Income Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax Payments for 2026

You can use the Tax Withholding Estimator instead of Pub. 505 or the worksheets included with Form W-4 or W-4P to determine whether you need to have your withholding increased or decreased.

In general, you don’t have to make estimated tax payments if you expect that your 2026 Form 1040 or 1040-SR will show a tax refund or a tax balance due of less than $1,000. If your total estimated tax for 2026 is $1,000 or more, see Form 1040-ES and Pub. 505 for a worksheet you can use to see if you have to make estimated tax payments. For more details, see Pub. 505.