US SELF-EMPLOYMENT TAX · 2026 Self-employment tax calculator 2026.
Plus your quarterly payments.

1. Enter your Net profit from self-employment for the year (Schedule C profit).
2. Choose your Filing status and add any W-2 wages this year, which share the Social Security wage base.
3. Add your Estimated federal income tax and the Federal tax withheld this year, if you want the quarterly payment plan.
4. Optionally add Last year’s total tax and AGI to see the required annual payment (safe harbor), then read the self-employment tax, the deductible half and each payment due date.

• Net earnings = net profit × 92.35%. You usually owe self-employment tax if net earnings are $400 or more.
• Social Security = 12.4% of net earnings, up to the 2026 wage base of $184,500, less any W-2 wages already taxed.
• Medicare = 2.9% of all net earnings, with no cap.
• Deduction: you deduct half of your self-employment tax when working out adjusted gross income.
• Additional Medicare Tax = 0.9% of earnings above $200,000 (single, head of household, qualifying surviving spouse), $250,000 (married filing jointly) or $125,000 (married filing separately), reduced by W-2 Medicare wages.

Sources (checked 2026-10-23): IRS Topic 554, IRS Publication 15 (2026) for the wage base, and the IRS self-employment tax page for the Additional Medicare Tax thresholds. The tool runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you type is sent to Angelwood or saved on a server.

• Individuals generally make estimated payments if they expect to owe $1,000 or more when they file.
• You generally avoid the underpayment penalty by paying at least 90% of this year’s tax, or 100% of last year’s, whichever is smaller.
• If last year’s AGI was over $150,000 ($75,000 if married filing separately), use 110% of last year’s tax instead of 100%.
• 2026 due dates: April 15, June 15 and September 15, 2026, and January 15, 2027.

Sources: IRS estimated taxes and IRS Publication 505 (2026). The calculator doesn’t work out income tax; enter your estimate from tax software or an accountant.

A single freelancer with $85,000 net profit and no W-2 wages has net earnings of $78,497.50. Social Security is $9,733.69 and Medicare $2,276.43, so self-employment tax is $12,010.12, of which $6,005.06 is deductible. With $9,000 of estimated income tax, total tax is $21,010.12; 90% of that is $18,909.11, or four payments of about $4,727.28.