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36topcalcnow ← Taxes
💼 Taxes

Self-Employment Tax Calculator

Estimate your SE tax (Social Security + Medicare) as a freelancer or 1099 contractor. Includes quarterly payment breakdown.

📋 Data Entry

Gross income minus business expenses (Schedule C net profit)
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📄 Result

Total Tax (SE + Income)
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⚠️ Federal estimate only. Doesn't include state taxes. SE tax = 15.3% on 92.35% of net earnings (12.4% SS + 2.9% Medicare). 0.9% Additional Medicare applies above $200K (single).
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📅 Quarterly Due Dates

  • Q1: April 15
  • Q2: June 16
  • Q3: September 15
  • Q4: January 15 (next year)

If you expect to owe $1,000+ in tax, pay quarterly to avoid IRS underpayment penalties.

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How self-employment tax works

When you're a W-2 employee, your employer pays half of your Social Security and Medicare taxes (FICA). When you're self-employed, you pay both halves — that's the SE tax of 15.3%.

The good news: SE tax is calculated on 92.35% of your net earnings (not 100%), and you can deduct half of the SE tax from your taxable income. Both partially offset the burden of paying both sides.

You also still owe federal income tax on top of SE tax. That's why a freelancer earning $80K typically owes more total tax than a W-2 employee earning the same — but also has access to many more deductions (home office, equipment, mileage, retirement plans like SEP-IRA).

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