Self-employment tax calculator 2026
Enter your net business profit — revenue after ordinary business expenses — to estimate federal income tax and self-employment tax.
| Schedule C net profit | $75,000.00 |
| Net earnings subject to SE tax (92.35%) | $69,262.50 |
| Social Security part | $8,588.55 |
| Medicare part | $2,008.61 |
| Federal income tax | $6,504.31 |
| Total federal tax | $17,101.47 |
After the federal withholding you entered, the estimated amount still unpaid is $17,101.47.
How the income-tax estimate was worked out
| W-2 wages plus business profit | $75,000.00 |
| Deduction for half of SE tax | −$5,298.58 |
| Adjusted gross income | $69,701.42 |
| Standard deduction | −$16,100.00 |
| Taxable income | $53,601.42 |
Using this as a 1099 tax calculator
A 1099 usually reports gross payments, but the tax calculation starts with Schedule C net profit after ordinary business expenses. Enter that profit above. The result combines estimated federal income tax with Social Security and Medicare, then shows the share of net profit to set aside on these simplified assumptions.
2026 self-employment tax rate
The regular self-employment tax rates are 12.4% for Social Security and 2.9% for Medicare, applied to 92.35% of net profit. Social Security stops at the 2026 wage limit shared with W-2 wages; Medicare does not. An extra 0.9% Medicare tax can apply above the filing-status threshold. Your effective rate is not a flat 15.3% because the wage limit, half-tax deduction, federal brackets and standard deduction all affect the total.
What self-employment tax covers
Self-employment tax is the Social Security and Medicare tax for people who work for themselves. The 2026 Form 1040-ES worksheet first multiplies net profit by 92.35%. It applies 12.4% Social Security tax up to the 2026 wage limit, after W-2 wages, and 2.9% Medicare tax to all net earnings. Half of that tax is deducted when estimating adjusted gross income.
What this estimate includes
- 2026 federal tax brackets and the standard deduction for your filing status.
- W-2 wages when working out taxable income and the remaining Social Security limit.
- Additional Medicare Tax when combined wages and net earnings cross your filing-status threshold.
What it deliberately leaves out
QBI, credits, itemized deductions, retirement contributions, health-insurance deductions, other income and state taxes can materially change a return. This first version does not guess them. Use the result as a planning estimate, not a completed tax return.
Need a payment schedule? Carry the same profit into the quarterly tax calculator. Comparing a job and contract offer? Use the 1099 vs. W-2 calculator.
Sources
- IRS Form 1040-ES (2026) — 92.35% net-earnings factor, 2.9% Medicare and 12.4% Social Security calculation, half-tax deduction, tax schedules, safe-harbor rules and payment dates
- IRS — Self-employment tax — who pays SE tax, Additional Medicare Tax filing-status thresholds and the employer-equivalent deduction
- IRS — About Schedule SE — Schedule SE is used to figure tax due on net earnings from self-employment
Questions
What number should I enter as profit?
Enter expected Schedule C net profit: business revenue minus ordinary business expenses. Do not enter gross client payments if you still have deductible business costs.
Is self-employment tax 15.3% of all profit?
Not exactly. The regular method applies Social Security and Medicare rates to 92.35% of net profit, and Social Security stops at the annual wage limit shared with W-2 wages.
Does this include QBI?
No. QBI depends on facts this short calculator does not collect, so it is left out and clearly disclosed rather than estimated inaccurately.