Tax Strategy • 2026
2026 Tax Scenario Calculator — V3 (Compare A vs B)
Federal-only (Mississippi later). Save Scenario A, change inputs, save Scenario B, then compare.
Includes 2026 brackets, QD/LTCG 0%/15%/20% stacking, self-employment tax, and simplified refundable Child Tax Credit.
Inputs
Filing status
Qualifying children (under 17)
W-2 wages (box 1 estimate)
Federal withholding (W-2 + other)
Estimated payments (quarterly, etc.)
Pay frequency (for withholding math)
Side hustle / 1099 income (gross)
Side hustle expenses (deductible)
Interest income
Ordinary dividends (non-qualified)
Qualified dividends
Long-term capital gains
Short-term capital gains
Other income
401(k) / 403(b) pretax contributions
HSA contributions (deductible)
Traditional IRA contribution (deductible)
Student loan interest paid
Deductions
Itemized deductions (total)
Workflow: set your “baseline” inputs → Save as Scenario A. Then adjust one thing → Save as Scenario B.
The right side shows the difference and a simple per-paycheck withholding adjustment to break even.
Scenario Compare
Refund / Owed (B − A)—
Total tax change (B − A)—
Per-paycheck withholding change—
Scenario A breakdown
AGI—
Taxable income—
Ordinary tax—
QD/LTCG tax—
SE tax—
CTC refundable—
Total tax—
Scenario B breakdown
AGI—
Taxable income—
Ordinary tax—
QD/LTCG tax—
SE tax—
CTC refundable—
Total tax—
This is an educational estimate. Withholding helper is simple math (difference ÷ pay periods), not advice.
Educational estimate only (not tax, legal, or financial advice). This tool does not store inputs.
V3 includes: 2026 federal brackets, qualified dividends + long-term gains preferential rates, self-employment tax, and simplified refundable Child Tax Credit.
Coming next: CTC phaseout, IRA deductibility rules, NIIT, itemized detail, and Mississippi add-on.
