula, variables, official-source caveats, and related tax tools closer to the calculator.

Quick interpretation: a refund estimate means withholding is above the simplified tax estimate; a balance-due estimate means withholding may be short. Use it as a planning signal before checking IRS, state, and software-specific rules.

How to use / 使用方法

  1. Enter only estimates or public numbers; never paste account, tax, passport, card or identity details.
  2. Compare the output with the related Omellody tools below.
  3. Open official provider, issuer, IRS, state, bank or network pages before acting.

Official verification box / 官方验证盒

  • IRS withholding estimator and current tax tables
  • IRS filing-status and standard-deduction pages
  • Current tax-software supported forms and state support
  • If a current official page conflicts with this calculator, the official page controls.

Commercial next steps and related tools

Disclaimer: This educational tool is not personalized financial, tax, legal, credit, banking, investment, identity, privacy, security or travel advice. Official terms and qualified professionals control regulated decisions.

Documents to collect

  • W-2s and 1099s
  • Interest and dividend forms
  • Last year’s return
  • Childcare and education records
  • Health insurance and marketplace forms

What to compare next

Tax software comparison

Compare guided filing options.

OLT Online Taxes review

Budget filing option with free federal support.

FreeTaxUSA review

Low-cost filing option for many taxpayers.

TurboTax review

Guided filing with stronger hand-holding.

FAQ

Is this tax advice?
No. It is a simplified educational estimator and does not replace IRS guidance, a tax professional, or full tax software.
Does this include state taxes?
No. It estimates only a simplified federal result.
Why compare tax software after estimating?
The estimate tells you whether your situation is simple enough for free filing or complex enough to need better guidance.
What numbers do I need for a quick refund estimate?
Use filing status, rough W-2 or taxable income before the standard deduction, federal withholding, and any credits you already expect. Do not enter SSNs or private tax identifiers.
Why does the estimator differ from tax software?
Full tax software can apply current forms, phase-outs, state returns, itemized deductions, self-employment tax, marketplace insurance, and other rules this simplified calculator intentionally excludes.