Self-Employment Tax Calculator
Your 2026 self-employment tax, the income tax on top, and how much of every payment to set aside.
Net profit: $68,000
Leave at 0 if freelancing is all you do
A spouse's pay if filing jointly, interest, and so on
Optional. A flat rough rate on profit.
- Apr 15, 2026January to March
- Jun 15, 2026April and May
- Sep 15, 2026June to August
- Jan 15, 2027September to December
- Social Security (12.4%)$7,787
- Medicare (2.9%)$1,821
- Self-employment tax$9,608
- Federal income tax this income adds$4,273
- Total to set aside$13,881
How the numbers were worked out
- Net profit
- $68,000
- Counted for SE tax (92.35%)
- $62,798
- Deduction for half of SE tax
- $4,804
- QBI deduction
- $9,419
- Taxable income, all sources
- $37,677
- Top federal bracket reached
- 12%
An estimate using 2026 federal figures and the standard deduction. It leaves out credits, itemised deductions, the self-employed health insurance deduction and retirement contributions, all of which would lower the bill. Not tax advice. Nothing leaves your browser.
You know what to set aside. Now make the profit worth it.
Tax is a share of profit, and profit is rate times hours. PomoTodo tracks the hours behind every client and shows what each one actually pays you per hour, so you can see which work carries the business and which quietly costs it.
Free plan tracks unlimited focus time across unlimited tasks. No card required.
A client just paid you $4,000 and you know some of it is not really yours. The question is how much. Set aside too little and April hurts. Set aside too much and you are short all year for no reason.
Enter what the business brings in and what it spends, and this works out the self-employment tax, the 15.3% that pays your Social Security and Medicare, plus an estimate of the federal income tax your freelance profit adds. It uses the 2026 figures: the $184,500 Social Security wage base, the new brackets, and the 20% qualified business income deduction most freelancers can take.
It comes out as two numbers you can act on: the share of each payment to move into a tax account, and what to send the IRS each quarter.
How self-employment tax works
An employee splits Social Security and Medicare with their employer, 7.65% each. Working for yourself, you are both, so you pay the full 15.3%. It is charged on 92.35% of your net profit, which is the law's way of giving you the same break an employer gets for its half.
On $60,000 of profit that is $60,000 times 92.35%, or $55,410, times 15.3%: about $8,478. Half of that comes off your income before income tax is worked out, and profit under $400 owes no SE tax at all.
Two limits change the picture at higher incomes. The 12.4% Social Security part stops at $184,500 of combined wages and self-employment earnings for 2026, so a day job uses up some of that room first. And an extra 0.9% Medicare tax starts at $200,000, or $250,000 for a joint return.
Quarterly estimated tax payments for 2026
Nobody withholds tax from freelance income, so the IRS expects it in four instalments. You generally need to pay estimated tax if you expect to owe $1,000 or more for the year.
| Due | For income earned |
|---|---|
| April 15, 2026 | January to March |
| June 15, 2026 | April and May |
| September 15, 2026 | June to August |
| January 15, 2027 | September to December |
To stay clear of an underpayment penalty, what you pay during the year, through these payments and any withholding, generally needs to cover at least 90% of this year's tax or 100% of last year's. If last year's adjusted gross income was over $150,000, that second figure is 110%.
What this estimate leaves out
It uses the standard deduction and treats you as a sole proprietor with no employees. Credits such as the child tax credit, itemised deductions, capital gains, the self-employed health insurance deduction and retirement contributions are not included, and most of those would lower your bill. State tax is only a flat rate you supply. Use it to decide what to set aside, and use tax software or an accountant for the return itself.
More tools
The rate your year actually needs, not the one you guessed.
Build an invoice and download the PDF. Free, no signup.
2026 IRS rates applied by trip date, including the July rate change.
Hours and rates per client, invoice totals, utilization.
Questions
What is the self-employment tax rate for 2026?
15.3% on 92.35% of your net profit: 12.4% for Social Security on up to $184,500 of combined wages and self-employment earnings, and 2.9% for Medicare on all of it. Earnings above $200,000 ($250,000 for joint filers) also pay the 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax.
How much should I set aside for taxes as a freelancer?
It depends on your profit and your other income, which is why the calculator gives you a percentage rather than a rule. For a single filer with $60,000 of profit and no other income, federal self-employment and income tax together come to about 20% of profit in 2026, before any state tax. A day job or a higher profit usually pushes the share up.
Do I pay self-employment tax if I also have a job?
Yes, on your freelance profit, but your wages count first toward the $184,500 Social Security limit. If your salary already reaches it, you only owe the 2.9% Medicare part on your self-employment earnings. Enter your wages and the calculator applies this.
Can I deduct half of my self-employment tax?
Yes. Half of your SE tax is deducted from your income before income tax is worked out. It does not reduce the SE tax itself, only the income tax, and the calculator includes it automatically.
When are 2026 quarterly estimated taxes due?
April 15, June 15 and September 15, 2026, and January 15, 2027. Each payment covers income from a slice of the year, and missing one can mean a penalty even if you pay everything by April.
Does the QBI deduction reduce self-employment tax?
No. The 20% qualified business income deduction lowers your income tax only. Self-employment tax is worked out on your net profit before it.