Combined Federal Tax Estimator

A spreadsheet to calculate all common US federal taxes in one place: income tax, payroll, capital gains tax, and more.

Fast & Comprehensive Tax Estimation

Better than other calculators:

• Quick total federal tax estimate. No lengthy questionnaires.
• Comprehensive model covering common federal tax types, not just income tax.

Included:

• Federal Income Tax (including Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT), short-term capital gains, ...)
• Long-Term Capital Gains Tax
• Social Security Tax
• Medicare Taxes (including Additional Medicare Tax and Net Investment Income Tax (NIIT))

Philosophy: Designed for estimation. Some deductions are intentionally omitted to simplify usage.
Better to slightly overestimate (refund) than to underestimate (penalties).

▶ Open in New Browser Tab

• Immediate results (embedded into this web site).
• No setup required (takes several seconds to load).
• Common desktop browsers supported.
• Data cannot be saved.

▶ Open in Excel-Web

• All data can be saved.
• Explore different income and taxation scenarios.
• See a review screenshot.
• Requires free Microsoft account.
• The Live Version is read-only. To use, create your private copy:
  Go to `File` > `Create a Copy`.
  • To use with Excel Online (free): select `Create a copy online`.
  • To use with Excel for Desktop (Windows or Mac): select `Download a Copy`.
    

▶ Download the calculator Excel file from GitHub

• You are in complete control.
• Save data, explore scenarios, share the file. You are the owner!
• See all model details and all tax calculations.
• MIT License: no restrictions.
• Excel for desktop required (Windows or Mac).

How to use

1. Input Your Income ('Estimator' tab, orange cells only):
   • Enter your estimated income in section 'Your estimated income'.
   • Each income category has 3 input fields. Use them however you like (they're simply added together).
   • Only edit orange cells. All other cells are auto-computed.
   • Some input cells are pre-filled with sample values. Make sure to override with your own values.
   
2. Review Your Results:
   • 'Total Tax Summary' section: View estimated tax by type and your total.
   • Detail sections below: See exactly how each tax is calculated.
   • 'Parameters' tab: Reference tax rates and brackets for each year.
   

Tax types not considered

• State and local taxes.
• Self-Employment Tax.
• Some nuances of Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT), such as Incentive Stock Options (ISO) exercise tax.
  (This can significantly impact the AMT. There may be other AMT nuances that are not considered.)
• There may be others, so focus on what is explicitly covered (see above).

⚠️ This calculator is not a qualified tax advice.

This tool is for estimation purposes only. It should be reasonably accurate for ~90% of employed individuals.
The calculator accounts for common income types, such as W-2, capital gains, rental income, and others.

For fully reliable tax calculations, especially for complex tax situations, always consult a qualified tax professional!

Questions & Contact

To ask a question or contact the author, submit an Issue on GitHub.

---

This project on GitHub   |   License   |   Important disclaimer