Self-Employment Tax Calculator
Free self-employment tax calculator for freelancers, 1099 contractors, and sole proprietors.
Self-Employment Tax Calculator (2025–2026)
1099 Contractor, Freelancer, 1099 vs W-2 & Quarterly Estimated Tax
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Total Self-Employment Tax
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How to Use This Calculator
Formula:
Net SE Earnings = Net Profit × 92.35% | SE Tax = min(Net SE, $176,100) × 12.4% (SS) + Net SE × 2.9% (Medicare) | Deductible Half = 50% of SE Tax
- Enter your Gross 1099 / Freelance Revenue and all ordinary, necessary Schedule C Business Expenses (home office, software, mileage, equipment) to compute your Net Self-Employment Profit.
- Input any W-2 salary from a day job (which counts toward the $176,100 Social Security wage base cap) and select your IRS filing status.
- Add self-employed health insurance premiums and SEP-IRA or Solo 401(k) retirement contributions (up to 20% of adjusted net SE income, max $70,000) to lower your taxable AGI.
- Review your 15.3% SE tax breakdown, your 50% Schedule 1 tax deduction, combined federal income tax, and exact IRS Form 1040-ES quarterly estimated payment schedule.
Frequently Asked Questions
The self-employment tax rate is 15.3% applied to 92.35% of your net self-employment earnings: 12.4% for Social Security (capped at the annual wage base of $184,500 in 2026 or $176,100 in 2025, reduced by any W-2 wages) plus 2.9% for Medicare on all net earnings. High earners also pay a 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax above $200,000 (single) or $250,000 (married filing jointly).
As a 1099 contractor, you pay both the employer and employee portions of FICA (15.3% total), whereas W-2 employees pay only 7.65% because their employer covers the other 7.65%. To match a W-2 salary, independent contractors generally need to charge 25% to 35% higher gross revenue to cover self-employment taxes, health insurance, and unpaid time off.
Under IRC Section 199A, eligible self-employed sole proprietors and single-member LLCs can deduct up to 20% of their net qualified business income from their taxable income, subject to taxable income phase-in thresholds ($197,200 for single, $394,400 for MFJ in 2026).
Self-employed individuals generally pay estimated taxes in four installments: Q1 due April 15, Q2 due June 15, Q3 due September 15, and Q4 due January 15 of the following year. To avoid IRS underpayment penalties (safe harbor), pay at least 100% of your prior year tax liability (110% if prior AGI was above $150k) or 90% of your current year liability.
Yes. Under IRC Section 164(f), you can deduct 50% of your self-employment tax (excluding Additional Medicare Tax) as an above-the-line adjustment on Schedule 1, which lowers your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) and federal income tax.