Self-Employment Tax Calculator
Calculate your SE tax, understand what you owe, and plan your quarterly payments. Built for gig workers, freelancers, and independent contractors.
Calculate Your SE Tax
Enter your net self-employment income to see your estimated tax burden.
Your total 1099 income minus business expenses
If you also have a W-2 job
Home office, supplies, software, etc.
Understanding Self-Employment Tax
When you work for yourself, you pay both the employee AND employer portions of Social Security and Medicare taxes.
How SE Tax Works
Self-employment tax is 15.3% — 12.4% for Social Security and 2.9% for Medicare. This replaces the 7.65% FICA tax that W-2 employees pay (with their employer paying the other 7.65%). As a self-employed person, you're both the employee AND the employer.
The 92.35% Rule
You only pay SE tax on 92.35% of your net self-employment income. The IRS allows you to deduct the employer-equivalent portion (7.65%) before calculating the tax. Our calculator handles this automatically.
The Above-the-Line Deduction
Good news: you can deduct half of your SE tax (the employer-equivalent 7.65%) as an above-the-line deduction on your 1040. This reduces your income tax, though it doesn't reduce your SE tax itself.
Social Security Wage Base
In 2026, the Social Security tax (12.4%) only applies to the first $176,100 of combined wages and SE income. The Medicare portion (2.9%) has no cap. High earners may also owe an additional 0.9% Medicare surtax.
Quarterly Estimated Payments
The IRS expects self-employed individuals to pay taxes quarterly (April 15, June 15, September 15, January 15). Underpaying can result in penalties. Use our Quarterly Payment Calculator to estimate each payment.