Money and taxes · Some practice · about 1 to 2 hours for a simple return

File a Simple Federal Tax Return

Each spring, U.S. workers file a federal tax return that settles up the income tax for the year before. If more tax was withheld from your paychecks than you owe, you get a refund; if less, you pay the difference. The figures here are for tax year 2026, the return you file in 2027.

When to teach it: Watch from about 12, help from about 14, do it alone (with a parent checking) from about 16.

Income fills the buckets from the bottom. A raise into a higher bracket only taxes the dollars above that line at the higher rate.

You'll need

Form W-2 from each employer
Any other tax forms you received, such as a Form 1099
Your Social Security number
A copy of last year's return, if you filed one
A free filing option (see the steps) or a paper Form 1040

Math

How it works: How tax brackets work

The U.S. uses marginal tax brackets. Your taxable income is split into layers, and each layer is taxed at its own rate. Moving into a higher bracket only changes the rate on the dollars above that line.

Tax year 2026 brackets for single filers (taxable income): 10% up to $12,400; 12% over $12,400 up to $50,400; 22% over $50,400 up to $105,700; 24% over $105,700 up to $201,775; 32% over $201,775 up to $256,225; 35% over $256,225 up to $640,600; 37% over $640,600.

Example: Jordan is single and earns $40,000 in wages in 2026. Taxable income is $40,000 − $16,100 = $23,900. Tax is 10% of the first $12,400 ($1,240) plus 12% of the next $11,500 ($1,380), for a total of $2,620.

Now Jordan gets a raise to $67,000. Taxable income is $50,900, which is $500 over the 22% line. Tax is $1,240 + 12% of $38,000 ($4,560) + 22% of $500 ($110) = $5,910. Only that last $500 is taxed at 22%; the dollars below the line are taxed just as before. (This example leaves out credits and other deductions.)

tax = 10% × (taxable income up to $12,400) + 12% × (the part from $12,400 to $50,400) + 22% × (the part from $50,400 to $105,700) + … (tax year 2026, single)

Try it: Draw the brackets as stacked buckets. Use paper squares worth $1,000 each as 'income.' Fill the bottom bucket first, then the next. Count the squares in each bucket, multiply by that bucket's rate, and add up the tax.

Keep learning: Ray's Arithmetic · Your Tax Receipt, to see what federal income tax pays for

Teaching it to your kids

Look at a real W-2 and Form 1040 together and match the numbers from one to the other.
Use the bucket activity to bust the myth that a raise can push all of your income into a higher bracket.
Talk about why the government withholds tax from each paycheck instead of collecting it all in April.

Tips

Brackets and the standard deduction change every year for inflation. Use the figures for the tax year on your return.
If you can't file on time, file Form 4868 by the deadline and pay what you can. Interest builds on tax not paid by the original due date, and a late-payment penalty may apply.
You don't have to pay someone to file a simple return; free options exist.

Common mistakes

Mistake	Instead
Thinking a higher bracket taxes all your income at the higher rate	Only the dollars above each bracket line get that bracket's rate.
Skipping a return when tax was withheld	Even if you're not required to file, filing may get your withheld tax back.
Assuming an extension gives you more time to pay	It doesn't. Pay what you owe by the original due date to limit interest and penalties.
Using the full standard deduction when a parent can claim you	Dependents use a different, often smaller standard deduction. The IRS tool and tax software handle this if you answer the dependent question correctly.

Where to get help

VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) offers free basic tax preparation for people who generally make $69,000 or less, people with disabilities, and taxpayers with limited English (2026 filing season figure).
TCE (Tax Counseling for the Elderly) offers free tax help for people 60 and older.
IRS Free File's guided software is free if your adjusted gross income is under that year's limit ($89,000 or less in the 2026 filing season).

Sources

Free how-to guides for families, with nothing to earn, pass or send in. They follow U.S. rules and sources; your owner's manual, product labels and state and local rules come first. This guide explains how things work; it isn't personal financial, tax or legal advice.