Free Self-Employment Tax Calculator — 2026
Self-Employment Tax Calculator (2026)
Calculate your SE tax, federal income tax, state tax, and quarterly payment amounts. Free — no signup required.
Enter your income to see your tax breakdown
2026 federal brackets • All 50 states + DC • Quarterly payment schedule
Self-employment tax catches a lot of freelancers and small business owners off guard. When you're your own boss, you pay both the employer and employee portions of Social Security and Medicare — 15.3% on top of your income tax. This free calculator breaks down your total tax burden using 2026 federal brackets, all 50 states plus DC, and shows your quarterly payment amounts so there are no surprises at filing time.
How to Calculate Self-Employment Tax
- 1
Enter your net self-employment income
This is your revenue minus business expenses (Schedule C, line 31). Don't include W-2 wages — those go in "Other income."
- 2
Add any other income
If you have W-2 wages, investment income, or other taxable income, add it here. This affects your federal income tax bracket.
- 3
Choose your filing status and state
Filing status affects your brackets. State selection adds state income tax to your total.
- 4
Click Calculate
See a complete breakdown: SE tax, federal income tax, state tax, and your quarterly payment amounts.
- 5
Plan your payments
Use the quarterly amounts to set up estimated payments via IRS Direct Pay or EFTPS. Never miss a deadline.
Why Use Holdings' SE Tax Calculator?
All 50 states + DC
Includes state income tax calculations for every state. States with no income tax (TX, FL, WA, etc.) show $0 state tax.
Quarterly payment amounts
Don't just see your annual total — get the exact quarterly payment amount to send the IRS each quarter.
SE tax deduction included
Automatically calculates the deductible portion of self-employment tax (50% of SE tax reduces your AGI) — something most simple calculators miss.
Free, no signup, browser-only
Your income data never leaves your browser. No account required, no data stored, unlimited calculations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the self-employment tax rate for 2026?
The SE tax rate is 15.3% — 12.4% for Social Security (on the first $176,100 of net SE income) plus 2.9% for Medicare (on all net SE income). There's an additional 0.9% Medicare surtax on SE income above $200,000 ($250,000 if married filing jointly).
How is self-employment tax calculated?
Start with net SE income, multiply by 92.35% (this is the taxable base — mimicking the employer half deduction), then apply the 15.3% rate. You can deduct 50% of the SE tax from your adjusted gross income.
Do I have to pay self-employment tax?
If your net self-employment income is $400 or more in a tax year, you must pay SE tax. This applies to freelancers, independent contractors, sole proprietors, and partners in a partnership.
Can I reduce my self-employment tax?
Yes. Maximize business deductions to lower net SE income. Consider an S-Corp election if income exceeds ~$60K (splits income into salary + distributions). Contribute to a SEP-IRA or Solo 401(k) to reduce income tax (though not SE tax directly).
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