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ACA Subsidy Calculator 2026: How Much Premium Tax Credit Will You Actually Get?
Written and reviewed by Dick Tracy, licensed health insurance broker (NPN 20414610) · Published September 4, 2026
The 2026 marketplace subsidy is the price of the benchmark silver plan in your county minus the share the IRS says you can afford, which is 2.10% to 9.96% of your income depending on where you land between 100% and 400% of the poverty level. Above 400%, the credit is zero. This calculator turns that rule into a monthly dollar estimate for your state, your household size, your income, and your ages. No email, no signup, nothing leaves your browser. I educate, you decide.
You, your spouse if you file jointly, and everyone you claim as a dependent, even if some of them are not enrolling.
Self-employed? Use net profit, not what you pay yourself
Leave out anyone staying on a job plan, Medicare, or Medicaid. Their income still counts, their premium does not.
Estimates only. Your share of the benchmark premium is exact under IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-25 and the 2025 federal poverty guidelines that govern 2026 coverage (2026 guidelines for the 2027 preview and for Medicaid). The benchmark premium is estimated from your state's 2026 average second-lowest-cost silver premium for a 40-year-old (KFF) scaled by the federal age curve, or by New York's community-rated family tiers. Your county, the plan year, and the actual plans offered will move the number. Massachusetts uses its own age curve, so treat that estimate as rougher. Alaska and Hawaii use different poverty guidelines and are not covered. This is education, not tax or enrollment advice.
How the 2026 subsidy math works, with a real example
The premium tax credit is not a percentage off. It is a gap-filler. The law decides how much of your income you can be asked to pay for the second-lowest-cost silver plan where you live, and the credit covers everything above that. Three numbers, three steps.
| Household income as a percent of poverty | Your share of the benchmark premium (2026) |
|---|---|
| 100% up to 133% | 2.10% of income |
| 133% up to 150% | 3.14% rising to 4.19% |
| 150% up to 200% | 4.19% rising to 6.60% |
| 200% up to 250% | 6.60% rising to 8.44% |
| 250% up to 300% | 8.44% rising to 9.96% |
| 300% to 400% | 9.96% of income |
| Over 400% | No credit. Full price. |
Source: IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-25, section 3.01. The percentage slides evenly inside each band.
Take a Texas family of four, parents 42 and 40, kids 10 and 7, expecting $90,000 for 2026. Step one: $90,000 divided by the $32,150 poverty line for four is 280% of poverty. Step two: at 280% the table says about 9.35% of income, which is $8,415 a year or about $701 a month. That is the most they pay for the benchmark silver plan, no matter what it costs. Step three: the benchmark plan for those four people in Texas runs roughly $2,140 a month at 2026 rates, so the credit is about $1,436 a month, or about $17,200 a year. They can put that credit toward a bronze plan and pay very little, or toward a gold plan and pay more than $701. Now move the same family to $130,000. They are $1,400 over the line, and the credit is zero. Same family, same plan, $17,200 a year difference. That is the cliff, and it is why the calculator shows your cushion.
2026 income limits for Obamacare subsidies, by family size
Two different poverty tables are in play, and mixing them up is the most common mistake I see on other sites. Marketplace subsidies for 2026 coverage are measured on the 2025 federal poverty guidelines, because eligibility for a plan year is set with the prior year's table. Medicaid, the Essential Plan, and CHIP in 2026 use the 2026 guidelines. Here is the marketplace table.
| Tax household | 100% (subsidy floor) | 150% | 200% | 250% | 300% | 400% (the cliff) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $15,650 | $23,475 | $31,300 | $39,125 | $46,950 | $62,600 |
| 2 people | $21,150 | $31,725 | $42,300 | $52,875 | $63,450 | $84,600 |
| 3 people | $26,650 | $39,975 | $53,300 | $66,625 | $79,950 | $106,600 |
| 4 people | $32,150 | $48,225 | $64,300 | $80,375 | $96,450 | $128,600 |
| 5 people | $37,650 | $56,475 | $75,300 | $94,125 | $112,950 | $150,600 |
| 6 people | $43,150 | $64,725 | $86,300 | $107,875 | $129,450 | $172,600 |
| 7 people | $48,650 | $72,975 | $97,300 | $121,625 | $145,950 | $194,600 |
| 8 people | $54,150 | $81,225 | $108,300 | $135,375 | $162,450 | $216,600 |
| Each additional person | +$5,500 | +$8,250 | +$11,000 | +$13,750 | +$16,500 | +$22,000 |
Source: 2025 HHS poverty guidelines, Federal Register, lower 48 states and DC. Married couples must file jointly to claim the credit, so "married filing jointly" uses the 2-person line plus dependents.
The Medicaid line in expansion states is 138% of the 2026 guidelines: $22,025 for one person, $29,864 for two, $37,702 for three, $45,540 for four, adding $7,839 per person. New York's Essential Plan runs to 200% of the same table, $31,920 for one and $66,000 for four. For 2027 coverage, the marketplace moves to the 2026 guidelines, so the cliff becomes $63,840 for one person and $132,000 for four. Pick "2027 preview" in the calculator to see it.
Your state's exchange, and where its lines differ
The federal formula is identical in all 25 states I serve. What changes is who runs the marketplace, whether the state expanded Medicaid (which sets the floor), what the benchmark plan costs, and whether the state adds money of its own. Four states have enough of their own rules that I gave each a full page.
| State | Marketplace | Medicaid to 138%? | 2026 benchmark, age 40 | What is different |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | Covered California | Yes (Medi-Cal) | $570 | State premium subsidy to 165% of poverty; state tax penalty for going uninsured; no underwritten plans |
| New York | NY State of Health | Yes | $817 (any age) | Essential Plan $0 to 200%; community rating, no age pricing; Child Health Plus to 400% |
| Pennsylvania | Pennie | Yes | $572 | No state subsidy; 21.5% approved 2026 increase; CHIP has no income cap |
| Maryland | Maryland Health Connection | Yes | $414 | Cheapest benchmark of the 25; state premium assistance replaces half to all of the lost enhanced credit through 2027; extra subsidy for ages 18 to 37; tax-return easy enrollment |
| Alabama | HealthCare.gov | No (100% floor, gap below) | $645 | Own age curve; underwritten plans allowed |
| Arizona | HealthCare.gov | Yes | $532 | Underwritten plans allowed |
| Colorado | Connect for Health Colorado | Yes | $557 | State exchange with its own enrollment help |
| Connecticut | Access Health CT | Yes | $870 | Second-highest benchmark of the 25 |
| Delaware | HealthCare.gov | Yes | $691 | Underwritten plans allowed |
| Florida | HealthCare.gov | No (100% floor, gap below) | $683 | Largest marketplace in the country; underwritten plans allowed |
| Georgia | Georgia Access | No (waiver to 100%) | $615 | State exchange since 2025; underwritten plans allowed |
| Indiana | HealthCare.gov | Yes | $474 | Underwritten plans allowed |
| Kentucky | kynect | Yes | $590 | State exchange; underwritten plans allowed |
| Maine | CoverME.gov | Yes | $709 | State exchange |
| Massachusetts | Massachusetts Health Connector | Yes | $494 | Own age curve; ConnectorCare state program; state mandate |
| Michigan | HealthCare.gov | Yes | $523 | Underwritten plans allowed |
| New Jersey | GetCoveredNJ | Yes | $545 | State exchange; state mandate; no underwritten plans |
| North Carolina | HealthCare.gov | Yes (since Dec 2023) | $638 | Underwritten plans allowed |
| Ohio | HealthCare.gov | Yes | $513 | Underwritten plans allowed |
| South Carolina | HealthCare.gov | No (100% floor, gap below) | $564 | Underwritten plans allowed |
| Tennessee | HealthCare.gov | No (100% floor, gap below) | $711 | Underwritten plans allowed |
| Texas | HealthCare.gov | No (100% floor, gap below) | $661 | Underwritten plans allowed |
| Virginia | Virginia's Insurance Marketplace | Yes | $455 | State exchange since 2024; underwritten plans allowed |
| West Virginia | HealthCare.gov | Yes | $1,073 | Highest benchmark in the country, so the biggest credits |
| Wisconsin | HealthCare.gov | No (waiver to 100%) | $611 | Underwritten plans allowed |
Benchmark = average second-lowest-cost silver premium for a 40-year-old, KFF, 2026 plan year (US average $625). Expansion status: KFF, August 2026. Marketplace type: KFF.
Read the benchmark column as the size of the credit, not the price of coverage. A high benchmark means a big credit for anyone under the line, and a big bill for anyone over it. West Virginia at $1,073 and Connecticut at $870 are where the cliff hurts most. Maryland at $414 is where a family over the line has the least to lose.
What to do with your number
You got a real credit and you are comfortably under the line
Use the marketplace, and use the credit on purpose. Put it toward the plan that costs least on the day something happens, not the day nothing does. Then get the income estimate exactly right, because 2026 has no repayment cap. A subsidized silver is often the right answer. Not always. I price it against the other doors so you know.
You are under the line by less than $10,000
Plan for the cliff now, not at renewal. Decide what you will do with a strong fourth quarter (a Solo 401(k) contribution is the usual lever), report changes the month they happen, and have a plan B priced before you need it. The marketplace will not warn you.
You are over the line and the credit is zero
Do not sign the sticker-price renewal yet. In New York, healthy people and families can merge into pre-established ERISA group plans at group rates. In most other states, private plans priced on you beat the community-rated marketplace price for a healthy household. Read private vs the marketplace in 2026 for the honest comparison, then bring me your renewal letter.
You landed in Medicaid or Essential Plan territory
Take it, and watch the ceiling. Those programs beat any subsidized plan on price. The trap is income that rises during the year without anyone telling the marketplace. In New York the Essential Plan ceiling moved on July 1, 2026; if you lost coverage in that change, here is what happened and what to do.
Common questions about the 2026 ACA subsidy
How much is the ACA subsidy in 2026?
The credit equals the benchmark silver premium in your area minus the share the IRS says you can afford: 2.10% to 9.96% of household income depending on where you fall between 100% and 400% of the poverty level. A Texas family of four at $90,000 sits at about 280% of poverty, pays about 9.35% of income ($701 a month) for the benchmark, and if that plan costs about $2,140 a month the credit is about $1,436 a month. Above 400% the credit is zero.
What are the income limits for Obamacare subsidies in 2026?
100% to 400% of the 2025 federal poverty guidelines: $15,650 to $62,600 for one person, $21,150 to $84,600 for two, $26,650 to $106,600 for three, $32,150 to $128,600 for four, adding $5,500 at the bottom and $22,000 at the top per additional person. Under 100% you generally get no marketplace credit (expansion states cover you through Medicaid to 138%). Over 400%, even by a dollar, the credit is zero.
What is 400% of the federal poverty level for 2026 coverage?
$62,600 for one person, $84,600 for two, $106,600 for three, $128,600 for four, $150,600 for five, $172,600 for six, $194,600 for seven, and $216,600 for eight, in the lower 48 states and DC. These use the 2025 guidelines because a coverage year's eligibility is set with the prior year's table. For 2027 coverage the line moves to $63,840 for one and $132,000 for four.
How is the premium tax credit calculated?
Divide household modified adjusted gross income by the poverty guideline for your household size to get a percentage. Find your applicable percentage in the 2026 IRS table: 2.10% under 133% of poverty, sliding up to 9.96% at 300%, flat at 9.96% to 400%. Multiply by income and divide by 12; that is your monthly cap for the benchmark silver plan. Subtract the cap from the benchmark plan's full premium for everyone enrolling. The difference is the monthly credit, usable on any metal tier.
Does the subsidy depend on my age?
In most states, yes. Your cap is fixed by income, but the benchmark premium rises with age on the federal 3 to 1 curve, so a 60-year-old gets a much bigger credit than a 30-year-old at the same income. New York is the exception: community rating means every adult pays the same premium, and families use fixed tiers (couple 2.0 times the single rate, parent plus children 1.7, couple plus children 2.85).
Which states have their own exchange and their own income rules?
Twelve of my 25: Covered California, Connect for Health Colorado, Access Health CT, Georgia Access, kynect, CoverME.gov, Maryland Health Connection, Massachusetts Health Connector, GetCoveredNJ, NY State of Health, Pennie, and Virginia's Insurance Marketplace. The federal formula is the same everywhere; the state exchanges add their own programs on top, like California's state subsidy to 165% of poverty, New York's Essential Plan to 200%, and Maryland's state premium assistance plus its young adult subsidy. The other 13 use HealthCare.gov.
What if my income is under 100% of the poverty level?
In the 18 expansion states I serve, Medicaid covers you to 138% and the marketplace credit does not apply. In Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas, adults under 100% generally get neither unless they fit a category such as pregnancy or disability. Georgia and Wisconsin cover adults to 100% under waivers. Since 2026, lawfully present immigrants under 100% also lost marketplace credit eligibility under Public Law 119-21.
Were the enhanced subsidies extended for 2026 or 2027?
No, as of September 2026. They expired December 31, 2025. The Senate rejected extensions on December 11, 2025; the House passed a three-year extension on January 8, 2026; it has not become law. The original ACA formula with the 400% cap and a 9.96% top contribution governs 2026, and insurers filed 2027 rates on the same basis. If that changes, this page and the calculator get updated the same week.
What income does the calculator use?
Modified adjusted gross income for the whole tax household for the coverage year: line 11 of Form 1040 plus untaxed Social Security, tax-exempt interest, and excluded foreign income. Self-employed: net profit after business deductions, half of self-employment tax, and retirement contributions, not gross receipts and not your draw. The MAGI calculator builds it line by line.
What happens if I earn more than 400% of the poverty level?
The credit is zero, and any advance credit the marketplace paid on a lower estimate is repaid in full at tax time, because the repayment cap is gone for 2026. Full-price marketplace is not the only door. In New York, healthy people and families can merge into pre-established ERISA group plans at group rates. In most other states, private plans priced on your health often cost less than an unsubsidized marketplace plan. Compare all three before you renew.
Do I have to pay back the subsidy if I estimated my income wrong?
Yes, and for 2026 there is no cap. Through 2025 the clawback for households under 400% of poverty maxed out between $375 and $3,250. Public Law 119-21 removed every cap starting with the 2026 plan year. Report income changes to the marketplace the month they happen. California reconciles its own state subsidy separately, with a cap that depends on income.
Give me your county, your ages, and an honest income figure, and I will pull the actual benchmark plan and the actual credit, then price it against the doors the marketplace never shows you. Free, no hard sell. I educate, you decide.
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