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2026 Federal Tax Planning

Married: Jointly or Separately?

Compare one joint return with both separate returns in a simple paycheck-only example.

Compare a simple two-paycheck household

This comparison isolates federal income tax. It is not a recommendation to choose a filing status.

2026 W-2 Box 1 amount.
2026 W-2 Box 1 amount.
Both spouses are U.S. residents, under 65, not blind or dependents; wages only, standard deduction, no dependents, credits, other deductions, subsidies or special taxes. No community-property rules: AZ, CA, ID, LA, NV, NM, TX, WA, WI, or an Alaska opt-in.

This tool calculates in your browser tab and does not submit these amounts. No SSNs, bank details or tax documents are needed.