TaxClarity KY
2026 federal + Kentucky tax strategy

Know where you’ll land. Change it while there’s still time.

Start with what was true in 2025, add what has changed so far and what you expect by year-end, then get a ranked, dollar-by-dollar action plan built from your actual tax calculation.

Runs entirely on this device Official federal + KY sources Every idea measured through the engine
1
Bring forward 2025Import a saved plan or enter the three numbers that unlock safe-harbor planning.
2
Tell us what 2026 looks likeUse year-to-date numbers or full-year estimates. Only add situations that apply.
3
Act on the best movesSee savings, deadlines, tradeoffs, threshold cliffs, and honest combined impact.

Start with your baseline

This is enough to begin. You can refine every assumption below.

Planning estimate — verify before filing
Informational only — not tax, legal, or financial advice. Verify every figure against the official IRS and Kentucky DOR instructions before filing. Print and mail the forms; this tool does not e-file.

What applies to you?

Choose everything that fits. Matching sections appear below immediately.

Who's filing
You
Only the birth year — that settles every age rule the return uses, without asking for a full date of birth.
New for 2026 — could any of these apply?

Answer only what you can confirm. These deductions are available even if you take the standard deduction; Kentucky does not adopt them because its return starts from federal AGI.

Sources and assumptions
Rule basis: IRS Schedule 1-A guidance, IRS 2026 inflation adjustments, and Kentucky 2026 estimated-tax instructions. Core constants are verified; 2026 KY Family Size Credit thresholds remain provisional until the official 2026 Schedule ITC is published.
College credit

Only shown because college applies. Confirm the few facts that decide the American Opportunity or Lifetime Learning Credit.

Child or dependent-care credit

Mark the qualifying person inside the Dependents section, then enter the household total paid so you could work or look for work.

Dependents
Wages — W-2
Interest & dividends
1099-INT
1099-DIV
Capital gains (Schedule D totals)
Self-employment — Schedule C
Rental real estate — Schedule E
Retirement contributions
Payments already made

Keep withholding and self-paid estimates separate here—we combine them in the calculation. Enter withholding on its W-2 or 1099 row. Enter below only payments you personally submitted; blank future installments do not count.

Withheld from W-2s and 1099s+Quarterly payments you submitted+Prior refund applied=Prepayments counted together

Federal · Form 1040-ES $0 paid

InstallmentDueAmount paidDate paidStatus

Kentucky · Form 740-ES $0 paid

InstallmentDueAmount paidDate paidStatus
Payment timing and penalty notes
Payment dates matter for underpayment penalties. This planner totals actual payments for the return and flags obvious timing issues; Form 2210 or Kentucky Form 2210-K may still be required for a final penalty calculation. Sources: IRS estimated-tax schedule and Kentucky 2026 Form 740-ES.
Retirement & Social Security
Adjustments to income
Deductions
Without itemized deductions the standard deduction is used automatically.

Your return, visualized — above & below the line, live

Money flow — Federal Form 1040

Standard vs. itemized deduction

Where your income goes

Kentucky Form 740

Your 2026 plan — where you stand, where you'll land, and how to change it

Projected full year

Your rate, and where it jumps

Compare your paths

Your action plan — given your situation, before the deadlines

Why the plan doesn't double-count

Strategy

Ideas are computed by re-running the real tax engine with each change — not rules of thumb. Informational only, not tax or investment advice.