ACA subsidy calculator
Estimate your premium tax credit and what a benchmark Silver plan might cost you each month.
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2026 figures
MAGI Income Estimator for ACA and Medicare
MAGI decides your Marketplace tax credit and whether Medicare adds an income surcharge, but the two programs count it differently. Enter your adjusted gross income, or estimate it from self-employment profit, and see both figures side by side with your share of the poverty level and your IRMAA bracket.
- Built on published 2026 figures
- Everything runs in your browser
- Nothing you type is sent anywhere
- Free, with no email or sign-up
Estimates only. Figures on this page use published plan-year values and the details you enter. They are not a quote, an offer of coverage, or a determination of eligibility. Your final premium and any tax credit are confirmed at enrollment with the carrier or HealthCare.gov. Everything is calculated in your browser; nothing you type is sent to us or anyone else.
What this assumes
- Marketplace MAGI is adjusted gross income plus untaxed foreign income, Social Security that is not taxed, and tax-exempt interest (HealthCare.gov).
- Medicare IRMAA MAGI is adjusted gross income plus tax-exempt interest only (Social Security Administration).
- For the Marketplace, use the income you expect for the year you want coverage, for everyone in your tax household. IRMAA uses the tax return from two years earlier.
- The self-employed estimate deducts half of self-employment tax (15.3% of 92.35% of profit), health insurance premiums up to your profit, and the retirement contributions you enter. Above the Social Security wage base the real tax is lower, so enter it from Schedule SE.
- Other above-the-line deductions, such as HSA contributions or student loan interest, are not modelled. Include them by entering your AGI directly.
- Poverty level from the 2025 HHS guidelines used for 2026 coverage; IRMAA brackets are the 2026 CMS amounts for single and joint filers.
- This is not tax advice. Your tax return, or a tax professional, is the final word.
- An estimate from published figures and the numbers you enter, not a quote or an eligibility decision.
Where the figures come from
- HealthCare.gov: what to include as income (modified adjusted gross income) Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (HealthCare.gov), 2026
- SSA POMS HI 01101.010: Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) for IRMAA Social Security Administration, 2026
- IRS: Self-employment tax (Social Security and Medicare taxes) Internal Revenue Service, 2026
- HHS poverty guidelines 2025 (coverage year 2026) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2025
- CMS 2026 Medicare Part B premium, deductible and IRMAA amounts Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2026
Talk it through with Viola
An estimate is a starting point. Viola Lucero, CLTC, and the team at Rise Up Benefits Group in Chandler can look up the real figures for your situation, check your doctors and prescriptions, and explain what the numbers mean for you. We speak insurance, so you don't have to.
Or see real Marketplace plans for your ZIP code:
Rise Up Benefits Group is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operating on behalf of HealthCare.gov, the Health Insurance Marketplace, or any federal or state government agency. Plan availability, premiums and advance premium tax credits are set by the carriers and the Marketplace.
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Common questions
What is modified adjusted gross income (MAGI)?
It is your adjusted gross income from your federal tax return with certain untaxed income added back. It is not a line on your tax return, and different programs add back different things, which is why this tool shows two figures.
How is MAGI calculated for Marketplace health insurance?
HealthCare.gov counts your adjusted gross income plus untaxed foreign income, Social Security benefits that are not taxed, and tax-exempt interest. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is not counted. Add up the MAGI of everyone in your tax household who is required to file a return.
How is MAGI calculated for Medicare IRMAA?
Social Security uses your adjusted gross income plus tax-exempt interest, from the tax return two years before. For 2026 premiums, that is your 2024 return. Untaxed Social Security is not added back for IRMAA.
Does Social Security count as income for ACA subsidies?
Yes. For the Marketplace, all of your Social Security benefits count, the taxed part (already in your AGI) and the untaxed part. That surprises many early retirees, so include the untaxed part in this estimator.
Which income range qualifies for a Marketplace tax credit?
For 2026 coverage, a tax credit is generally available between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level. For one person that is $15,650 to $62,600, using the 2025 poverty guidelines. Below 100% in Arizona, AHCCCS is usually the place to look.
How do self-employed people lower their MAGI?
Three adjustments come straight off your income before AGI: half of your self-employment tax, self-employed health insurance premiums (up to your business profit), and contributions to plans such as a SEP, SIMPLE, solo 401(k) or traditional IRA. Health Savings Account contributions can lower it too.
How does the calculator estimate self-employment tax?
It takes 92.35% of your net profit and applies the 15.3% self-employment tax rate, with no tax below $400 of net earnings. Above the Social Security wage base only the Medicare part continues, so a high earner should enter the actual figure from Schedule SE instead.
What MAGI triggers IRMAA in 2026?
The first surcharge applies above $109,000 for a single filer or $218,000 for a joint return, based on the 2024 tax return. The IRMAA calculator shows the exact premium for each bracket.
What if my income dropped after I retired?
For the Marketplace, you report the income you expect for the coverage year, so a lower retirement income counts right away. For IRMAA, you can ask Social Security to use a more recent year after a life-changing event such as retirement, using form SSA-44.
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