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ACA Subsidy Calculator

Your premium tax credit, and the 400%-of-poverty cliff that decides whether you get one.

Reviewed September 2, 2026

Short answer

Your premium tax credit is the benchmark silver-plan premium minus your expected contribution (a percentage of income). With enhanced subsidies expired, a hard 400%-of-poverty cliff returns in 2026: a single filer at $50,000 gets about a $3,420 credit, but at $62,601, one dollar over the cliff, it drops to $0.

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Second-lowest-cost silver plan

Premium tax credit$3,420.00Per year, toward premiums
Your share$4,980.00Expected annual contribution
% of poverty319%Eligible: 100–400%

At approximately 319% of the federal poverty level, the estimated annual premium tax credit is $3,420.00 against the benchmark premium entered above.

As of 2026 law. Assumes the enhanced (ARPA/IRA) premium tax credits expired December 31, 2025, so the hard 400%-of-poverty cliff applies and the top expected contribution is 9.96% (Rev. Proc. 2025-25). Uses the 2025 federal poverty guidelines for the 48 contiguous states and DC; Alaska and Hawaii differ. The credit is measured against the second-lowest-cost silver plan (SLCSP) benchmark.

This is an educational estimate, not tax or financial advice. Figures reflect the law year shown and the inputs you provide. Consult a qualified professional before acting.

Sources

How it’s calculated

  1. Find your income as a percentage of the federal poverty level (2025 guidelines for the 48 contiguous states and DC).
  2. Your expected contribution is a sliding percentage of income, topping out at 9.96% at 400% of poverty (Rev. Proc. 2025-25).
  3. The credit is the second-lowest-cost silver plan (SLCSP) benchmark minus that contribution, and it is $0 above the 400% cliff ($62,600 single).

Worked premium-tax-credit example

Household MAGI
$50,000
Household size
1
Annual benchmark premium
$8,400
Location
48 contiguous states or DC

Result

About $3,420 of annual premium tax credit.

The estimate subtracts the household's expected contribution from the supplied second-lowest-cost silver-plan premium. Actual marketplace premiums and eligibility facts vary by household and location.

What this calculator does not cover

  • Alaska and Hawaii poverty guidelines are different and are not modeled.
  • The calculator does not determine Medicaid eligibility or marketplace enrollment eligibility.
  • You must supply the correct second-lowest-cost silver-plan premium for your household and location.

Frequently asked

What changed for 2026?
The enhanced (ARPA/IRA) premium tax credits expired December 31, 2025. That restores the hard 400%-of-poverty cliff, above it there is no subsidy at all, the single biggest cost risk for anyone retiring before 65.
How close to the cliff is risky?
Very. At $62,600 a single filer still receives a credit; at $62,601 it is $0. Because retirees can often control taxable income, staying just under the cliff can be worth thousands. This calculator prices that dollar cost. A full Meridary plan flags proximity to the ACA cliff and prices what crossing would cost against a national benchmark premium, those figures are not deducted inside the year-fold, and your own state's silver plan may differ.

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