2026 Calculator
Self-Employment Tax Calculator 2026 - Free SE Tax + Quarterly Estimator
Enter your net profit to see 15.3% SE tax on 92.35% of it, the Social Security and Medicare split, the deductible half, and a quarterly payment for 2026.
Self-Employment Tax Calculator 2026 - Free SE Tax + Quarterly Estimator
This calculator applies the 2026 Schedule SE math to your net self-employment profit:12.4% Social Security on earnings up to the $184,500 wage base, plus 2.9% Medicare with no cap, for a combined 15.3% on 92.35% of your profit. It then shows the 50% deduction, your federal income tax, the total effective rate, and an even quarterly payment.
How This Tax Calculator for Self-Employment Works
The steps follow Schedule SE (Form 1040) line by line, so each figure maps to a line on the form.
- Net earnings (line 4a). Net profit × 92.35%. The cut stands in for the employer half of payroll tax, which employees never pay tax on.
- $400 floor (line 4c). If net earnings are under $400, the calculation stops and no SE tax is due.
- Social Security (line 10). 12.4% on the smaller of your net earnings or the part of the $184,500 wage base your W-2 wages have not already used.
- Medicare (line 11). 2.9% on all net earnings.
- SE tax (line 12). Line 10 plus line 11.
- Deduction (line 13). 50% of line 12, taken on Schedule 1.
- Additional Medicare (Form 8959). 0.9% on net earnings above your filing-status threshold, after subtracting W-2 Medicare wages from that threshold. Shown separately because it is not part of Schedule SE.
2026 Self-Employment Tax Rates and Limits
| Item | 2026 figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Net earnings factor | 92.35% of net profit | Schedule SE line 4a |
| Social Security portion | 12.4% | Schedule SE line 10 |
| Social Security wage base | $184,500 | Form 1040-ES (2026) |
| Medicare portion | 2.9%, no cap | Schedule SE line 11 |
| Deductible share of SE tax | 50% | Schedule SE line 13 |
| Minimum net earnings for SE tax | $400 | IRS Topic 554 |
| Additional Medicare: single, head of household | 0.9% above $200,000 | IRS Q&A |
| Additional Medicare: married filing jointly | 0.9% above $250,000 | IRS Q&A |
| Additional Medicare: married filing separately | 0.9% above $125,000 | IRS Q&A |
Self-Employment Tax and Income Tax Calculator: Combined View
SE tax is only part of the bill. The same profit is also subject to federal income tax, and the two interact: half of your SE tax comes off your income before income tax is figured. The calculator's second table runs that sequence:
- AGI = net profit + W-2 wages − the deductible half of SE tax.
- Subtract the 2026 standard deduction for your filing status.
- Subtract the qualified business income (QBI) deduction: 20% of profit after the SE tax deduction, limited to 20% of taxable income. It is estimated only when taxable income is at or below $201,750(single, head of household), $201,775(married filing separately), or $403,500(married filing jointly). Above that, the deduction depends on your type of business and the wages and property it has, so the calculator leaves it out and tells you.
- Apply the 2026 brackets, then add SE tax and any Additional Medicare Tax.
The result is a total federal figure and an effective rate on all of your income. For how that total compares with the common "30%" rule of thumb at different income levels, see how much tax you pay on self-employment income.
Worked Examples With 2026 Figures
Example 1: Freelancer, $100,000 net profit, single
Social Security: $92,350.00 × 12.4% = $11,451.40
Medicare: $92,350.00 × 2.9% = $2,678.15
SE tax: $14,129.55 (14.13% of profit)
Deductible half: $7,064.78
AGI $92,935.22 − standard deduction $16,100 − QBI deduction $15,367.04 = taxable income $61,468.18
Income tax: $8,235.00
Total federal tax: $22,364.55 (22.36% effective)
Even quarterly payment: $5,591.14
Example 2: Consultant, $250,000 net profit, single (wage base and Additional Medicare)
Social Security: capped at $184,500 × 12.4% = $22,878.00
Medicare: $230,875.00 × 2.9% = $6,695.38
SE tax (Schedule SE): $29,573.38
Deductible half: $14,786.69
Additional Medicare (Form 8959): $30,875.00 × 0.9% = $277.88, not part of the deduction
Taxable income $219,113.31 is above the $201,750 QBI threshold, so no QBI deduction is estimated
Income tax: $46,572.26
Total federal tax: $76,423.52 (30.57% effective, before any QBI deduction)
Example 3: Side business, $80,000 net profit plus $120,000 W-2 wages, single
Wage base left after W-2 wages: $184,500 − $120,000 = $64,500
Social Security: $64,500 × 12.4% = $7,998.00
Medicare: $73,880.00 × 2.9% = $2,142.52
SE tax: $10,140.52
Deductible half: $5,070.26
Income tax on wages and profit together: $31,920.51
Total federal tax: $42,061.03, before subtracting W-2 withholding
Quarterly Payments and the Safe Harbor
SE tax is not withheld from client payments, so it is usually paid through estimated tax along with income tax. Form 1040-ES generally requires payments if you expect to owe at least $1,000 after withholding and refundable credits. The 2026 due dates:
- 1st payment: April 15, 2026
- 2nd payment: June 15, 2026
- 3rd payment: September 15, 2026
- 4th payment: January 15, 2027
The calculator's quarterly figure is the combined total divided by four. You can generally avoid the underpayment penalty by paying the smaller of 90% of this year's tax or 100% of last year's (110% if last year's AGI was over $150,000). The quarterly estimated tax calculator works through those options, and the 2026 quarterly deadlines guide covers what happens when a date falls on a weekend.
What This Free Self-Employment Tax Calculator Leaves Out
- State and local tax. Only federal tax is estimated.
- Other deductions. The self-employed health insurance deduction and SEP or solo 401(k) contributions lower income tax and QBI; enter your profit before them and treat the income tax result as high if you have them. See the self-employed deductions list.
- Credits and itemizing. The standard deduction is assumed and no credits are applied.
- A spouse's earnings. On a joint return, Additional Medicare Tax is based on both spouses' wages and SE income; enter combined W-2 wages if that applies.
- Special cases. Church employee income, farm and nonfarm optional methods, and Conservation Reserve Program payments follow separate Schedule SE rules not modeled here.
Related Self-Employment Guides
- How to calculate self-employment tax by hand, step by step
- Do self-employed people pay 30% tax?
- 1099 vs W-2: the same income taxed both ways
- Avoiding the quarterly underpayment penalty
- Self-employment tax, defined