Build Back Better Calculator
Educational tool to visualize potential benefits under illustrative assumptions. Not tax advice.
Disclaimer: This calculator is for educational purposes only and uses simplified, illustrative assumptions. Do not rely on this for tax planning. Consult official IRS guidance or a qualified professional.
How to Use This Calculator
Enter your household income
Provide your approximate annual income before taxes.
Select filing status
Choose Single, Married Filing Jointly, or Head of Household.
Add number of qualifying children
Enter dependents meeting typical age and residency criteria.
Calculate and review
View the rough illustrative estimate and read the disclaimer.
Formula
estimate = max(0, kids × base − (max(0, income − threshold) × rate))
Example:
income = $100,000, filing = Single ⇒ threshold = $75,000 (illustrative)
kids = 2, base = $3,000, rate = 0.05
over = 100,000 − 75,000 = 25,000; phaseout = 25,000 × 0.05 = 1,250
base benefit = 2 × 3,000 = 6,000 ⇒ estimate = max(0, 6,000 − 1,250) = $4,750
About Build Back Better Calculator
This page provides a simplified, educational-only visualization of how proposed policy concepts sometimes referred to as “Build Back Better” could affect household-level benefits under highly simplified assumptions. Real legislation and guidance are nuanced, evolve over time, and vary by year, eligibility details, and interaction with other tax provisions. Because of that complexity, this tool intentionally avoids exact replication of any specific bill text and instead focuses on communicating the general intuition: higher incomes typically phase down benefits, while more qualifying dependents generally increase them. Enter your income, filing status, and number of qualifying children to see a rough demonstration. The formula shown is intentionally basic to remain transparent and broadly understandable, and the thresholds and rates are labeled as illustrative values only. This tool is not legal, financial, or tax advice. For personalized guidance, consult authoritative IRS publications or a qualified tax professional, and rely on current, enacted laws rather than proposals. Treat results as a learning aid to discuss scenarios, compare what-if cases, and better understand how phaseouts can shape net benefits across different household profiles.
When to Use This Calculator
- Education: Learn how phaseouts broadly work.
- What-if scenarios: Compare income levels and dependent counts.
- Planning discussions: Frame questions for professionals.
- Civics & policy: Understand implications at a high level.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this an official government calculator?
No. It is an independent educational tool using simplified, illustrative assumptions.
Do results reflect current law?
Not necessarily. Always reference enacted legislation and IRS guidance for current rules.
Can I use this for tax filing?
No. This is not tax advice and should not be used for filing decisions.
Why are the numbers labeled “illustrative”?
Policy details change and are complex. We use round numbers to demonstrate concepts transparently.