This is an interactive web page intended to help you understand your U.S. taxes.
You're viewing the source repository; try the graph itself at https://b-k.github.io/1040.js/ .
You might use this utility to answer questions like:
-
What is the overall flow from W-2s and 1099s to the final refund?
-
If my tax situation changes, like buying a house or having a kid, how does the shape of my taxes change?
-
People keep telling me that having an IRA will reduce my tax bill. By how much?
-
If I had a million dollars, what would my taxes look like? What would they look like if I made it all in capital gains? [But please note there are some details for people making over $155,000/year that 1040.js doesn't yet handle. This has not been a problem for any of the contributors.]
-
My mom/dad/libertarian friend complains about how taxes are overwhelmingly complicated, but I don't think they're so crazy difficult. How can I walk them through the process?
-
A lawmaker has proposed changing tax law, like a flat tax or changing the mortgage interest deduction to a mortgage interest credit. How can I get an idea of what those changes would look like?
If your sole interest is to "do" your taxes, there are many online services that will take in a list of numbers from you and spit out a bottom-line number, hiding what happens between beginning and end.
You can also file directly with the IRS using FFFF [ https://www.freefilefillableforms.com ]. IRS form 1040 was first developed in 1913, and largely retains the same organization as the original. Technically, it does not hide intermediate steps from the user, but it is hard to argue that its layout of a long list of lines, many of which refer to lines on other forms, makes the flow at all clear.
FFFF does most but not all calculations, so it can be productive to do your taxes using this tax graph, then use the results to fill in the missing calculations at FFFF.
The tax graph on this form is incomplete. For example, the earned income credit calculation is in place, but if you are a member of the clergy there is a different calculation. There are some details for people making over $155,000/year (AGI) which we will handle if any of the contributors ever have that problem. The code is open source, and you are encouraged to add cells or logical nuances that apply to your situation; see Contributing.md for details.